Toby Braden Johnson
Candidate for Virginia's
5th Congressional District Democratic Primary
Hello! I am Toby Braden Johnson. I am a father, an educator, and life-long learner. My family and I have come to make Lynchburg our home. We have made friends and found the community to be quite welcoming in many ways. My kids have found their place in Lynchburg schools, and so too have I. Sadly, the rise of the authoritarian MAGA movement jeopardizes everything that we hold dear. As a father and teacher, I cannot sit idly by. I am driven to speak out for the principles of democracy, fairness, equity, and compassion that I see at the heart of the American Dream.
I grew up the son of an insurance agent who emphasized honesty and compassion in his business dealings. I went to work for my father while in high school and learned how many other agents took advantage of clients in moments of weakness in order to gain extra commissions or sell unnecessary policies to bolster their profits. For a kid raised on the ethics of Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, little of that exploitative capitalism made sense to me. While I saw my father doing ethical work to help people, I wanted to try something different.
In college, I studied the beliefs and stories that made people’s lives memorable and worthwhile… religions, ethics, myths, politics. It all goes hand in hand to show how people build communities and strive to make the world better in the image of their ideals. It is amazing to see how people around the world will take different approaches to the same goals of making their community better and doing good for as many as you can help. No one culture has a monopoly on this... but America has far more resources that it can put into action to accomplish these goals better than any other nation on the planet.
Now that brings me what I see here in Virginia’s 5th Congressional District…
I know that I share more in common with the people of this district than their current representative in Congress does. I am not rich. I still have student loans to pay. Rent is a burden. Health insurance is not cheap. A few missed paychecks and it's going to hurt. And, obviously, I cannot afford to pay someone to build me a fancy campaign website.
It is clear that most citizens share the belief that America is capable of taking on any challenge and succeeding if we work together. We believe that community matters and that means including everyone, not just those that vote like our current representative. I am a Democrat in principle, but I will not ignore those on the other side of the party divide when they offer wise counsel and good plans that will help everyone. Our federal system is the greatest and most powerful force on the planet, capable of doing so much more to help people because we can work together. We cannot waste the opportunity and create chaos. It is crucial that we work to direct our government’s efforts toward sensible goals that serve our community.
Let’s work together toward those goals. I ask for your support in the upcoming Democratic Primary process. We can build a campaign that works to include more of the nearly 785,000 people in the district than we have ever seen before. Our current representative is more concerned about pursuing petty politics of division and supporting the lies of an indicted charlatan, than actually using the power of our government to help people in need. With your help, we can reclaim the 5th District for decency and normalcy, using its vote to pursue truly democratic principles rather than teetering toward authoritarianism and division. In doing so, we can bring sensible government back to Washington and craft policies and programs that actually help our community here in Virginia.
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Key Concerns Facing Our Community in Virginia's 5th Congressional District
Stopping the Authoritarian MAGA threat to Democracy here and Abroad
Democracy is not to be taken for granted. The MAGA movement of Donald Trump and his supporters have been very clear about their intentions for respecting the Constitution and ending our traditions of democratic rule. They have failed the basic challenge of politics… come up with better ideas than your opponents. Their resort to violence is their ultimate failure as politicians. All that they can do is continue to be a threat to the Constitution, our international alliances, and the basic decency of the American promise to build community. Those who have perpetuated the “Big Lie” and participated in the efforts to subvert the 2020 election results or storm the Capitol on January 6, 2021 have abdicated their right to lead. They have turned their backs on all that this county’s democratic principles strive to achieve. We need to call them out, remove them from offices of power, and charge them for their offenses.
Education
Supporting education initiatives includes Pre-K accessibility, public library and outreach funding, increased funding for school lunch programs, accessible Community Colleges, student loan reform, holding private universities and home-schooling programs accountable while requiring more rigid standards for these, and putting education policy decision-making back in the hands of experts trained in these areas. Trained educators are just that… people trained to educate others. We should trust them and realize that our schools are filled with educators to help students learn about the wide world around them. Our nation’s future successes start in today’s classrooms. Schools must focus on achievement and advancement if we are to be competitive in the future.
Truly “Life Affirming” Healthcare
Let’s make sure we take care of people. I want to leave medical decisions up to the careful deliberations of patients and their doctors. Your right to freely choose your healthcare options should be respected. I want all healthcare options available to everyone... even abortion, drug-treatment, and gender affirming care. Children should have healthcare guaranteed like their K-12 education. Free school lunch programs need to be bolstered. Medicare and Medicaid ought to be available to all who need them and the Affordable Care Act expanded to offer the single-payer system that it strives to be. Universal Healthcare is a goal only achievable through a nation’s collective effort. It is our responsibility to our community, an obligation to help… because getting sick should not truly cost an arm and a leg… nor should you have to go bankrupt because of it.
Gun Safety & the 2nd Amendment
One’s right to own a gun cannot override other’s right to be safe and continue their lives. “Well-regulated” means that we can set limits on the types of firearms that are available to citizens. The assault weapons ban of the 90s was constitutional and we need something like it, or better, now. We should register firearms like we do vehicles, requiring liability insurance and verified training. I grew up taking both driver’s training and hunters’ safety classes. The formal process for the former should be applied to the latter. Universal background checks are not unreasonable and the goal should be, as always, promoting safety. None of us should have to worry about gun violence as we send our children off to school or head out together to the grocery store.
A Living Wage, Economic Equity, & an End to Predatory Capitalism
Strong unions and collective bargaining gave rise to the middle class and ensured workers rights in the 20th century. We need to support those ideas again to preserve those gains. Notions of “trickle-down economics” and the unrelenting pursuit of profit have hurt the workers whose labor creates all capital in our economy. Big corporations are driving out family farms and small businesses alike, while trampling on workers’ rights in other industries. We need to protect all workers and ensure that everyone earns a living wage for that work. The “market” in which we all participate is a collective effort… we are in there as producers and consumers in a variety of roles. It only makes sense that those who extract more than they contribute should be held accountable, as well as those that prey upon others with limited means with extraordinary fees and interest rates.
Social Security, Support, & a Safety Net
If we are to claim that we are a community, then we assume a responsibility for the well-being of all members of that community. We have come together through our government to tackle some of the biggest problems history has ever seen… It is silly to think that such an effort cannot look to take care of its own members. Workers pay into Social Security for years. They have a right to the promise of its payout in retirement. It is a public promise to ensure the collective health and well-being of a growing society. And we must be as diligent looking after our youngest as we are the elderly. Children’s mental health services & family support services are crucial. These are not charity issues, they are public health concerns… and we have all been paying into it for years and deserve to reap that reward.
Infrastructure Improvements
Our nation has come together for massive infrastructure projects ranging from the New Deal’s Tennessee Valley Authority projects, Truman’s “Fair Deal” community revival, and Eisenhower’s Interstate Highway system. In the years since, our country has failed to keep pace with that legacy of progress and keeping current with the much-need repairs to our critical infrastructure. President Trump’s oft-touted “Infrastructure Week” accomplished nothing. President Biden’s plans have been a wonderful first step, but so much more needs to be done to our schools, roads, bridges, parkways, and public lands in order to leave a livable legacy to our children and grandchildren.
Diversity & Inclusion Make America Great
We see the history of segregation all around us here in southern Virginia. What’s been more sad to see is how that same type of discrimination had taken root and brought its attention to bear not only on people of color, but also upon women, indigenous people, and those from various faith communities, as well as the LGBTQIA+ community. Hate and discrimination have no place in civil society. We need to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to thrive and realize the promise of “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.” It is far better to create neighborhoods that work together, than to build walls to separate us.
Environmental Protections
Climate change is real. There is no doubt from the majority of experts out there. We must come together to collectively shift our understandings and actions to rectify the horrific damage we have done to the environment or none of this matters. Agriculture and conservation efforts depend on the environment. Climate change will come for the family farms and the natural lands around us. There is no escape or plan B when it comes to the planet. This is the only one we have and that means we need to shift to green energy and better recycling techniques to protect what we have. Investing in these can and will stimulate new areas of the economy and create jobs, foster new education initiatives, and, maybe, just be enough to save us all.
Serving America from Virginia's 5th
With your support and as your Representative, I would pursue an agenda that balances the duty Congress has to both represent our district as well as serving the nation as a whole. There is no red/blue divide. We cannot turn our back on fellow citizens who voted differently from us. The Federal Government's responsibility is to serve the needs of our citizens and those who have chosen to come live and work here. Our Constitution affords equal rights and protections to all. Our hearts demand that we strive to make every effort to build our nation and help its citizens. To that end, I see these issues standing out and requiring a national effort, and only solvable through the collaborative work of the government and our nation as a whole. This list is not exhaustive, because there is a lot of work to do. These are just some of the first that we need Congress to address for the good of the nation.
Stopping the Authoritarian MAGA threat to Democracy
Voting Rights Need Protection
Election Finance Reform
America must honor its treaties
International cooperation is a wonderful thing
Immigration & border reform can be compassionate
Ukraine is the bulwark against authoritarianism
Israel has a right to exist… so does Palestine
Get Involved with the Campaign!
I would love to hear from you about your concerns for our community. Use the button on the right to submit your comments or questions about the campaign.
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Donate to the Campaign!
Let's face it. The MAGA movement behind our current representative is going to throw a ton of money into this election. Donations from PACs, SuperPACs, and so-called "dark money" from undisclosed sources will pour into his campaign. Which raises the question... to whom is he beholden as he carries out his duties in Congress?
I'm not like that at all. As I campaign to be your voice in Congress, I want to be upfront about who is funding the campaign. Call it a throwback to that "We the People" principle our nation's forefathers set out. I intend to be open and transparent as to where my campaign funds are coming from and how they are being spent.
The first campaign funding goal is to raise the required "Primary Filing Fee" of $3480. I need your help just to get on the Primary ballot in June. Then there is a lot of work to be done to get our message out to the people of the district. Every dollar that you contribute is appreciated and will be put to good use.
Thank you for taking time from your day to read about these first steps of the campaign. I do hope you will continue to follow the campaign as we further grow and build a solid plan for Virginia's 5th Congressional District. I hope that with these steps, I can earn your vote in this June's primary.
Toby for VA5 tobyforVA5@gmail.com
PO Box 11961 Facebook: TobyforVA5
Lynchburg, VA 24506 Donate @ PayPal