About the Candidate
Name: Brian Burns
DOB: Dec. 12, 1987
Occupation: Attorney
Political Experience: None
Website: BrianBurns.com
Twitter: @BurnsUSA
Candidate Statement
We live in the most PROSPEROUS and INNOVATIVE society in history. Think of all we’ve accomplished since our founding: people are living twice as long, one farmer with a tractor can feed thousands, and one teenager with a twitter account can start a world-wide climate movement. We live in a world of LIMITLESS possibility, but things are stuck - and we NEED new ideas.
My name is Brian Burns, and I want to be your next Congressman.
I’m an attorney who has spent my career at the intersection of law and technology. I’ve worked for two federal agencies in D.C. and have written laws at the local level. I‘m also a Chicagoan, born and raised in the 5th district, so I KNOW there’s no better place for bold ideas.
And we’re GONNA NEED THEM - TO BEAT the climate emergency, TO FIX our broken healthcare system, and TO BUILD an equitable economy.
So where do we start?
First we DREAM of a future that’s WORTH fighting for;
Then we PLAN a path toward achieving it;
And finally we ACT with the urgency that this historical moment demands.
We repeat this cycle. Tirelessly. Always dreaming bigger, planning better, acting more effectively. And NEVER - NEVER giving up. This is how we dig ourselves out.
We have technologies that our founders COULDN’T have dreamed of. IMAGINE a future where we use them to solve our biggest problems. THIS is the DREAM. THIS is worth fighting for.
My candidacy is unique because WE have a plan to build the MOST RESPONSIVE GOVERNMENT IN HISTORY. And with your engagement, WE WILL write our own future. WE WILL DEFINE what Democracy 3.0 looks like and and WE WILL GIVE give political power BACK to the people.
But we must ACT. So visit BrianBurns.com and get involved with our campaign - we have a place for everyone.
Our slogan is #NoSmallPlans - borrowed from Daniel Burnham, the architect who saw BEYOND the horizon HIS life to design our great city. We must be JUST AS BOLD. We must DREAM just as big. We must make #NoSmallPlans.
Candidate Q&A
Why are you running?
I’m running for Congress because we are facing enormous challenges and the gridlock in Washington is crippling our ability to address them. Our climate is collapsing, our people cannot afford healthcare, and the economy is not working for regular people. We cannot continue to try the same things and expect different results, and I’m running to make sure that the people of the 5th district have a truly progressive choice.
Donald Trump was elected largely because the entire country recognized that the political process is broken and needed to be shaken up. Trump has done untold harm to our country and the planet, but the silver lining of his presidency has been the galvanization of a progressive movement that has been a long time coming in America. I am excited to be a part of this movement and look forward to the bright future we will build together.
What is your vision for this office?
We believe that national politicians should be leaders in finding solutions to our biggest challenges. One of the biggest challenges our nation faces is that people are losing faith that the system actually works. Regular people see billion dollar corporations, lobbyist groups, and political action committees dominating the political landscape and cannot be blamed for wondering whether their vote or opinion matters.
We have a bold vision for the future of the government called Democracy 3.0. It is a plan to leverage technology to build the most responsive government in history. I have taken a direct democracy pledge in which I promise to remain in constant dialogue with my constituents about what their priorities are and to ask for their input before major votes. We will make better decisions when more people have a voice, but more importantly, this will provide an unprecedented level of access for constituents who want to engage in self governance for the 21st century.
What do you think is the most pressing issue facing your constituents and how do you plan on addressing it?
Without a doubt the most pressing issue facing my constituents and the entire world is climate change. Unless we address this problem, none of the other problems will matter. We must address this problem the same way we have addressed every other society-wide problem in history: by rising up and demanding action from our leaders.
Slavery did not die at the ballot box, it took a civil war. Women’s suffrage wasn’t born at the ballot box, it came from a nationwide movement of women demanding change. The civil rights era, the anti-Vietnam war movement, and the fight for LGBTQ rights have all been successful because they mobilized people to demand change. This is not to say that voting doesn’t matter, it does. But the solutions required for the climate emergency, things like a carbon tax and the Green New Deal, will only come if we mobilize and use people power to make it happen.
