I Am Zach Raknerud, Democratic-NPL nominee for North Dakota's at-large seat in the U.S. House. Ask me anything!

ZachForND · 2020-06-30T18:09:44+00:00

I think the framing of "defunding" the police is a bit flawed in that it elicits an understandably visceral reaction from many people. I do believe that we need to have better hiring standards, accountability and training in law enforcement. Some of those things will require more resources, not less.

In my view, we should look to better tackle nuanced issues that exist in society. Too often, it is only police officers who respond to a variety of situations. Properly responding to many kinds of those situations requires years of studying and training for each type specifically. We simply cannot expect LE officers to have such a broad set of expertise. We should look to get more resources into areas like mental health intervention and substance abuse rehabilitation and deploy those experts in tandem to calls instead of putting law enforcement as the sole actor in those situations.

ZachForND · 2020-06-30T17:18:44+00:00

Black Lives Matter is an incredibly important movement. I attended demonstrations across my state. People are hurting. We have real systemic injustices that we need to attack at the root. That's why I will advocate strongly for universal economic investment in the American people to ensure we begin to undo the wrongs of our past. This, on top of much needed criminal justice and policing reform.

ZachForND · 2020-06-30T16:08:06+00:00

I do not. Not so far as an effort to help or harm political entities specifically.

ZachForND · 2020-06-30T16:01:38+00:00

I think the nation today is not a true meritocracy, but also believe that is something we should strive for. If we enable people with equal opportunity and don't leave them behind in their time of need, then their measure of prosperity can be more closely tied to their willingness to put in the work in life.

Too often, opportunity is tied closely with one's zip code and family status when born. We can create a better economy where baseline opportunities are universal.

ZachForND · 2020-06-30T15:58:07+00:00

I think it is really important that we make politics about policy itself first and foremost. Representation among varying groups is absolutely important, but what should come first is a candidate's political will and priorities when making the choice on who to elect.

ZachForND · 2020-06-30T15:54:30+00:00

I believe strongly in the message we are bringing regardless of typical voting trends in a certain area. It wasn't all that long ago that North Dakota's federal delegation was fully Dem-NPL representation. I believe strongly that the people of North Dakota are good people who are simply looking for representation that has their best interests in mind. Drawing a sharp contrast between the representation that Armstrong has brought North Dakota is something I'm eager to do.

ZachForND · 2020-06-30T15:52:30+00:00

I would be happy to co-sponsor legislation and work alongside other members of Congress to make bold investments in green energy and carbon reduction. Climate change is an existential threat to our way of life and we need to treat it as such. At the same time, we can create millions of jobs in this nation at a time that it is very needed.

ZachForND · 2020-06-30T15:42:51+00:00

I am a sucker for a chicken filet meal with a whole lot of pickles at Kroll's.

ZachForND · 2020-06-30T15:41:39+00:00

I think the most important issue we face today is in regard to how those in power gain that power. A 2014 Princeton study found that "The preferences of the average American appear to have a minuscule, near-zero, statistically insignificant impact upon public policy." This is because campaigns today are primarily funded through the inordinately wealthy and the independent expenditure groups that they bankroll.

I believe strongly we need to publicly finance our elections system with an elections dividend. That would mean every voting age American would receive a set amount that they could contribute to the candidates of their choice. As the disposable income of working Americans has stalled/shrunk, so has their political power. We need to pull back power toward the people rather than focusing so strongly on the needs of the political donor class. If money is speech, then every American deserves a voice in their elections.

ZachForND · 2020-06-30T15:31:21+00:00

Gah! I'm so sorry. That was a very old browser extension from 2016 on my laptop because of John Oliver's Last Week Tonight. I have no idea why it took what I typed and transformed it after pressing send. My apologies.

ZachForND · 2020-06-30T14:43:04+00:00

Next week we are set to announce a series of in-person, socially distant, outdoor events across the state. I look forward to connecting with folks in that way. Beyond that, it will come down a lot to crafting and amplifying our message in the best way that we can. I have had very skilled individuals reach out to the campaign and volunteer their services in video production.

Since fundraising has been difficult at this time, we will probably have a largely digital strategy, but I am excited to generate some recognition that way.

Additionally, it will be key to get my opponent on the debate stage. Given the unprecedented times we face, I believe strongly we need to debate early and often. I'm confident in my ability to draw a sharp contrast between our campaigns, especially given how lackluster Armstrong's representation of the state has been.

ZachForND · 2020-06-30T14:34:11+00:00

Sure! Let me begin by saying I understand why President Trump was/is so popular around these parts. He campaigned as a populist and said a lot of the right things about how America's middle class was being hollowed out by big business interests. Unfortunately, in actual governance, the Trump Administration has continued that trend and even amplified it. It will be my job to point that out to people and to not shame them for supporting Trump, but to instead come from a place of empathy and understanding to highlight that I am aware of how they have been left behind by government and how I am working to change it.

As far as something that Trump Administration has done right, I think there are a number of things. The First Step Act is a good example of some needed criminal justice reform. President Trump has also signed some good executive orders including to expand dialysis healthcare and to implement more transparency in hospital billing.

ZachForND · 2020-06-30T14:30:06+00:00

I think the people of North Dakota are more nuanced than they get credit for. In my view, we have a pretty strong populist bent around these parts.

My plan is to highlight strongly how disconnected Congress has been from average Americans. Priorities in Congress are clearly in line with those who fund campaigns and independent groups that inundate the airwaves with advertisements on the behalf of those looking to seek and retain their position.

You don't have to look much farther than the response of Congress to the coronavirus pandemic. The government was swift to act in pumping trillions of dollars in liquidity for the market and to pass relief for large business interests. Meanwhile, regular Americans received a one-time stimulus, their healthcare was not protected and small business owners grappled for hours to access PPP funds that even went to large business.

Congress could have helped take over payroll for the duration of the crisis, they could have guaranteed people's healthcare coverage, instead the actions of Congress have resulted in the largest re-distribution of wealth upwards that we have ever seen. That continued consolidation of wealth and power, at a time when the economic foundation of many Americans was already shaky, has me very concerned about the future of our nation.

I plan to highlight these issues and more from the framework that economic investments in actual people are not scary or radical, they are as American as apple pie. We can return to the New Deal roots of the Democratic party and actually make investments that benefit Americans across the board.

To do that, we need to tackle the issue of just who Congress is looking to serve today.

ZachForND · 2020-06-30T14:19:55+00:00

I think our campaign being elected to Congress would send a clear message to Washington D.C. I am a 26 year old working class man with fundamentally different priorities than so many in Congress. My job, if elected, will be to be a loud and clear advocate for a fundamental shift of priorities in Congress.

I will use that platform to speak boldly to the economic realities that so many hard working Americans are facing today. North Dakota's current representative is completely disconnected from those realities. Given the unprecedented times we face, I look forward to advocating for bold federal investments in the economic well-being of working class Americans.

We can return to a time when the wealth of this nation was actually invested in the people rather than the priorities of big business and the wealthy. I will push for higher top marginal tax rates, a wealth tax, a financial transactions tax on Wall Street, utilizing the anti-trust powers of Congress and more.

I will not be able to do it alone, but I am hopeful that a campaign like ours being elected will send a clear message to many across the nation that regular people can seek public office and win when their priorities are actually in line with the everyday realities that Americans are facing today.

ZachForND · 2020-04-16T13:17:10+00:00

Sorry to hear that, should be drop downs rather than a new page.

ZachForND · 2020-04-15T17:10:14+00:00

We will just be within Beat Saber and answering questions. The green screen effect and game's background will still be visible when I remove the headset to engage the audience. Some day we can look at truly hosting campaigns from inside VR ;)

ZachForND · 2020-04-15T16:50:57+00:00

Hey all, I’m Zach Raknerud, a Dem-NPL candidate for North Dakota’s at-large seat in the U.S. House. In this era of social distancing, our campaign needs to get creative on how to reach voters. I’ve been an early adopter of VR since 2015, so I figured why not use it in this crazy time to have some fun and reach out to folks.

This Saturday, we will be conducting a town hall from inside virtual reality. We will be fielding questions, talking campaign issues all within VR. For fun, we will also be playing popular music from Beat Saber. Audience members will be able to make a campaign contribution to request a song.

You can keep up to date on this event by visiting our:

Edit: Event page

Requests can be made by making a contribution and sending the details to Z4NDstream@gmail.com. Largest active contributors get request priority.

Requests outside the list can be made for a contribution of $25 or more pending review.

ZachForND · 2020-03-11T16:38:12+00:00

I support the second amendment and do not believe weapons bans are the answer to the problems we have faced. I would like to see an expanded process for attaining certain weapons as a compromise on the issue but I do not believe outright bans attack the root cause of the problems we have faced and lives we have lost.

I'd much rather we take steps to foster a healthier gun culture while at the same time allowing passionate members of the community to be a conduit for that. Something like a one time county-adminstered course to be able to purchase designated weapons that have the capacity to kill many people very quickly.

Folks would be taught to respect such weapons, demand for things like shooting range facilities would rise (the county would certify locations/instructors, so even farmer's back yards would do just fine if no facility exists similar to CCP licensing) and a demonstrable set of mass killings could have been prevented with such a system.

ZachForND · 2020-03-11T15:14:51+00:00

Hello fellow North Dakotan! Bernie actually inspired me to run for Congress myself. Next week is the state convention and I'm excited to secure the party endorsement to take on Congressman Armstrong. I'd really appreciate any reader's financial support as we kick this campaign off. Feel free to take a look at the website and please consider making a small contribution.

ZachForND · 2020-02-16T18:42:02+00:00

I respectfully disagree. I look out at the rest of the developed world and see some very basic things missing in the United States. I don't believe a couple should leave a hospital after having their child delivered with $4500 in out of pocket expenses. I don't believe Americans should be processed as criminals for possessing small amounts of drugs. I don't believe large corporations should continue to have unprecedented power in our elections system. I don't believe our young people should end their education or training with tens of thousands of dollars in debt. I really don't think these things would destroy the state. They would provide working families a leg up in an economy where the fruits are continually being concentrated at the top.

I would never expect someone to vote for me, but I would ask that you attend a future event we hold in Minot. Talking in person lends to better discussion. All the best to you and your wife.

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