Congressional Democratic Candidate Brad Westmoreland Speaks to Elk Grove Resistance, Urges Medicare For All

September 27, 2017 |

As a Democratic candidate in the race for the highly competitive California Seventh Congressional District, Brad Westmoreland related his reasons for entering the contest last night against fellow party member and incumbent Dr. Ami Bera before a group of progressive Democrats.

A political novice, Westmoreland, 30, of Elk Grove is one of three declared challengers for the seat occupied by Democrat Dr. Ami Bera. Along with Westmoreland are Republican candidates Andrew Grant and Dr. Yona Barash.

During his presentation before the monthly meeting of the Elk Grove chapter of Resistance, Westmoreland said there were three priorities he will stress in his campaign and if he is elected to office. Those priorities include healthcare, addressing the influence of money in politics, and aiding small businesses.

"I am a proponent of Medicare for all, for many reasons," he said.

Westmoreland said he supports this because it is morally the right thing to do, it economically makes the most sense, and it helps achieve equality and justice for everyone in the country.

"We cannot have a country and its people where that is equal unless we guarantee this as a right for everybody," he stated.

Regarding small businesses, Westmoreland said given the importance small business has in terms of job creation and economic development, the government needs to make more accommodations for their growth.

"We don't treat small business, which is really the heart of the economy, as well as we treat [large] corporations," Westmoreland said. "We provide tax incentives for them that we don't provide for small businesses. It makes it harder for small businesses to, it makes it harder for small businesses to grow."

During a lengthy question and answer period, Westmoreland fielded about a dozen queries. The audience covered a broad range of topics ranging including the development of his political development.

In one question, an audience member noted Westmoreland, who was raised in rural Sutter County, grew up in what has been a traditionally conservative area of California and attended university in Utah. Westmoreland said the two years he spent in Brazil following his graduation from Brigham Young University were eye-opening.

"I went down there and saw poverty like I never saw before, political corruption like I have never seen before," he said. "I saw the way people live and while I was there, 'I am the luckiest person in the world living I live in the United States this kind of stuff doesn't happen there.'"

Upon his return home, Westmoreland said he came to the realization that those conditions were present here as well, but not as pronounced. He said he realized how people could become quickly disenfranchised when no one cares about them.

"It's all here, it's just hidden a little bit better here," he noted

Westmoreland also said attending law school at the University of Washington affected his outlook, particularly as it relates to judicial issues.

"Seeing how the law, the judicial system, the legislative process; how all of that has been used from the beginning of our country until now, to effectuate some really terrible things to some great things," he said. "The common thread in that in that is that it all depends whose hands that falls into, so it is incumbent upon us to put the right people in those postions, to make those decisions, because it has an effect across generations, across races, across gender, across all aspects of public life."

Westmoreland, along with Barash, Bera, and Grant will compete in next year's primary. The top two finishers in that contest, regardless of political party, will advance to the November general election.

More information about his campaign is available at BradWestmoreland.org.

Westmoreland's entire audio presentation is posted below. Registration required. 

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