MynameisJoshThornton.Iama41yearoldeducatorfromRockHill,
SC.Ihavebeenaprivateandpublicschooleducatorfor19years.I
havebeenhappilymarriedtomywife,April,for16yearsandwehavea
10yearoldson.IreceivedmyBachelor’sdegreeinMatheducation
fromMillikinUniversityinDecatur,Illinois.
AsaresidentofYorkCountyforthepast13years,Ihavevotedintoo
manyunopposedelectionsorelectionswithonlytwounacceptable
choices.Asaresult,IamrunningforCongressinthe5thDistrictofSC.
TheHouseofRepresentativesoftheUnitedStateswasformedtogive
voicetoeverymanandwomaninourcountry.Whenyoulookatpast
electionsandthecurrentlistofannouncedcandidatesforthe5th
District,mostareestablishedcareerpoliticians,partyofficials,long
terminsidersorpartyactivists.
IamrunningforCongressforseveralreasons.Onebeingthatthe
peopleofSCneedacandidatewhoisnotjustanotherpoliticalpartisan,
butinsteadissomeonewhorepresentsapositivechoiceforbadly
neededprogress.SouthCaroliniansneedtoaskthemselvesifthey
werepositivelymotivatedduringthelastelectioncycle.Or,ifthey
wereinstead,merelychoosingbetweenthe“lesseroftwoevils”.
WeneedmeaningfulcompetitioninourpoliticalracesinSC.For
example,weneedcompetitivegeneralelections,notjustcompetitive
Republicanprimaries.ItistimethatSouthCarolinianshada
substantiallydifferentchoiceinourelections.ThatnewchoiceisJosh
ThorntonoftheAmericanParty.
The5thCongressionalDistrict’sspecialelectionisauniqueopportunity
forthevotersofourdistricttosendamessagetoWashington,andto
ourNation.Wecanmakeitclearthatwearetiredofchoosing
betweenapartisan“warrior”witha“D”orwithan“R”nexttotheir
name-apartisanwhofollowsthemandatesoftheirparty,evenwhenit
inevitablyleadstoharmingournationanddividingourpeople.
Ourtwopartysystemisabrokensystemthatiscausingunprecedented
gridlock.RepublicansfeelforcedtovoteinfavorofthePresidentand
DemocratsfeelforcedtovoteagainstthePresident.Thisis
catastrophicfortheAmericanpeople,becausetheyoftenvote
accordingtotheirPartymandatesandattheexpenseoftheir
constituencies.AnAmericanPartyCongressmanwillbeabletovotein
favorofaPresidentialpolicywhenitispositivefortheirdistrictand
theirNationandtovoteagainstpoliciesthatwouldbedetrimental.An
AmericanPartymemberofCongresswillbeabletofunctionasan
independentpublicservantwhoseonlyobjectivewillbetobenefitthe
majorityofthecitizensoftheirdistrictandtheirnation.
Governmentshouldbebythepeopleandforthepeople;not,bythe
richandfortheparty.ItistimetogivethepeopleofSCanewchoice
andanewapproachtogoverning.Wehaveneverneededitmorethan
now.