Libertarian Jimmy Hansen just hopes his voice gets heard in Utah’s loud Senate race

Jimmy Hansen is running as a Libertarian in the race for U.S. Senate, Oct. 11, 2022 | Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — Jimmy Hansen, the Libertarian candidate for Utah’s seat in the U.S. Senate, recently spoke with St. George News about his priorities. He talked via phone from Monument Valley High School on the Navajo Nation in San Juan County, where he is a teacher and political operative.

“I’ve always followed politics, been politically active, caucused, knocked doors, canvassed for candidates in the past,” Hansen said. “And I just thought I’m going to run.”

Hansen said he hopes to inject the Libertarian perspective into the debate as Republican incumbent Mike Lee and independent Evan McMullin conduct a loud, expensive race for one of Utah’s U.S. Senate seats. The other, held by Sen. Mitt Romney, is not up for election.

“The main thing is, we don’t believe in the use of force,” Hansen said. “If I think something is a good idea, that idea should manifest itself. It shouldn’t require the government to force you to agree. We believe in the rule of law.”

With Lee’s and McMullin’s battle dominating the discourse and media coverage in the race, Hansen knows that he will have a difficult task even getting on the same stage with the frontrunners.

“I came into it with the mindset that I’m not going to beat multi-million dollar campaigns with my campaign, not even at $2,000,” Hansen said. “I want to highlight important principles and hope they might affect policy for whoever wins.”

Hansen provided additional answers to four questions from St. George News in an email.

Why do you think you’re the right candidate for the job and what issues are most pressing to you?

As a public school teacher, I am very familiar with the needs of Utah’s families and communities. I’m prepared to go to Washington and focus on legislation that will bring more accountability to how we police, end the racist and community-destroying war on drugs, solve the water crisis in the West, and end inflation driving corporate handouts to the wealthy.

With people struggling financially as a result of inflation, what do you think about federal aid packages and how effective have recent packages been in addressing it?

Over the past few years, Federal spending bills have overwhelmingly gone to large corporations, states, and cities. Not individuals.

These trillions of dollars have exacerbated inflation due to an already backlogged supply chain. Households in Utah are paying nearly $1000 per month in increased costs due to that inflation. We should not give public subsidies to businesses and industries at taxpayers’ expense.

With water shortages and drought becoming a major concern in Utah, especially in the more arid southern regions, what is the federal government’s role in doing to secure water rights for the state?

The Federal government subsidizes water projects and upkeep with billions of dollars annually. This water is used at almost no cost by large corporate farms.

End the Federal water subsidy, and let Big Agriculture pay the market rate for water, and we will see natural cutbacks and conservation overnight. We cannot subsidize a few corporate farms at the expense of damaging fragile western estuaries.

Amid the many social issues being discussed in the country, such as gun legislation or gender identity, which do you think are most important to address for the everyday Utahn?

The most important social issues to address are criminal justice reform in policing and sentencing and protecting the rights of individuals, such as abortion and marriage equality.


Check out all of St. George News’ coverage of the 2022 election by clicking here.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

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