Longshot Senate candidate pledges to vote will of the majority of voters

04 May, 2016 by Matt Fleming

Print this article Font size -16+

What if there was a website where registered voters could log their opinions on the bills before Congress, which would direct lawmakers on how to vote? 

One U.S. Senate candidate is proposing just that.

Von Hougo, an 8th grade science and video production teacher at Arroyo Seco Middle School in Valencia, Santa Clarita, is one of the 55 candidates registered with the Federal Elections Commission to replace Barbara Boxer, the retiring Democratic senator from California.

Hougo says his website idea would give voters a voice in the process, by allowing them to take a position on any bill, and then he would vote according to the majority. 

“Our votes don’t matter, but they should,” Hougo told CalWatchdog in an interview last weekend at the California Republican Party Convention in Burlingame. 

The idea presents a few challenges, primarily that many bills are extremely long and complicated, like the Affordable Care Act, for example. Even if voters had the time to read the 2,890 bills introduced in the Senate so far this Congress, many would require an advanced degree in policy to understand.

“The idea that your average person can’t make it through all of these bills is probably right, but I’ll bet your average congressman can’t make it through either,” Hougo said.

Hougo said the idea would give voice to centrists, for whom there is no party at the moment. 

“I don’t think California is as liberal as most people think,” Hougo said. “I think it depends on the issue. I think we are socially liberal, but I think we’re conservative on a lot of issues as well.” 

Hougo is running a “donation-free” campaign, because “money has corrupted the entire political process.” He plans to use social media to connect with voters and spread his message. He has 83 followers on Twitter and 1,382 likes on Facebook.