to change our politics. Seeing the high degree of hate and polarization in our politics and the high levels of disillusionment and disenchantment led me to found The Millennial Action Project to train, convene and mobilize a generation of young lawmakers who can reform our politics and help to ensure that legislation coming out of Washington, D.C. and state legislatures really does recognize that jazz spirit: our common humanity and promotes the dignity and opportunity of all people. We were directly involved in passing legislation from gun violence prevention to veterans’ employment. We took on climate change to creating entrepreneurial opportunities. That is something that I highlight in this race because I don’t think the U.S. Senate is an entry level position. I’m the only candidate in this race who has any federal legislative experience. I’m the only one who has legislative accomplishments to point to because I think at the end of the day, one reason people are so disillusioned by politics is because you have candidates who run for office and don’t do anything. They don’t deliver for people and I have. My organization was directly involved in passing 35 bills through Congress.”

Olikara is very much concerned with the growing income and wealth gap in the United States.

“I think we are entering a new Gilded Age in American society,” Olikara emphasized. “The level of wealth inequality and the gaps around opportunity are unsustainable. For me, it makes no sense that when our country is the richest in the history of the human race, the history of human civilization that we have so much poverty in our country. Childhood poverty is over 20 percent today. I think that is immoral and it’s wrong. My mission in politics is to help to close those opportunity gaps. And I truly see it as a moral issue. Increasing the minimum wage is certainly part of that. But I even want to go further than that. I think one of the true issues of why our politics do not work for the working poor and working class in our country is because of the big money in politics.”

Olikara feels that the working poor and working class are perfectly capable of voicing their interests and what they need out of the federal government. Unfortunately, their voices are drowned out by the voice of big money.

“I’ve seen who federal legislators listen to,” Olikara said. “They are on an endless treadmill of fundraising. And the easiest way to raise money is to get it from big money donors and corporate interests. And that is who they are listening to. Members of Congress literally neglect their jobs. They walk across the street in the middle of the afternoon to dial for dollars. It’s not surprising that the policy coming out of Washington is tilted towards the elite and the wealthy and the powerful. And I want to change that paradigm. I’m the only candidate in this race running on getting big money out of politics. I’m the only candidate in this race running on a political reform platform because I believe that you need to structurally reform our politics to incentivize members of Congress to work for the poor and the working class. Until we have that, you are only going to see a few courageous members who are willing to do it. And I want to incentivize more members to do it. Having seen which members are serving a larger moral cause as opposed to serving themselves like Ron Johnson, the distinguishing factor there is in their soul, in their core, do they believe in a mission that is larger than themselves. Are they willing to take those tough votes?”

In addition to the big money in politics, Olikara believes that the political system is rigged in such a way that elected officials don’t really have to listen to the voters.

“The system of politics is rigged,” Olikara emphasized. “It’s rigged in favor of establishment elite candidates who care more about political gamesmanship than they do about real people. One of the reforms that I am pushing for — I'm the only candidate in the race pushing for this — is open primaries and ranked choice voting to help open up our politics and introduce healthy competition. Right now, roughly nine percent of the electorate is electing 90 percent of the members of Congress. And that is the result of the primary system, gerrymandering, and the number of safe seats today. We have a very narrow base of people who vote in primaries. And then you are often left choosing the lesser of two evils in the general election. I’m calling to change that. The reason I am committed to those issues because that is the work that I have done for the last 10 years. I’ve been working on Congressional reform, understanding which reforms are going to have the biggest impact on us solving real problems. If anyone reading this wonders why we haven’t done anything on gun violence prevention in so many years, anything truly meaningful; why we haven’t taken on the substance abuse crisis; why haven’t we done more on climate change; there are structural reasons for that. It’s the money in politics. It’s the gerrymandering and the primary system amongst others. You can’t talk about inaction on guns without talking about those issues. We need real competition in politics to ensure they are serving the public and not themselves.”

Olikara feels that the healthcare system needs to be reformed because it doesn’t serve the best interest of the American people and the businesses that make up its economy.

“I really think this can be a post-partisan issue, but you need leadership that can actually bring the different voices and coalitions together,” Olikara said. “My view on this is we need guaranteed healthcare in America. The number one thing that we can do to make health care more affordable for individuals and businesses is to change the incentive in our health care system. Right now, our health care system profits on volume and not on health. Just like any system, if it is highly profitable to do something, then most people are going to do it. And in this case, it is in keeping you in the health care system as opposed to keeping you out of it. Changing the incentives in our health care system is my number one priority.”

Next issue: Affordable housing, climate change and more