Sky Danley

Sky Danley served in the U.S. Air Force from 1981 to 1994. He earned a bachelor's degree from Purdue University.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I hold an Astronautical Engineering degree from Purdue University. Boiler up! After a short time designing jet engines for NASA and General Electric, I became a pilot in the United States Air Force. Since then, I’ve logged over 30,000 flight hours as both a military and commercial pilot—which I’ve calculated could have taken me a third of the way to Mars. While in the military, my first assignment was to a base in New England, where I served out my commitment. After discharge, I stayed here and have remained ever since, growing from a young to an old man. I'm now retired from fulltime flying, save the occasional test flight or maintenance reposition. My hobbies include writing (having written two award winning children’s books, with a third on the way), filmmaking (having produced an award winning animated film), architecture (having designed and built my own shingle-style house), living history (as a member of the Abraham Lincoln Presenters Association), and community service (current president of the Fitz John Porter Project, "a community force for good").

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

"The struggle of today is not altogether for today—it is for a vast future also." – A.Lincoln

We have inherited the important task of preserving self-government and passing it down to future generations. Right now, we are falling short. The people no longer control our government as our founders intended. Instead, it has become usurped by wealthy special interests via corrupt, self-serving representatives. Our challenge today is to return government to the people. My own political success doesn’t matter so long as America restores its higher purpose, government of, by, and for the people.I propose four amendments to restore and protect our republic.

Set term limits for House and Senate members to reduce the influence of career politicians and give everyday people a chance to serve.

Lower the Senate impeachment conviction threshold to 60 percent, making it easier to hold officials accountable.

Change the Supreme Court so a new justice joins every two years, with each serving an 18-year term. Add a clear ethics rule with real consequences to keep decisions fair and stop justices from taking gifts.

Finally, take corrupting money out of politics. Only people who live in a district should be able to donate to federal campaigns there. This would make sure representatives answer to their own voters, not outside groups.Purpose and Function of Government

I think the government should only do things that people can’t do on their own.

I feel this way because most organizations become less efficient over time. But with competition, they improve by finding better ways to do things. Economists call this “creative destruction.”

Government is different because it lacks competition and often becomes less efficient over time. We have to accept this for things only the government can do. But if people can do something themselves, it is better to leave it to the private sector so competition can improve things.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Restoring our Republic -- bringing back government of, by, and for the people.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

During the Civil War, four months after his son enlisted at age 18, Orin, my great-great-grandfather, also enlisted, but at the more advanced age of 47 (which has to be like age 60 nowadays—and they weren’t traveling around in Humvee's back then!). Unfortunately, Orin, likely due to his advanced age, survived only six months, dying of typhoid during the Battle of Island No. 10, while his regiment was dug into rifle pits along the banks of the Mississippi River, facing the Confederates on the other side. I find it remarkable that Orin, a successful business owner, would drop everything at that later stage in life and enlist in the fight to save the republic. He, like so many others, died so that government of the people, by the people, and for the people could live. If that's not inspiring, I don't know what is.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Civic virtue – placing the common good over self-serving interest.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To help people achieve together what they cannot accomplish alone.

What legacy would you like to leave?

If I played even a small role in bringing back self-government, I would see my life as a success.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

When I was twelve, I worked as a paperboy. That job taught me the basics of business, delivering a product and collecting payment. After two years, I moved on to work as an apprentice pizza maker for a dollar an hour (less than half the minimum wage at the time).

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Art. The struggling artist in me. Although I trained in Paris, I never attained the level of mastery I aspired to achieve.

What do you perceive to be the United States' greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

Restoration of self-government.

What qualities does the U.S. Senate possess that makes it unique as an institution?

They play a direct role in all three branches of government, such as approving executive cabinet positions and judicial appointments. Their most important check-and-balance role is the power to convict during an impeachment.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

I want to make it clear that I am not a dogmatic person. I am always open to learning from others' positions, and only then, after careful, open discussion, can a legitimate, self-governing position be implemented.

What was the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember?

Landing on the moon when I was ten years old. I was alive when JFK was assassinated, though I don't remember it, but I do remember the riots after Martin Luther King was killed.

Campaign websiteDanley's campaign website stated the following:Before I share my other positions, let me say this: “I feel like I’m back as a Captain on an airliner with an engine on fire, hydraulics failing, electrical power failing, and the plane dropping fast, when the flight attendant calls to ask if I can reset the cabin’s internet because it’s running slow.”The point is, having different positions doesn’t matter if the greater system fails. The first job is to save the aircraft, then fix the smaller issues. My top priority is protecting the Constitution, and that’s where I’ll focus my efforts first.After it is saved, I will advocate for substantial policy change.I want to be clear that I’m not dogmatic. I’m open to learning from others and having real discussions about different views. Only after open, careful debate can we create policies that everyone accepts.Opposition to my positions does not make someone evil, unpatriotic, or even an enemy. If they support the Constitution, then they are my brethren despite differences in policy beliefs. In contrast, someone who shares my positions but acquiesces in the overthrow of the Constitution is my enemy.Purpose and Function of GovernmentI think the government should only do things that people can’t do on their own.This is because most organizations become less efficient over time. But with competition, they either improve or are replaced with more efficient organizations. Economists call this “creative destruction.”Government is unique because it lacks competition and often becomes less efficient over time. We have to accept this for things only the government must do. But if people can do something themselves, it is better to leave it to the private sector so competition can improve things.To quote Henry David Thoreau, I generally believe, “that government is best which governs the least.” As such, I’m in favor of dismantling much of the inefficient government that has accumulated over the years and is no longer relevant.ChangeThe Greek philosopher Heraclitus said over 2,000 years ago, “Change is the only constant in life.” In other words, change is always happening.For example, the internet has changed many parts of our lives, both good and bad. We need to update our government to keep up with these changes.First, I’d focus on privacy, which the internet has greatly reduced—some even say destroyed. Privacy is a basic human right and is mentioned several times in our Bill of Rights.I really feel for young people growing up with the internet always watching. Every mistake they make is now recorded forever. As Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook said, the age of privacy is over.No one wants to live with every move watched by the public. That’s why I support laws to protect the human “Right to Privacy.” This right has often been discussed in connection with the Ninth Amendment.Public Schools“We hold these truths…”In a democracy, which is governed from the bottom up, all citizens must be well educated so that they can discern truth from lies. A democracy cannot function under systematic lies.Therefore, we need to address and shore up the product of our public school system, which is apparently failing many in discerning truth from lies. It appears ill-equipped to teach social media decoding, let alone to judge the advent of deceptive AI. The public school’s basic curriculum was designed by a group of leading university presidents in 1892 (the ‘Committee of Ten’). I’ll do the math: our basic public-school curriculum was created over 130 years ago and has changed little since, while our world has changed a lot.Also, because there’s no competition, our school bureaucracy has grown too large and inefficient.This must be addressed.First, we need to update the curriculum to fit today’s world, then bring in competition so our schools can become efficient again. Sweden has had great success by adding competition to its public schools.To be clear, I am staunchly in favor of public schools, but I am adamantly against inefficient public schools, which appear to be the case at present. We need efficiency.We should move away from memorization and teaching just for tests. We could try some Montessori methods. Kids need more playground time. Older students should have more choices in what they study, whether that’s technology or the arts.And obviously, money attracts talent, so teacher salaries must be raised. This is essential for success.Environment, both portrait and landscapeAnother result of recent changes is that we spend too much time sitting in front of screens. We now average about three thousand steps a day, even though our bodies are built for over sixteen thousand.We need to create new ways to support both our physical and mental health. In New Hampshire, we have beautiful outdoor spaces, and we should make the most of them.We pay a lot in federal taxes, but I don’t see much of it improving our quality of life. I suggest we get more of our money back and use it to build better infrastructure for everyone, not just a few.No new roads, which are mostly paid for with federal money, should be built or rebuilt without a bike lane or walking path. Let’s set an example for the nation. The savings in healthcare costs would more than cover the extra expense, especially if we use our federal tax dollars.The New EconomyNew Hampshire needs to attract and keep more young people. We have low regulation and a great quality of life, so there’s no reason we shouldn’t build a strong new-tech economy led by younger workers. Our federal representatives should focus on this and use federal resources to help our state’s economy. We pay a lot in federal taxes, so let’s get our fair share and use it to grow a new-tech economy here.Like Japan, our workforce is getting older. To stay competitive, we need to value our older workers. Right now, government policies allow age discrimination, which pushes older, productive workers out of their jobs and into government programs.I oppose all forms of discrimination, including age discrimination, so that every citizen can contribute to society as much as possible for everyone’s benefit.Our FamiliesOn the other end of the age spectrum, I believe our nation’s most important asset is our children, and the best natural protector of children is a strong family unit. Our nation must create laws that strengthen the family unit, and I’m not against different kinds of families so long as they endear their children. I’m in favor of much greater tax credits for those raising children.Drug AddictionThe ongoing street-drug crisis is harming lives. Encouraging drug use weakens our society. I don’t support criminalizing drug use, but I don’t support encouraging it either. Addiction is an illness and should be treated, not ignored.Over-Regulation and Under-CompetitionToo many regulations can slow growth. Some rules are needed, like those that protect our environment, but we should review and adjust regulations to stay competitive globally. This affects both our standard of living and our national security.As I mentioned before, we need more competition everywhere. Competition leads to efficiency, and that’s been key to America’s success.To succeed in the future, we need fair competition in both government and business. Where competition has faded, we should bring it back, because competition leads to greatness, and greatness is America’s path.The MilitaryWe are the world’s strongest nation because of our military. The situation in Ukraine shows that evil still exists, and we must always be ready to stand against it. Technology wins wars and is our best defense.We need to keep investing in military technology to stay strong. It’s a smart investment because it creates good jobs here and helps our overall technology and manufacturing grow. But we also need to ensure military spending remains competitive. There’s still work to do on that front.The FutureIn closing, I believe that we, as Americans, remain world leaders in the economy, culture, and especially military strength. Don’t believe anyone who says otherwise.We make up just 4% of the world’s population, but we produce 26% of the world’s GDP. We control 48% of global financial markets, and our currency is used in 84% of business transactions worldwide. Our music and movies are unmatched.With the strength of our military, no one is going to come in from abroad and topple us. “If destruction be our lot, it will come from within.”Unfortunately, that destruction appears to be coming from within.Even though we’re still leading, we’re divided and losing ground. Many Americans have lost faith in our system, and I understand why. These are tough times, and both political sides share the blame for putting self-interest ahead of the common good.If you’ve lost faith in our founding system, I ask you to return to the concept of self-government and trust in our Constitution’s ability to fix itself.I’m running for the U.S. Senate and would truly appreciate your vote. Together, we can return to our constitutional principles, guide the changes our founders wanted, and keep America moving toward a better future.— Sky Danley's campaign website (September 4, 2026)Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.