Freeform election game

[Cactus Jack]

Many thanks to GoTfan for the invitation and to Yankee for the basic profile. Going with a character actually not much like me, to my own great surprise.

Henry Lowell Anderson (D)

Born: October 18, 1963 (aged 59)

Politician
Moderate Populist Democrat

Family:

Julie M. Anderson (née Chiang) - Wife, aged 57; m. 1989
Charlotte Anderson - Daughter, aged 33
Owen Anderson - Son, aged 30
Noah Anderson - Son, aged 25

Offices held:
Salt Lake City Councilman (2001-2005)
Division Director, Utah Department of Housing and Community Development (2005-2009)
Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (2009-2011)
Mayor of Salt Lake City (2012-2019)
United States Senator for Utah (2019-present)



Life turns on a dime. In politics, though, it sometimes turns on a penny.

Born to veteran-turned-lawyer and Salt Lake City consumer advocate George Howard (1937-2000) and office typesetter Mary Elizabeth Anderson (née Tanner; 1942-), the eldest of no fewer than six children, Henry Lowell Anderson had an earlier start into politics than most of his peers, mostly thanks to George Anderson's activism in the once-powerful Utah Democratic Party. Largely following in his the elder Anderson's mold, Henry Lowell jumped into consumer advocacy almost immediately upon finishing his own stint at Brigham Young University Law School, first partnering with his father and then opening his own firm. It was around this same point that up-and-coming attorney Henry Lowell Anderson, ink still drying on his Juris Doctor, met and married fellow up-and-coming attorney Julie May Chiang, with whom he would go on to raise three children.

Though his political conscience developed much earlier, Anderson's career as an officeholder really began at the turn of the millennium, not long after the death of his father to pancreatic cancer. Amidst miscellaneous electoral chaos in the nation at large, the 2000 election saw Anderson win his first term to the council of his native Salt Lake City, a performance that he would subsequently repeat during the 2002 midterms. From there, Anderson would go on to serve a term as Director of Housing and Community Development under the relatively moderate Jon Huntsman, followed by a stint in Barack Obama's HUD Department. In both of these capacities, Anderson made a name for himself as a stalwart advocate for the right of the average American to affordable, quality housing. Taking what would prove to be a surprisingly brief leave from federal politics, Henry Lowell Anderson returned to Utah in 2011, winning two terms as mayor of his home city and eventually assisting in the rollout of Utah's flagship Housing First program, targeted at reducing and eventually eliminating state homelessness. By all accounts, Anderson's seven-year stint as mayor was a good one, marked by economic prosperity and confidence and relative social tolerance, particularly by the standards of Utah.

Yes, by all accounts, Salt Lake was happy. So, too, was its mayor, perfectly content with making this particular job his very last political calling.

But as happens so often, whatever lunatic providence driving the span of years between 2016 and 2018 saw fit to flip the American political system right on its head. In the race to succeed Barack Obama, real estate tycoon Donald Trump scored an upset victory for the ages against State Secretary Hillary Clinton. In the Midwest, ancestrally Democratic strongholds such as Pennsylvania and Michigan flipped to the Republicans for the first time in two decades. In Arizona and Georgia, Hillary Clinton ran virtually even with Trump all the way up until election day.

And in Utah, the new president-elect came unprecedentedly close to squandering away six electoral votes to independent CIA operative Evan McMullin, perhaps one of the most bizarre results of a night defined by them.

Time passed. Trump stumbled, then finally spiralled into a political freefall of steadily-worsening approval ratings. And in Utah, Orrin Hatch made the inexplicable decision to run for an unprecedented eighth term in spite of his own catastrophic approvals among Utah voters. Sensing an opportunity to bolster the state party's political relevancy (after all, even factoring in Utah's frank loathing of Orrin Hatch, a win would be virtually impossible; no, they figured, 2018's real political morsel would most likely be the congressional seat of the beknighted, perpetually-embattled Mia Love), Democratic operatives called upon their most reliable weapon in the state of Utah.

And as what would prove to be Orrin Hatch's final reelection campaign slowly disappeared beneath a mountain of primary challengers, Mayor Henry Lowell Anderson answered the call, stepping into federal politics for what he was sure would be the final time.

Yes, and that was the truth of it: he was sure. Whether it was against Orrin Hatch, Chris Herrod, or whoever else squeezed out of the Republican primary, Anderson knew his chances were, even when taken favorably, at least approaching zero. He was no Doug Jones, and his opponents (dodgy though some of them certainly were) were hardly Roy Moore. He would do his duty as a party man, no more and no less.

And then - by grace of God, by ineptitude of Herrod, and most crucially by write-in obstinance of Hatch - he won. For the first time since the days of Frank Moss, a Democrat had won a Senate seat in Utah.

Henry Lowell Anderson (D): 41.27%
Chris Herrod (R): 36.11%
Orrin Hatch (WI): 14.98%
Scott Bradley (C): 6.01%

In 2018, lunatic providence struck again, and this time its beneficiary was a low-key, unassuming Mormon family man (not quite a Jack Mormon, Anderson had always thought; maybe more of a John Mormon) from the Beehive State.

Life turns on a dime. Sometimes, it even sends us to the Senate.

[Cactus Jack]

I think it'd be fun for me to have a tiny, minor role. I don't want to run for President, merely exist and engage with this world.

Priti Sharma (D-ID)

Birthday: September 30th, 1993 (age 29)

Ideology: Libertarian Democrat

Family:
Dating Owen Anderson (age 30)

Offices held:
Ada County Sheriff (2013-2019)
United States Representative for Idaho's 1st Congressional District (2019-)


Defying all odds, Priti Sharma, a Democrat and the daughter of immigrants in Idaho, of all places, managed to win some extremely difficult races.

As a teenager, Priti won the olympic gold medal for Women's skeet, rifle three positions, and trap shooting at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, obviously representing USA. She repeated her hat trick feat in 2012 in London, earning a total of six gold medals.

Elected to be the sheriff of Ada County, the most populous county in Idaho and home of Boise, at the ripe old age of 19, while still attending Boise State University, Priti quickly captured the attention of national Democratic leaders. When an opportunity arose in 2018 with the retirement of Rep Raul Labrador to run for Governor, Sharma was encouraged to run for the House. Despite the district having a lean of R+21, Sharma managed to eek out a win thanks to the endorsement of the Libertarian Party, and defeated the former Lieutenant Governor of Idaho, David H. Leroy, thanks to an energetic campaign and capitalizing on her youth, with Leroy being three times as old as Sharma. Sharma won with 49.8% of the vote, compared to Leroy's 49.2%.

Despite being deemed "the most vulnerable Democrat in the House," Sharma turned out to be a master of retail politics, as well as being unafraid to vote against her party on many issues. Sharma won reelection by consecutively larger margins in 2020 and 2022.

She began dating the son of Utah Senator Henry Anderson, Owen, in the summer of 2021.

(Hope this is okay, GoTfan!)

Welcome to the family. On that note...
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[Cactus Jack]

AYE

[Cactus Jack]

Anderson: Glass-Steagall reinstatement "a tremendous victory"
Deseret News, February 1, 2023

Speaking today outside his Washington, D.C., office, Senator Henry Anderson addressed reporters regarding the reinstatement of the Glass-Steagall Act, aimed at regulating securities-related activities of commercial banks.

"This has been a tremendous victory," Anderson told the assembled crowd, looking equal parts serious and triumphant. "I would call it a step forward, but it's really a return to normalcy. Repealing Glass-Steagall in the first place was a grave mistake."

Anderson went on to praise President Warren and his Senate colleagues for their role in the passage of the Act.

"Glass-Steagall was an accomplishment across state and party lines. No single one of us can take credit for it. I can only thank President Warren, Senator Peebleton, and all of my colleagues for being on the right side of history."

When asked what effect the reinstatement might have on his potential bid for reelection in 2024, Senator Anderson only smiled.

"Serving in the Senate should never be about preserving one's own career. I voted in a manner I thought best for my state, no more and no less. If the people of Utah disagree with me, I'll be more than happy to answer to them in one way or another."

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[Cactus Jack]

Tweet from Henry Anderson (@HLAndersonUT):

"Eagerly looking forward to debating @DGomez. May the best man win."

[Cactus Jack]

Opening Statement:

"Thank you, Don, and thanks to National Public Radio and PBS for this opportunity. As we've all seen in recent weeks, Americans are witnessing the beginnings of great economic change, and I'm eager to discuss the matter with Governor Gomez. On behalf of the great states of Utah and New Mexico, I look forward to this chance to prove the wisdom of Western common sense."

Why Glass-Steagall is a "triumph":
"Thank you, Don. It's a great question, and one that I'm happy to answer. Before the passage of the Glass-Steagall provisions, the American economy was dangerously subject to predatory, high-risk investments by commercial banks. When these investments failed, the banks responsible often would as well, leading to financial ruin for the workers and families who depended on them. What Glass-Steagall did, and will now do again, was restrict commercial banks solely to government and low-risk stocks, vastly cutting the risk of bank crises like those we saw in in 1930 and 2008. Is the reinstatement a surefire guard against economic catastrophe? No. But should we be hit with another recession, Glass-Steagall will at least help minimize the damage and lend some security to middle-class checking accounts."

Rebuttal to Gov. Gomez re: Glass-Steagall:

"Well, Governor Gomez is right on the count that there have been sensible banking regulations passed since 1999, but the sad truth is that none of them on their own were enough to prevent the major banks from getting too big for their boots and making dangerously ambitious investments in 2007 and 2008. Believe it or not, I do understand the worry about overregulation, but it's off the mark. The Glass-Steagall repeal stripped away desperately-needed stability in our economy and banking system, and putting it back in place will be a benefit to Americans everywhere."

On Cole's vote:
"Don, Rick Cole and I disagree on quite a lot. On this, though, when you put aside our fundamental differences on economic policy, we agree on the key thing: there need to be rules guiding the economy and regulating the monetary dealings of financial institutions like banks and corporations. My colleague is a good man who was on the right side of history when it mattered most, and for that, I applaud him without qualification."

On Sloan's opposition to Glass-Steagall:

"Well, for starters, let me thank Governor Gomez for giving us the benefit of the doubt on this one, at least." (faint laughter) "To answer the question, Mr. Sloan is allowed to issue - and lose - as many legal challenges as he pleases. Whether or not I think he's barking up the wrong tree, he does have that right. However, what he has no legal right to do is openly defy the reinstated provisions. The legal process can take its course, but in the meantime, I would offer a word of legal advice to Mr. Sloan, coming from an attorney: stop breaking the law."

On VT-Sen:
"Well, before anything else, I would like to take a moment to thank Senator Sanders for his decades of service, both locally in Vermont and at the federal level in Congress. We've had disagreements in style, but I can guarantee at firsthand that there are few more effective colleagues and no fiercer advocates for the working class than Bernie. He's been a real friend and ally, and the Senate will be poorer without him. As for the candidates running to replace him, as of this juncture, I can only wish all of them the best of luck and ask that they do their best to carry Bernie's message going forward."

Response to Gov. Gomez on Trump's statements:

"Don, I don't think I need to belabor the point when it comes to Donald Trump, since my opinion of him is public knowledge by this point. I consider him to be a liar, a phony, a rabble-rouser, and an incompetent, and I'm pretty sure most of America would back me up on that. Having said that, I agree with Governor Gomez on his last point. If there was anything positive to come out of Donald Trump's so-called presidency, it was the wake-up call it sent to politicians in Washington. For years, Democrats and Republicans alike allowed themselves to become complacent and succumb to business-as-usual, network politics, completely ignoring the desperate voters calling for something different. Something better. Donald Trump took advantage of that just as shamelessly as any other politician, but his election gave voice to Americans whose voice had been lost - not just his fellow bigots and agitators, as some would have us think - and showed those of us in power that they would not be forgotten again."

Closing:
"It's been an honor to be here, and I only hope that I've conducted myself well and done my home state justice, because my opponent certainly has. I thank Governor Gomez for debating me, as well as NPR, PBS, and the state of Nevada for giving us this opportunity. Thank you all, good night, and God bless."

[Cactus Jack]

Anderson Unveils Affordable Housing Act
Deseret News, February 12, 2023

Addressing a crowd assembled outside the United States Capitol this morning, Senator Henry Anderson delivered a press conference announcing the introduction of an ambitious new bill to the Senate. The legislation, co-sponsored by Senators Emily Peebleton (D-North Carolina) and Andrew Greenfield (D-Maine) and officially titled the Affordable Housing Act, would implement a sweeping federal housing program targeted at greatly reducing the rate of chronic homelessness in America, largely in the mold of Utah's Housing First strategy, the rollout of which then-Mayor Anderson played a key role in implementing in Salt Lake City.

"For too long have we, as a society, looked the other way when it comes to our nation's homeless," said Senator Anderson, flanked by co-sponsors Greenfield and Peebleton as well as his chief of staff, Ruth Larson. "That ends today. When passed, the Affordable Housing Act will bring some direly-needed clarity to America's blind eye."

According to Senator Anderson, the Affordable Housing Act would provide for a system of rent-free housing for chronically-homeless Americans, subject to fair addiction and mental health screening. It has been speculated that the absence of such evaluations played a key role in hobbling Housing First. When prompted by reporters, the Senator openly acknowledged the failure of the original program to adequately address concerns of mental healthcare.

"[Housing First] was well-intentioned, but flawed in ways that our state government didn't fully process at the time," he said. "The local governments had to work with what they were given. My colleagues and I have put extensive effort into ensuring that no such oversight will occur at the federal level; if passed, the Affordable Housing Act will encourage the proper treatment of addiction and mental illness in homeless communities, operating through the framework of the Affordable Care Act."

In order to fund such sweeping initiatives, the bill would redirect $66.83 billion in Trump-era military spending, backed up by a 0.7% hike to the capital gains tax, adjusted yearly to suit financial needs.

"Both of my sons are military men," Anderson said when questioned on these substantial cuts. "Mark my words: I would never consider cutting our military spending in a way that endangered our men and women in uniform. But under Donald Trump, we saw an astronomical increase to our already astronomical defense budget, and much of that money was used to fund programs that proved to be frivolous at best and useless at worst. This bill would do nothing more than bring military spending back down to something closer to the levels seen under President Obama, all to benefit a worthy cause."