Local businessman Michael Maher is announcing his candidacy for the 21st Congressional District.
Maher is a Republican and enters the 2024 election against Democrat incumbent Jim Costa. He is endorsed by a host of local leaders, including Congresswoman Connie Conway (ret.), State Senator Shannon Grove, Assemblyman Devon Mathis, Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux, Fresno County Supervisor Debbie Poochigian, Fresno County Supervisor Buddy Mendes, Tulare County Supervisor Pete Vander Poel, Tulare County Supervisor Dennis Townsend, Visalia Mayor Brian Poochigian, Reedley Mayor Matt Tuttle, and Selma School Board Member Nick Sahota.
In her endorsement of Maher, Senator Shannon Grove wrote, “We need Michael Maher in Congress representing our Central Valley now more than ever. Michael grew up in the Valley, is raising his family here, and understands our needs, from agriculture and water to lower taxes and costs.
“With threats from China and others at our northern and southern border, and the expansion of fentanyl trafficking, Michael Maher’s national security and law enforcement expertise as a former member of the FBI’s National Security Division and Counterproliferation Unit will ensure our nation stands strong in an increasingly dangerous world.
“I am proud to endorse and support Navy Veteran and businessman Michael Maher for Congress.”
Michael Maher grew up in Tulare. His parents met and married when they were in the U.S. Air Force and later settled in Tulare, where his father is a pastor. Maher graduated in 2001 from Tulare Union High School. Later that year, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy, where he served aboard the USS SALT LAKE CITY SSN-716, a Los Angeles Class Fast Attack Submarine, stationed at the U.S. Navy Submarine Base, Point Loma, California. He is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy’s Preparatory School and Fresno Pacific University. Maher served in the U.S. Department of Justice as a Special Agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, working in the National Security Division.
“Our nation is under attack from foreign governments, drug cartels, and extremists that care more about a “woke” agenda than doing what helps the American people. This hits home every day in the Central Valley. Fentanyl is killing our youth. Crime is increasing. Farmers face challenges from those who want to put them out of business and take their water. Families are wrestling with inflation, paying more but getting less.
“I know the threats to our families, community, and nation. We are beginning to take the right steps, and today I am announcing that I am running for Congress to help accelerate that change and keep our families, our Central Valley, and our nation safe and strong,” said Michael Maher.
You didn’t mention attacks from White Supremacists, Proud Boys, religious zealots, and the political activism in the Supreme Court and in some of our municipalities, County Governments, State Governments as well as those U.S. Governmental elected members who are working to change our rules of law from their prism into that of authoritarianism, nationalism (including racial nationalism), hierarchy and elitism, and militarism. These are homegrown terrorists’ and their ideology that does not support health, welfare, and freedoms for ALL the people of these United States. These homeland terrorist are deeply imbedded in the Republican Party at the ruling level. This current Republican Party has allowed itself to become the party of hate, oppression, and protectors of those who are terrorizing United States citizens so they can dominate and hopefully win the majority of public elections.
Fascism: Political ideology; a way of organizing a society in which a government ruled by a dictator controls the lives of the people and in which people are not allowed to disagree with the government.
Republicans like to accuse Democrats of being fascist terrorists however the Democrats have not tried to overthrow the government like the “top” Republican Leader and his Republican followers attempted to do on January 6, 2021. We now have a House of Representative Speaker who is trying to do his best inside the capital to protect and continue what those homegrown terrorist failed to do….. all to keep his speakership. Having power is so addictive that McCarthy publicly professes his love and loyalty not to the United States of America but to Marjorie Taylor Green, Georgia’s QAnon election denier, a far right crazy conspiracy queen and who has called for the executions of former President Obama, Hilary Clinton and other leaders of the Democratic Party of the United States. He says he’s never going to leave her side. Let that sink in a bit! He says he’s never going to leave her! What an enormous price he is willing to pay just for her help in his acquiring and keeping the Speakership the House of Representatives.
If you want to cultivate any credibility from my little corner of this world you can start by publicly denouncing ALL who support the attack on the U.S. Capital, the continuing attacks against the rights of citizens who seek only to legally vote, who seek only to determine the course of their own healthcare, who seek only the freedom to access what books they desire to read educationally and entertainment wise, and who seek only to be treated with respect as individuals living in this country (not just as Americans born in this country or naturalized citizens or immigrants – some legal and some not who work on our dairy’s, farms, as landscapers, or various types of day labors). ALL are individuals who pay sale taxes on all goods they consume and that DOES support our commerce. Legal or not people don’t deserve to be talked about like yesterday’s trash. Don’t be another cheerleader for MTG and those of her ilk. Also from my perspective you need to publicly support taxing churches who engage in public lobbying to any person(s) or corporation(s) to further their religious causes against abortions, birth control, etc. If churches are so concerned with politics, government and public policy let them pay for the price of admission like everybody else.