Jack Hughes-Hageman wants to be your next Congressman

Issaquah entrepreneur Jack Hughes-Hageman is vying for Washington’s 8th Congressional District. At 26-years-old, he is the youngest candidate in the race. The Wenatchee Business Journal asked Hughes-Hageman a variety of questions and the following are the answers he gave:

WBJ: Why are you running for office?

Hughes-Hageman: As a fifth-generation resident of the state,  I am a staunch supporter of Veteran’s rights, Tourism, and Small Town America. Following in my grandfather’s footsteps, I want to bring practical “No Nonsense” politics to a dysfunctional congress.

WBJ:  Why is your youth an asset?

Hughes-Hageman: In today’s technological and fast paced atmosphere politicians need to be aware of the unique and ever changing threats to American interests and democracy. My age gives me a unique perspective that is both malleable and well informed. I am focused on creating solutions not making problems, still young enough to remember that our government is of the people, by the people, and for the people of the United States of America.
I am an unabashed dreamer, and man is the American dream strong when I dream it. I was raised in a post 9/11 world dominated by internet commerce, the conflict in the Middle East, fast food, and social media.

WBJ: What do you tell people who say you don't have any experience in almost anything?

Hughes-Hageman: Just like the Johnny Cash song says: I’ve been everywhere man. I have worked as  a farmer, a logger, a construction worker, a salesman, a waiter, the President of my college fraternity, a banker, community activist, and an award winning essay writer all before the age of 21.

WBJ: Why Republican Party?

Hughes-Hageman: When I was a young man I read about a boy who grew up in a log cabin and was famed for his height and honesty. This man would grow up to be Abraham Lincoln, the first Republican President of the United States of America. That man set a precedent of greatness for the position; extoling honesty, integrity, morality, and above all the will to hold the nation together even if it would cost him his life. He would be followed by such great men as Ulysses S Grant, William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and Dwight D. Eisenhower. These men reformed legislation, won wars,  and changed the face of the globe.  They did it with style, and a sincere love and respect for our great nation. These men are why I am a Republican, them and others like them gave me the audacity to dream of a better world.

WBJ: What are your opinions about abortion, gun rights, North Korea,  Jerusalem as the place for the American Embassy, Steel/Aluminum tariffs?

Hughes-Hageman: My official opinion on abortion is that I have no opinion on abortion. As a man it is an issue that will never affect my body or my autonomy and thus I refrain from forming an opinion or passing judgement on others. My decisions as a law maker will be based on the decisions, input, and feedback of my female constituents. Those decisions should be made by the women of Washington’s 8th district, and I will be relying on them for guidance in regards to women’s health issues.
Today the rights to firearms versus their danger to the public is one of the number one issues in America. The problem has gotten severe enough that more children have died in schools this year than active military personnel in the battle field.
Is this a problem with regulation or mental illness? I think it is both. We need a complete overhaul to bring gun checks into the 21st century, eliminating backlogs entirely and give the public real time accountability to gun regulation in the United States.
The old embassy in Tel Aviv was a building; the new one in Jerusalem is also just a building. Was the move advisable from a peace process point of view? Jack doesn’t think so, but then again not many do.
In global economy unilateral moves tend to trend negative in the long run; people remember getting screwed out of the blue. In the short run you might get lucky and the tariffs increases American steel and aluminum production, but the long-term downturn in manufacturing from higher commodity prices means there will be no increase in demand at all for steel and aluminum. These tariffs will devastate American steel and aluminum in the long run and destroy short term manufacturing.

WBJ: What do you mean by calling yourself an "entrepreneur"?

Hughes-Hageman: Believe it or not I was a private business consultant for a number of years. I returned to Washington after college to advise new business in developing markets with the kind of cutting edge techniques they would need to be successful in a fast paced and competitive markets. Specializing in good old fashioned know-how and having a knack for success, I had several clients in the micro agriculture and retail sectors.

WBJ: Where do you stand on DACA?

Hughes-Hageman: DACA stands for Deferred Action against Childhood Arrivals, this policy was implemented in 2012 to acknowledge that many in our nation came here without documentation or legal status as children and grew up as an American and that they deserved legal recognition, the ability to work, and protection from deportation as long as they maintained their biannual paperwork. This program stopped short of giving these people a true path to citizenship, which is in my opinion a travesty.

WBJ: Are you in favor of building a wall?

Hughes-Hageman: I do not feel large scale walls and border fortifications have been effective for several hundred years. Even the best of the best giant walls in history have been spectacular failures;  The Great Wall of China, the Trojan wall, the double Theosodian walls of Constantinople, Hadrian’s wall , the walls of Jericho and even the  fabled walls of Babylon are all famous for how they didn’t work as intended.

WBJ: Are you able to represent rural Washingtonians as well as urban?

Hughes-Hageman: My ability to represent both urban and rural populations comes from hands on experience living in both.

WBJ: Should Trump be forgiven his corruption or impeached?

Hughes-Hageman: I think as American’s we can all agree on the kind of severe punishment that high treason comes with. Anyone, even the president or president elect, who commits treason against the government founded of the people, by the people, and for the people of the United States of America should be held accountable.

WBJ: Can you work well with others to pass bipartisan laws?

Hughes-Hageman: The real chances of passing a law without bipartisan support are virtually nill; anyone trying to pass legislation without bipartisan support has no real intentions of passing it into law. I pride myself on my ability to find compromise, and there is certainly no other candidate willing to cut a deal like I am. I am young, empathetic, and have a sincere love for America and all her people; this is why I am much more like to make friends across the aisle than any of my counterparts.

WBJ: Feel free to tell the readers about yourself:

Hughes-Hageman: I am an avid camper, hiker, gardener, and I really enjoy a nice bike ride.  As for education I graduated from Sammamish Highschool and went to university at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. I am also a graduate of the Frank J. Ruck Leadership Institute in 2013 and received awards at the Carlson Leadership Academy in 2012.

Editor's Note: The above interview was highly edited because of space constraints, but the full, unabridged Jack Hughes-Hageman interview can be found on the Wenatchee Business Journal website.