Christopher Sweat for Congress

I know there has been a pause in releasing content. The main reason is that I have been preparing to run for U.S. Congress out of my home community, Colorado’s 5th congressional district.

To the surprise of many, I broke 150+ years of GOP history in my family, parted ways with traditional party politics, and joined the Forward Party led by Andrew Yang and crew. I am officially on the ballot. You may have seen Andrew’s recent TED Talk on ‘Why US politics is broken and how to fix it.’ We are at a pivotal moment in American history where it is long overdue for 3rd party candidates to ascend to power. It’s clear now more than ever that the two-party system is failing us. Look at increasing polarization, rising costs for political candidacy, and the continuing decline of trust in government in American society.

Furthermore, look at how the House struggles to maintain a speaker and Congress's lack of professionalism and accountability. They can hardly pass an annual budget, let alone deal head-on with economic turmoil and the potential threat of war, which is looming.

I understand how high the barriers are for someone like me, a person of humble beginnings, a nontraditional student in my 30s who grew up receiving free lunch in middle school, and fatherless. Now, the barriers are even higher for a third-party candidate. Still, I reached the peak of the high-technology sector and established my business and entrepreneurial career with connections in science, venture capital, management, and more. I am well suited for this challenge.

I have been displeased with political life at home for many years. Ordinary folks like myself perceive a lack of agency or ability to effect positive change within our government and political institutions. Suppose we are serious about shaping our destiny, overcoming challenges, and thriving in this resource-rich country. In that case, we are responsible for seizing resources, seizing power, shouting from the mountaintops, and making our voices heard.

No one else will make the change for us or satisfy our unmet needs. We must get out there and fight for it by educating ourselves, taking risks, venturing into uncertainty, and performing simple acts of fearlessness and courage.

Many have shared that neither Democrats nor Republicans represent their political preferences or viewpoints. Still, this system thrives, pitting us against one another, shaping our perspectives through the most extreme rhetoric, and making it nearly impossible to have civil discourse on important matters.

I’m not going to tolerate this anymore. I want a return to a political life where we can disagree and remain friends, talk about tough issues and find solutions together, where one nation has meaning, and where collaboration is at the forefront of our daily interactions with people across the political spectrum.

My community, Colorado’s 5th Congressional District, has 90,000 veterans, 45,000 active duty service members, NORAD, Peterson Space Force Base, Schriever AFB, U.S. Space Command, Fort Carson, and over 300 aerospace and defense contractors. We are becoming a stronghold for innovation and developing new and advanced technologies. Aerospace and Defense is the fastest-growing sector in my district, representing 40% of the local economy and 110,000 jobs. Still, there is a lot of work to do to improve the economic conditions in my district.

Some 60% of people in my community over 25 have not started or completed a bachelor’s degree, myself included. As a first-generation university student, I have 7-8 classes left at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

America has an issue neglecting its veterans, and even as we sit here on Memorial Day, celebrating and honoring the grave sacrifices that our military service members make abroad for our safety at home, veterans are struggling with mental health challenges, accessing benefits, transitioning into civilian life, finding work, and taking care of their families.

My vision for CD-5 in Colorado is that the Billions of Dollars of revenue generated by aerospace and defense can be used as leverage to bring new technical schools into the district that skill young people and veterans alike in robotics, artificial intelligence, and space technologies. We can grow to have the largest economy in the state and one of the most technologically advanced communities, even beyond the capabilities of Silicon Valley. We have vast resources and hundreds of thousands of hard-working people, many working multiple jobs to make ends meet and combat inflation in their households.

And what are our politicians doing to look out for us but pretend everything is fine when we know it’s not? In the land of the free and the brave, the land of milk and honey, the one that is full of opportunity for those who persevere, the one that provides liberty and justice for all, the country that is supposed to put individual freedom and expression of self as some of its core values, it’s time for America to prove it. Prove it by electing me to the U.S. House of Representatives. Prove that the American dream is still alive. Prove that the right to govern oneself is true and real and extends to the highest seats in government. Prove that everyday people still have a chance in America.

And remove the toxicity from our politics once and for all. Many worldwide recognize that we are still the most powerful nation on the planet, with immense soft power and hard power capabilities, large vessels for culture production, and the most significant capital markets on planet Earth. We are where dreams come to be realized.

Let’s not forget who we are as Americans.

I will bring direction to the House, help shape cohesive foreign policy that sustains American interests, and be a major player in helping lift more Americans out of struggle, a struggle that I know all too well. We are too rich, capable, strong, resilient, creative, and inspired to sit back and let wealthy, highly educated people, who are far detached from our reality, pretend they know what’s best for us. At the same time, they run our country into the ground, fighting amongst themselves in their small, insulated circles.

Let’s do something about it immediately.

I am calling on everyone in my network. I need your support through a small donation or by signing up to volunteer. Send me to Congress. You can find more information about the campaign on my website:

https://christophersweatforcongress.com/

A message that went out over Twitter:

As an average American, I feel it is my duty to step up and be the change we all desperately want to see in politics. It’s clear now more than ever that outsourcing political decision-making to people who don’t represent us, who don’t live our lifestyle, and who don’t deal with the problems we deal with is a losing scenario. With war looming, economic turmoil on the horizon, and a divided and dysfunctional government, America is facing its biggest challenge yet. To make matters worse, there is limited leadership in Washington. Trust in government in Washington is hovering at historical lows. I couldn’t wait any longer. The time for change is now. That is why I am proud to announce I am running for U.S. Congress in my home community in Colorado’s 5th Congressional District. To volunteer or support my campaign, visit https://christophersweatforcongress.com.

Paid for by Christopher Sweat for Congress Campaign Committee