About
As a sixth-generation Texan with ancestors who served on George Washington's staff in the American Revolution—love of country and patriotism are in my DNA. After high school, I left home to attend the U.S. Naval Academy, driven by a desire to serve and to be part of something bigger than myself. In a wild and unorthodox 20-year career, I deployed in support of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and represented the U.S. Navy in multiple overseas diplomatic postings --- experiences that deepened my belief in America’s potential and the principles we stand for. Now that I’ve taken off the uniform, I’m still driven by that same desire to serve, focused on strengthening the ideals that make this country great.
Raised in a family of Reagan Republicans, I dutifully voted for Bob Dole in 1996, my first presidential election. But over the years, I've watched both parties sacrifice problem-solving on the altar of partisan warfare, putting party politics above the people they’re supposed to serve. That disillusionment led me to cross party lines more than once, and today, I consider myself a political orphan. But if I'm honest, it's a good place to be --- without party loyalty weighing me down, I believe good ideas should stand on their own, no matter where they come from. Real progress demands breaking free from the straitjacket of team red, or team blue, and focusing on what actually works.
Despite its flaws and growing pains, I still believe America remains history’s boldest bet on human potential—a radical experiment that ordinary people can govern themselves. I believe that liberty is a birthright, not a gift from lords and kings, and that a nation bound by ideas rather than blood can not only endure, but light the way forward.
My hope for The Forgotten Middle is to amplify the voices of the crazy moderates who occupy the political center. No blind party loyalty, no reflexive opposition—just honest discourse, crediting both sides when it’s due and calling bullshit when necessary. Right now, this is how I’ve chosen to fight for practical solutions to real problems and to help defend this messy, magnificent American experiment. Not because it’s perfect—it’s far from it—but because I believe we can still prove that self-government wasn’t just a bold bet by our founders. It’s a one worth doubling down on.