Andy Ogles

I believe that life begins at conception, and we are duty-bound to protect it at every stage until natural death. The unborn are the least capable of defending themselves, and in the most desperate need of protection. America is a nation that recognizes and honors the intrinsic value of all human life; therefore, I will commit to protecting the rights of the unborn from the point of conception, block taxpayer funding of abortions everywhere, and defund Planned Parenthood.

The purpose of education is to help students discover, develop, and apply their unique abilities, establishing a foundation for a life of fulfillment and success. Parents should decide how to educate a child best-not the Federal Government. I support efforts to transform education from the current top-down (one-size-fits-all) standardized model to a bottom-up system that enables every family and student to customize education that best matches their values and priorities. Through an individualized approach, students can discover the subjects that meet their passions and interests, develop mastery of skills in those areas, and learn how to use those skills to create value and live the life they want to live. The federal Department of Education should not be involved in our children’s education. It should give up its power and transfer it back to the states whenever and wherever possible. Students and families should be trusted to make decisions about their education, and Tennesseans know what is best for their children. They should have agency over what, where, and how they learn.

As the adage goes, we have a Republic in America…if we can keep it, but a terrible lack of accountability and transparency in our federal government threatens to destroy it all. President Trump started the process of draining the swamp, and it is incumbent on us to finish the job. We can never allow what happened to Trump to happen to anyone else ever again. Transparency in government is fundamental to ending corruption and ensuring our liberties are never violated. Therefore, I will commit to providing greater availability of government policies and actions, unwavering honesty in the legislative voting process, and sharing all information necessary for the people of Tennessee’s fifth district to hold their elected officials accountable.

As an elected official, I took an oath to defend the Constitution. The Second Amendment is abundantly clear that “the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” I will fight tirelessly to ensure that your constitutional rights are protected and never infringed upon. Disarming the people is the most effective way to enslave them, and we must remain vigilant when anyone seeks to erode our civil liberties. The rights of the people to keep and bear arms, protect themselves and their families, and prevent tyrannical rule is a fundamental liberty of our constitutional republic.

America is a proud nation of immigrants. Immigrants who are motivated to improve their lives and contribute to society will enrich America. However, illegal immigration strains our country’s financial wellbeing, threatens national security, and erodes the rule of law. First and foremost, we must secure our physical border. A borderless nation cannot establish itself as a nation. We need enforcement measures that ensure visitors leave our country when they’re supposed to, we need to provide law enforcement with the necessary tools to enforce current immigration laws, and we need common-sense reform that will attract and keep highly-skilled entrepreneurs so that immigrants can continue to thrive in the land of opportunity.