# Liberty Movement > Liberty Campaigns > Liberty Campaign Evaluation >  Campaign Evaluation: Zechariah Blanchard (U.S. House, FL-7)

## Bryan

This thread is intended to be a collection point of the strong pros and cons of any potential liberty candidate / campaign that is being discussed / promoted on the forum. You are welcome to post both positive and not-so-positive attributes about the candidate as they related to their position on supporting liberty as well as issues relating to their campaign. The most important information may be aggregated in this top post for easy reference.

*Candidate Name:* Zechariah Blanchard
*Office Sought:* U.S. House
*Website:* www.blanchardforcongress.com
*Social Media:* 
https://www.facebook.com/Blanchard2014

*Candidate Profile: On the Issues*
Civil Liberties: [Rating TBD]
Constitutional Issues: [Rating TBD]
Economic Issues: [Rating TBD]
Foreign Policy: [Rating TBD]
Social Issues: [Rating TBD]
*Overall Issues Rating:* [Rating TBD]

*Race Profile: Competition & Demographics*
State: Florida
District: 7
Incumbent:
Other Primary Candidates: 
Non-Incumbent Candidates from Other Parties: 
Relevant poll numbers: None.
*Overall Race Profile Rating:* [Rating TBD]

*Miscellaneous Pros/Cons*
Key strong points: 

Unknown points for further research:

Possible weak points:

Possible deal breakers:

*Overall Rating:*

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## ZechariahBlanchard

Full disclosure: I am Zechariah Blanchard - Candidate for office.  Everything listed here comes straight from me. It should be taken as  such. I encourage everyone on the forum to vet me. Fire away with any  questions.


Candidate Name: Zechariah Blanchard
*Office Sought:* U.S. House
*Website:* blanchardforcongress
*Social Media:* Facebook: Blanchard2014

*Candidate Profile: On the Issues*
Civil Liberties: Civil Liberties are of the utmost importance. How can a  society claim they are "Free" when they are limited in their freedoms?  Where does any government purport to have the right to make a decision  regarding what we can and can't do - giving we are not causing harm to  anyone but ourselves? What about the natural law?

Constitutional Issues: I am a firm believer in the Constitution of  the United States of America. The Constitution is very clear: Limit  government power and preserve individual liberty. 

Economic Issues: Less regulation, less government intervention, sound  monetary system, stable government investors can depend on to maintain  balance through time, and less regulation on entrepreneurial ventures  and new businesses. 

Foreign Policy: We have to support our Allies, but we need to bring our  troops home and secure our own borders. No wars without a Congressional  Declaration.

Social Issues: It isn't the governments place to know what you are  doing. It isn't their place to say what you can and can't do - unless  you hurt another person. I support the decriminalization of marijuana at  the federal level. I believe this and many other social issues belong  in the States. We shouldn't be under one giant authoritarian rule.

*Overall Issues Rating:* [Rating TBD]

*Race Profile: Competition & Demographics*
State: Florida
District: 7
Incumbent: John Mica (22yrs) in office. Look up his record on NSA, Indefinite Detention, Guantanamo, War, and more.

Other Primary Candidates: David Smith - 30 yrs in Marine Corps.  Respectable service. Hard to know what he really stands for. No one I've  contacted seems to know much about him, except what is on his website.
Alan  Azcona: Not collecting contributions, not making expenditures, only  petitions. Gun rights activist according to what I've seen.

Non-Incumbent Candidates from Other Parties: (D) Wes Neuman. 

Relevant poll numbers: None.
*Overall Race Profile Rating:* [Rating TBD]

*Miscellaneous Pros/Cons*
Key strong points: I believe the Constitution trumps. I believe in  individual liberties. I will fight for freedom in Washington. I also  live in the I-4 corridor. This is one of the most important places in  many Presidential elections. Florida is often decided on based on the  I-4 corridor.

Unknown points for further research:

Possible weak points:

Possible deal breakers:

*Overall Rating:*

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## Andy.August

Zechariah will be attending the Campaign for Liberty 'Liberty Summit' in Orlando, FL April 4-6 if anyone is going and would like to meet him.

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## CG1976

How will you beat Mica? An incumbent tea party
favorite challenged him in a primary in 2012 and lost by over 20%. She was well funded and had a professional campaign, how do you plan to compete?

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## ZechariahBlanchard

Thank you, excellent question.

I would like to fully answer your  question without giving too much of our strategy away. If I fail to be  clear, please let me know so I can elaborate for you. 

The  majority of folks we've contacted here in my district are tired of Mica.  An overwhelming majority of them embrace our message and agree its time  for a change. They're now four primary challengers including myself. Of  us challengers, I stand out - basing my campaign on smaller government,  individual liberty, and fiscal conservatism. This gives me an advantage  on the ballot - because my opponents are all very similar to one  another. 

You see, when the vote gets split in our closed  primary, the other candidates will split their side of the vote, leaving  the rest to us. We also stand out on a key issue here for the 2014  election: decriminalization of marijuana at the federal level so states  can decide. Something 88% of voters here in Florida are in favor of by  recent polls.

Our district also lies in the center of the 'I-4  Corridor'. This is extremely important for the Presidential election, as  the 'I-4 Corridor' usually decides the outcome of Florida. This is due  in part to a large population of swing voters. And we're more likely to  pull that swing vote than any of our opponents. Guessing that Rand may  run in 2016, this could also prove to be a positive strategic lynchpin  for his campaign.

The more people we contact, the more we have on  our side. We are starting off slow, but a winning campaign is like a  snowball going down a hill. It starts real small and slow, picking up  speed and mass as it goes, eventually becoming an unstoppable avalanche.  That is how we are running our campaign. No need to be the most  outspoken in the beginning, we are in this to win it.

We will  continue to "Double Down" as time goes on. More volunteers, more  grassroots movement, and more contact with voters as the campaign moves  forward.

Sandy Adams and Mica both ran on the premise of  experience. Mica had her easily beat in this with over twenty years in  office vs her two. More than half of the voters that elected him didn't  even know what he would do. The districts were changed in 2010 for the  2012 elections. The new district lines helped him slide into office,  once again.

Mr. Mica has a long history of making costly mistakes  (TSA, etc.). These will be publicly known by the end of this election.  The people of our district believe his time has come, the only question  for them is, "Who's next?"

Hope to see you at The Summit!

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