Jaime Herrera
The Washington Republican survived a Tea Party challenge to win the GOP primary in the Evergreen State's 3rd Congressional District. Now Herrera, a 31-year-old Latina and former congressional staffer, has successfully re-cast herself as the outsider as she takes on a longtime Democratic pol in November.
Who is your political hero/inspiration?
I have two: Abigail Adams, wife of John Adams and one of our country's most
influential "founding mothers", and former UK Prime Minister Margaret
Thatcher. I am encouraged and challenged by Thatcher's clarity of vision and
her unwavering dedication to what was best for her country. She stood firm
in the face of tough opposition and was a strong leader.
What's your go-to political blog?
Politico.com is the closest outlet to a blog that I read regularly. They
update the site constantly and it seems to be pretty accurate and
fair-minded. I also regularly check Real Clear Politics for updated news.
If you weren't working in politics, what would you be doing?
I had been married for 3 months when I decided to run for this office, so
I'd be spending more time with my husband, Dan. I'd also being working in
some capacity to make a positive impact in my community, perhaps focusing on
health care or education policy. Following 9/11, I volunteered at Ground
Zero in New York City and saw how lives can be changed when community
members come together around shared goals.
What's the most overlooked issue facing America these days?
Politicians talk about "jobs," but they haven't done enough to empower job
creators to pull us out of this recession. I'm running for this office to
stop-the out-of-control spending taking place in DC. Our current Congress
is spending money in an attempt to get us out of this economic crisis, not
realizing that overspending IS the crisis. The disconnect between current
politicos and the rest of us who are in reality is hard to believe. I say
it's time to trust the American people again — not those who think they know
best how to live our lives and spend our money.
Where do you see yourself professionally in five years?
I can't say where I'll be in five years. Five years ago, I wouldn't have
expected to be where I am now. I can say that my focus is to serve
faithfully the people of Southwest Washington and those across our country
by forcing Congress to live within its means just like families, businesses
and individuals do.