Tomas Scheel

Tomas Scheel served in the U.S. Air Force from 2009 to 2016. He graduated from Prairie High School. He earned an associate degree from the Community College of the Air Force in 2014. His career experience includes being a business owner.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I'm Tomas Scheel, a USAF Veteran, Small Business Owner, Software Developer, husband, and a father.

In my free time I have been a volunteer firefighter, given Spanish-English translation assistance, mentored aspiring software developers, and taught English to Ukrainians in support of the defense of their country.

I am a Democrat running for Congress in Washington's 2nd District to defeat Rick Larsen, break the hold of billionaire corporate donors on this seat, and put working Washingtonians back in charge.

It is time to have an elected representative who is accountable to the people, not corporate PAC money.

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?

Pass a 'Uniform Code of Public Servant Justice' to establish a higher standard of conduct and criminal liability for elected officials, political appointees, and any sworn federal officer or agent with arrest, detention, search, seizure, or removal authority, with mandatory minimum sentences for violations.Pass legislation to build an efficient, cost-effective, patient-focused, physician-led universal single-payer healthcare system for which ALL Americans can participate in, regardless of ability to pay.Pass Living Wage legislation, incentivize states with rent stability policies, ban short-term housing in communities with affordable housing shortages, and go after union-busting companies who are keeping wages artificially low.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I care deeply about building a government that is accountable, actually delivers results, and recognizes that climate change is one of the defining challenges of our time. My focus is on policies that improve affordability for all Washingtonians, strengthen labor and civil rights, expand healthcare access, embrace clean renewable energy as one of the greatest economic opportunities of this century, and invest in the infrastructure that will humanely and ethically protect and serve for generations to come.

Campaign websiteScheel's campaign website stated the following:JusticeThe current administration has not only ignored the law, it is the most corrupt in American history. Pass Uniform Code of Public Servant Justice legislation to establish a higher standard of conduct and criminal liability for elected officials, political appointees, and any sworn federal officer or agent with arrest, detention, search, seizure, or removal authority, with mandatory minimum sentences for violations.The Trump-Epstein files have not been fully released, have been illegally redacted while endangering their thousands of victims and have resulted in zero prosecutions. Investigate and prosecute former Attorney General Pam Bondi, Epstein ally & Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, and open a large scale investigation into ALL current and former elected officials who have protected this global ring of child rapists.Ensure truly representative democracy in America. Pass term limits for Congress and introduce Rotate the Court legislation, reforming SCOTUS to make it larger, cases decided by rotating panels, and major precedent changing only with broad agreement.Hold Corporations & CEOs criminally liable for their actions. Pass legislation increasing accountability for major financial and environmental misconduct, including criminal - not just civil - prosecution.Currently, voters are not allowed to recall their own Representatives or Senators, which takes away their power to hold them accountable. Pass legislation to allow states’ voters to recall sitting members of Congress who violate their oaths of office.Protect consumers like they deserve! Fully fund and empower the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau with even stronger enforcement mechanisms.Currently there are few if any checks on Presidential pardon power, which has been misused to release dangerous criminals and corrupt associates of the President - including the J6 domestic terrorists who tried to overthrow the government. Support a proposed Constitutional Amendment to bar Presidents from pardoning themselves, family members, &/or members of their campaign or administration, who benefited the president personally for corrupt reasons, &/or carried out crimes ordered by the president.Current US prison labor programs use incarcerated workers to subsidize our bloated prison system. The incarcerated produce at $2 billion+ in goods annually, yet are paid pennies (if anything) for their labor, due to the “exception clause” of the 13th Amendment, which bars slavery except for people who have been convicted of crimes. Incentivize states that invest in prison work programs that provide prisoners with marketable skills & training that support employment after release and reduce recidivism, AND introduce legislation to abolish the 13th Amendment’s exception clause.Our most critical civil rights laws have been significantly undermined by conservative court rulings, reducing protections and civil rights for all Americans. Support the Justice For All Act to restore and expand protections of the Civil Rights, Fair Housing, Age Discrimination and Rehabilitation Acts, and Title IX.Impeach Donald Trump.Tax The RichEliminate the cap. Pass legislation to require high earners pay the same percentage into Social Security as everyone else.The wealthy are nowhere close to paying their fair share. Pass legislation to increase taxes on the wealthy, eliminating loopholes and establishing rules that cannot be dodged.In 2024, the IRS reported it had collected over $1 BILLION in back taxes, by focusing on taxpayers making over $1 million with over $250K in tax debt. Thanks to the greed of Trump, DOGE and the GOP, all of those gains have been lost due to their radical defunding of the IRS. Pass legislation to return IRS funding to 2023 levels so that collection is enforced, the department is fully staffed, and wealthy tax cheats are held accountable.Mega-churches, who bring in hundreds of millions of dollars annually, differ vastly from small churches that serve local communities on limited budgets, operating more like large corporations. Despite their wealth, they have same tax-exempt status as a neighborhood church struggling to pay its bills. Pass legislation requiring mega-churches to pay property taxes on commercial ventures or unused land and adhere to the same financial transparency standards as other tax-exempt organizations to ensure they contribute their fair share to communities while still maintaining their charitable mission.Military & VeteransToo many DoD contracts are ripping off American taxpayers and doing nothing to improve national security. Pass legislation that rewards performance, competition, and readiness.The DoD has been mismanaged for years, having failed 7 consecutive full-scale audits, and unable to account for 61% of its assets. Pass legislation requiring financial oversight and enforcement.We are spending nearly a trillion in taxpayer dollars to pad the pockets of defense contractors. Additionally, the US Military is the largest emitter of greenhouse gases of any institution on Earth, which does not make us safer, support military families better, or improve veterans healthcare. Pass a streamlined, de-bloated Defense Bill that results in incremental spending decreases per annum, refocusing funds to where they are most needed while decreasing DoD’s carbon footprint.Honor and protect the rights of all who serve with integrity in our military: Overturn the ban on transgender service members.In 2024, 8,195 cases of sexual assault were reported to the DoD. Placing sexual assault secondary to force readiness must be confronted. Demand stronger protections for women in the military, with increased sentences for rape and sexual assault.Impeach Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth and FBI Director Kash Patel.HealthInsurance companies are making billions while Americans are paying more on both ACA and Employer-Sponsored plans, wait times to establish eligibility with the VA are out of control (source), and the BLS reported recently that current Medicare A/B/C/D model costs $6,500/pp. Pass legislation to build an efficient, cost-effective, patient-focused, physician-led universal single-payer healthcare system available to ALL Americans, regardless of ability to pay.Support freedom to supplement Universal Healthcare by purchasing additional coverage: Ensure access to optional, supplemental health insurance with legal guardrails to prevent insurance companies and pharmacy benefit managers from interfering with physician/patient treatment decisions and other forms of price gouging.Improve existing public care during transition to Universal Healthcare: Expand Medicare and the ACA to require dental, vision, and hearing coverage.Stop being passive when it comes to prescription drug pricing. Lower drug prices by negotiating and breaking monopoly pricing and prevent drug shortages with nonprofit and mission-driven production.Stop denying healthcare to low-income individuals and families: Repeal the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits federal Medicaid funds from being used to cover abortion and related services.Respect low income and disabled Americans: Undo the Medicaid-killing provisions in the Big Ugly Bill.Rid the government of vaccine conspiracy theorists: Support proposed legislation to protect the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) from politicization and ensure the panel relies on accurate scientific data.Hold ALL corporate polluters accountable to protect public health: End exemptions for data centers, mega farms, and other industrial polluters that are poisoning drinking water, and ensure homeowners with well water receive equal protection from microplastics and other health-endangering chemicals like those on public water systems.Gender-affirming care is healthcare: Guarantee nationwide access, require public and private insurance coverage, and protect patients, families, and medical providers from politically motivated restrictions.Impeach corrupt HHS Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr and Medicaid & Medicare Administrator Mehmet Oz.Worker RightsAll workers deserve to make a living wage and be valued for their contributions. Pass the Raise the Wage Act to bring the US minimum wage to $17/hr by 2030, phase out tipped wage systems, and eliminate lower minimum wages for youths and the disabled.Eliminate loopholes: Stop overtime and misclassification loopholes, including for farm workers, home health care workers, gig workers and more.Strengthen & protect the right to unionize and negotiate for better wages and working conditions. Stand up to special interests and pass the PRO (Protecting the Right to Organize) Act.Ensure accountability and strengthen enforcement when companies union-bust or otherwise violate labor laws: Fully fund the National Labor Relations Board.Get real on tackling childhood poverty: Revive and codify the Expanded Child Tax Credit for needy families that cut the childhood poverty rate in half in 2021, that was undone by the GOP.Support working families and improve educational outcomes: Introduce legislation to make Universal pre-K free for all American families.Impeach Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer.ImmigrationDestigmatize and Decriminalize Immigration: Pass legislation to defund ICE and rebuild as Immigration & Naturalization Services, outside of DHS.Invest in Our Workforce: Pass legislation that streamlines and expedites paths to citizenship, empowers employers to hire asylum seekers and establishes an amnesty program for existing, law-abiding undocumented immigrants, similar to what was implemented under President Reagan in 1986.Private Prisons have been a human rights nightmare, and ICE detention centers are America’s concentration camps. Pass legislation permanently banning federal private prisons, closing Washington’s ICE/GEO Tacoma Detention Center, releasing all detainees and creating a reparations fund.Energy & EnvironmentHold ALL corporate polluters accountable to protect public health: End exemptions for data centers, mega farms, and other industrial polluters that are poisoning drinking water, and ensure homeowners with well water receive equal protection from microplastics and other health-endangering chemicals like those on public water systems.Partner with the commercial and industrial sectors to realize cost savings through greater energy efficiency through renewables and accountability. Reestablish and increase commercial and industrial incentives for solar, wind, and geothermal energy, and increase taxes and tighten regulations on polluting fossil fuel producers.Champion Small Towns, Farmers and Island Residents: Increase funding for local & rural green infrastructure projects, agrivoltaics, and electric ferries.Thanks to Bonneville Power Administration's aging grid and glacial pace of approving projects, Oregon and Washington trail nearly all other states in adding new sources of renewable energy, while Texas has added more than enough renewable energy to power the entire Northwest (source). Pass legislation to hold BPA accountable for mismanagement and empower Pacific Northwest states to divert from BPA and create central, independent operators like most other states have.Impeach Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, and Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum.Housing & TransportationStudies have shown we cannot build our way to housing affordability, because in nearly every market, the US does not have a housing shortage, but a shortage of affordable housing source. Pass Living Wage legislation, incentivize states with rent stability policies, ban short-term housing in communities with affordable housing shortages, and go after union-busting companies who are keeping wages artificially low.Empower Rural Transportation: Increase funding and subsidies for public transit, bike- and pedestrian-friendly projects in rural areas that have long been ignored.Cut Utility Bills for Renters, Landlords & Homeowners: Reestablish and increase residential energy efficiency incentives, requiring instant rebates rather than tax credits, improving accessibility to all Americans while decreasing bureaucracy.Support those not on the college track and create a stronger pipeline to the workforce for high-demand blue collar occupations: Increase funding for trade schools, apprenticeships, and other career training.Impeach Secretary of HUD Scott Turner and Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy.Elections & DemocracyMake it easier for anyone to run for office, regardless of income, and keep billionaires and corporations from influencing elections. Pass legislation to ban SuperPACs and overturn Citizens United.Make voting Practical, Popular, and Protected. Revive accountable voting protections that ensure equal access to the ballot: Pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act.American citizenship is not taken away during incarceration, therefore all citizens should retain the right to vote regardless of their record. Pass legislation to re-enfranchise Americans with criminal records or currently incarcerated.Eliminate the bureaucracies of a multitude of voting systems: Pass legislation allowing all US citizens be automatically registered to vote at 18 via secure eligibility verification systems that do not discriminate. Establish national standards for all Federal Elections related to early voting, ballot dropoff locations, vote-by-mail, and by establishing Election Day as a federal holiday.Ensure federal election winners enter office fairly: with the support of over 50% of voters. Pass Ranked Choice or similar legislation for all federal primaries, and incentivize states who do the same for local elections.Ensure that every voice counts in Presidential elections, regardless of where they reside. Pass constitutional amendment to eliminate the Electoral College.The current number of House members was capped based on the 1910 Census. Each representative now serves ~750,000 constituents, ranking among the worst in modern democracies: Expand the House of Representatives to better serve their constituents.Improve representation in government: Pass term limits for Congress.Currently, voters are not allowed to recall their own Representatives or Senators. Pass legislation to allow a state’s voters to recall sitting members of Congress who violate their oaths of office.EducationSupport working families and improve educational outcomes: Pass legislation to make Universal pre-K free for all American families.End tuition inflation: Support bipartisan legislation that caps student loan interest rates at no more than 2%.Support those not on the college track and create a stronger pipeline to the workforce for high-demand blue collar occupations: Increase funding for trade schools, apprenticeships, and other career training.Impeach Secretary of Education Linda McMahon.Public SafetyFirearm death rates have increased by 29% since 2015, with firearms now being the leading cause of death of children. Introduce legislation to restrict militarized police equipment, close gun background check loopholes, and restrict bulk gun purchases that have been proven to deter gun trafficking.Support both our law enforcement and those suffering mental health crises: Incentivize states to create dedicated in-house behavioral health response program teams that empower officers to fight crime and allow clinicians to provide necessary emergency services that protect the public.Champion disaster resilience in rural communities: Increase funding to not only care for communities after natural disasters and hold insurance companies accountable, but also enhance sustainable preparedness measures so residents can make protective improvements to their homes or relocate outside of flood zones without being bankrupted.Basic RightsChampion women’s rights on no uncertain terms: Pass legislation to codify women's reproductive rights in the Constitution AND Demand the ratified Equal Rights Amendment be published by the US Archivist.Biden’s order was not a permanent fix for LGBTQ+ marriage rights. Pass a Constitutional Amendment protecting same-sex marriage.Stop the assault on our trans community: Pass EEO protected class legislation codifying full civil rights protections for transgender Americans, including overturning the ban on transgender service members, protecting transgender kids in schools and healthcare, and ensuring access to gender-conforming identity documents.Current US prison labor programs use incarcerated workers to subsidize our bloated prison system. The incarcerated produce $2 billion+ in goods annually, yet are paid pennies (if anything) for their labor, due to the “exception clause” of the 13th Amendment, which bans slavery except for people who have been convicted of crimes. Incentivize states that invest in prison work programs that provide prisoners with marketable skills & training that support employment after release and reduce recidivism, AND pass legislation to abolish the 13th Amendment’s exception clause.Our most critical civil rights laws have been significantly undermined by conservative court rulings, reducing protections and civil rights for all Americans. Support the Justice For All Act to restore and expand protections of the Civil Rights, Fair Housing, Age Discrimination and Rehabilitation Acts, and Title IX.Impeach Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon.Tech & PrivacyEnd mass surveillance of Americans: Pass legislation requiring targeted warrants.Fight competition-killing monopolies, manipulative algorithms, artificial intelligence overreach, and privacy-invading corporations: Pass stronger nationwide antitrust, social media, AI and medical privacy regulations with mandatory enforcement mechanisms.Keep the internet equitable and open to all: Pass Net Neutrality legislation banning throttling, blocking, and paid fast lanes.Under the Trump administration and the GOP, consumer protections are being stripped away every day. Protect consumers like they deserve! Fully fund and empower the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau with even stronger enforcement mechanisms.Investigate former Attorney General Pam Bondi and Project 2025 ringleader Russell Vought.Drug PolicyTreat marijuana like alcohol: Decriminalize, regulate and tax recreational cannabis and invest tax revenues in illicit drug trafficking, prevention & treatment programs that work.Support farmers, promote sustainable agriculture, and grow our economy: Defend legal industrial hemp production, clarify federal rules, protect non-intoxicating hemp markets, and prevent overbroad THC restrictions from destroying legitimate farmers and small businesses.Modernize drug treatment & improve accessibility: Pass legislation to destigmatize, increase access and make opioid treatment options more affordable, including methadone and bupenorphine at pharmacies.Addiction is not conquered through incarceration: it requires accessible treatment and rehabilitation options. Not only are offenders assigned to drug court 2/3 less likely to be re-arrested, drug court system costs on average 80-90% less to taxpayers than incarceration. Pass legislation to increase funding to states for drug court programs with proven success rates.Farms + Food SecurityCongress has not enacted a Farm Bill that prioritizes health, sustainability, and farmer longevity. Level the playing field for small and medium sized farms, incentivize conventional farms to transition to sustainable agricultural practices, empower new farmers to enter agricultural careers, rehabilitate existing farms decimated by tariffs, climate change and predatory corporations like Monsanto, expand cutting edge local research, ensure farmer access to regional food systems, and vastly improve consumer access to healthy foods.Make it easy for factory farm operators (CAFOs) to transition to healthier, more humane alternatives such as pasture-raising animals or switching to organic fruit & vegetable production: Support the Industrial Agriculture Conversion Act (IACA).Support farmers, promote sustainable agriculture, and grow our economy: Defend legal industrial hemp production, clarify federal rules, protect non-intoxicating hemp markets, and prevent overbroad THC restrictions from destroying legitimate farmers and small businesses.Every $1 in SNAP benefits generates up to $1.80 in economic activity. In rural America, that support is often the difference between staying open and closing down. (source). Additionally, before the GOP cuts, SNAP benefits still were not enough to provide recipients access to healthy foods like fresh produce. Rescind SNAP cuts, remove bureaucratic barriers, and improve access to healthy foods to low-income Americans by incentivizing partnerships with small farms.Foreign PolicyTrump and the majority of the GOP continue to side with dictators instead of the American people, while allowing the administration to conduct unauthorized military operations without congressional authority. Pass legislation to properly fund protection of our Ukrainian allies to fight Russia's illegal invasion, recommit to NATO, and require explicit congressional authorization before hostilities in Iran, Venezuela, the Caribbean, or elsewhere.Call a Genocide a Genocide in ANY country it's happening: Ban arms sales to Israel & demand sanctions, recognize Palestine, support the ICC's arrest warrant of Netanyahu for war crimes, and ban foreign interests like AIPAC from operating and funding politicians in the US. Hold every country where genocide is occurring (such as Sudan) with equal accountability.Rebuild trust with our allies and become a partner, not a bully: Rejoin the Paris Climate Treaty and World Health Organization, and reform veto power at the United Nations.Support, strengthen, and empower countries who need a hand up: Rebuild USAID and other vital agencies that, through our service, keep our global communities - and therefore, us - safer, healthier, and more democratic.Impeach corrupt Secretary of State Marco Rubio.Science, Research & MediaThe backbone of what actually makes America great has been shredded by Project 2025, DOGE, and the Trump Administration. We must protect American jobs, American health, and American core values: Reinstitute and increase funding for medical research, climate science and other institutional programs like NASA.Strengthen and protect fact-based journalism while fighting politicized censorship: Reinstate and increase funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, pass legislation to hold media outlets like Fox News and others who spread false information legally accountable, and break up major media conglomerates and monopolies.Corruption has run rampant due to the firings at regulatory watchdogs and similar organizations. Pass legislation to require Congressional approval for any action against independent agencies.Impeach HHS Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. and FCC Chair Brendan Carr.— Tomas Scheel's campaign website (July 20, 2026)Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.