Tom Wells

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Tom Wells

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 5, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

California Institute of Technology, 1972

Ph.D

University of Maryland, 1978

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

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Tom Wells (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Florida's 3rd Congressional District. He lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Biography

Wells earned a bachelor's degree in physics from the California Institute of Technology in 1972 and a Ph.D. in theoretical physics from the University of Maryland in 1978. His career experience includes owning a business to develop solutions to a small class of long-standing Air Force requirements. He also worked for 15 years at Georgia Tech in research and as the lead engineer at a succession of small microwave technology companies.

Elections

2024

See also: Florida's 3rd Congressional District election, 2024

Florida's 3rd Congressional District election, 2024 (August 20 Republican primary)

Florida's 3rd Congressional District election, 2024 (August 20 Democratic primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House Florida District 3

Incumbent Kat Cammack defeated Tom Wells in the general election for U.S. House Florida District 3 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kat Cammack (R)	61.6	241,174
		Tom Wells (D)	38.4	150,283

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 391,457
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Anthony Stebbins (L)

Democratic primary election

The Democratic primary election was canceled. Tom Wells advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 3.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 3

Incumbent Kat Cammack defeated Alec Stevens in the Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 3 on August 20, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kat Cammack	87.1	69,962
		Alec Stevens	12.9	10,340

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 80,302
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Wells in this election.

2022

See also: Florida's 3rd Congressional District election, 2022

General election

General election for U.S. House Florida District 3

Incumbent Kat Cammack defeated Danielle Hawk and Linda Brooks in the general election for U.S. House Florida District 3 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kat Cammack (R)	62.5	178,101
		Danielle Hawk (D)	36.3	103,382
		Linda Brooks (No Party Affiliation)	1.2	3,410

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 284,893
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 3

Danielle Hawk defeated Tom Wells in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 3 on August 23, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Danielle Hawk	67.6	37,181
		Tom Wells	32.4	17,799

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 54,980
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 3

Incumbent Kat Cammack defeated Justin Waters in the Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 3 on August 23, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kat Cammack	85.2	63,279
		Justin Waters	14.8	11,022

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 74,301
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Manuel Asensio (R) (Unofficially withdrew)

2020

See also: Florida's 3rd Congressional District election, 2020

Florida's 3rd Congressional District election, 2020 (August 18 Republican primary)

Florida's 3rd Congressional District election, 2020 (August 18 Democratic primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House Florida District 3

Kat Cammack defeated Adam Christensen in the general election for U.S. House Florida District 3 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kat Cammack (R)	57.1	223,075
		Adam Christensen (D)	42.9	167,326

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 390,401
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Edgardo Silva (R)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 3

Adam Christensen defeated Tom Wells and Philip Dodds in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 3 on August 18, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Adam Christensen	34.5	21,073
		Tom Wells	33.2	20,290
		Philip Dodds	32.3	19,730

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 61,093 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Richard Allen Rowe (D)
• Brandon Scott Peters (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 3

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 3 on August 18, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kat Cammack	25.2	21,679
		Judson Sapp	20.0	17,180
		Gavin Rollins	15.3	13,118
		James St. George	14.1	12,125
		Todd Chase	9.5	8,165
		Ryan Chamberlin	5.9	5,067
		Amy Pope Wells	4.1	3,564
		Bill Engelbrecht	2.3	2,001
		David Theus	2.2	1,874
		Joe Dallas Millado	1.4	1,168

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 85,941 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Ed Braddy (R)
• Kent Guinn (R)

2018

See also: Florida's 3rd Congressional District election, 2018

General election

General election for U.S. House Florida District 3

Incumbent Ted Yoho defeated Yvonne Hayes Hinson in the general election for U.S. House Florida District 3 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Ted Yoho (R)	57.6	176,616
		Yvonne Hayes Hinson (D)	42.4	129,880

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 306,496 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 3

Yvonne Hayes Hinson defeated Tom Wells and Dushyant Gosai in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 3 on August 28, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Yvonne Hayes Hinson	59.5	31,655
		Tom Wells	33.2	17,663
		Dushyant Gosai	7.3	3,883

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 53,201
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 3

Incumbent Ted Yoho defeated Judson Sapp in the Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 3 on August 28, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Ted Yoho	76.3	54,848
		Judson Sapp	23.7	17,068

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 71,916
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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2016

See also: Florida's 3rd Congressional District election, 2016

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Republican. Incumbent Ted Yoho (R) won re-election. He defeated Kenneth McGurn (D) and Tom Wells (I) in the general election on November 8, 2016. No candidate faced a primary opponent in August.

U.S. House, Florida District 3 General Election, 2016

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Ted Yoho Incumbent	56.6%	193,843
	Democratic	Kenneth McGurn	39.8%	136,338
	Independent	Tom Wells	3.7%	12,519
Total Votes				342,700
Source: Florida Division of Elections

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Tom Wells did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign website

Wells' campaign website stated the following:

“	Act 1 : MEDICARE FOR ALL (M4A) Tremendous savings. Overall costs are reduced by $1 Trillion per year A half million medical bankruptcies are reduced to 0 48,000 annual deaths by lack of access are reduced to 0 These are the costs of Corporate Welfare Far better health outcomes. Birth to Death Healthcare. No exclusions for Pre-Existing Conditions. Covers Vision, Hearing, Dental, Mental Health, Prescription Drugs. No Insurance premiums, deductibles, or co-pays. Social Cost Taxes on Tobacco – Reduce Use, Save Lives You need medical care? All your doctors are in-plan. Implement in 1 year Because Health Justice Delayed is Justice Denied Detailed economic analyses has been published Displaced Workers: Code Matchers There are 3 million medical code matchers at insurance companies and medical facilities, mean salary $30,000/year, ergo $90 Billion. They will be paid full salary for 3 years re-training, e.g. in tuition free public universities/trade schools ACT 2: Straight Arrow Public Funding of Elections Every voter gets a $200 voucher account. To be donated only to candidates bound to take nothing else in their campaign, in their time in office. These Straight Arrow Candidates will be so designated on the ballot There will still be corporate funded candidates. $120 Million of Voter Vouchers are in play in every Congressional District Connecticut has for 20 years elected solid majorities in their state legislature with far more modest public funding Why Public Funding? It can be done Now. (Amending the Constitution takes longer.) This legislation complies with Supreme Court decisions on Public Funding Because it is Healthcare for Democracy. These Acts are best done quickly, early in the term of the new Congress. Two years out the full benefits of M4A will be evident throughout the population. Your healthy voters will heartily donate their Voter Vouchers to re-elect you. Following Nina Turner's Dictum “Soft on the People, Hard on the Issues.” We will Redeem our colleagues. These 2 Acts Change the System, They constitute a – soft revolution -- Those things that could not be done, can now be done. Climate Justice: The Green New Deal Comprehensive Multi-Faceted Plan as proposed by Sen. Sanders End fracking on Day 1 by withdrawing exceptions to Clean Air and Water Act negotiated by V.P. Cheney in 2003 Funded so as to build the Real Economy out of Depression into a Sustainable Future. Amended to include a Revenue Neutral Carbon Tax Initial Rate of $200 per tonne of CO2 equivalent, CO2e All revenue returned in UBI format Existing Free Trade Agreements include adjustments for differential CO2e tax rates. (The otherwise odious Free Trade Agreements do get this right) Move to Regenerative, Sustainable, and Organic Agriculture - away from BigAg with its toxic pesticides, phosphate mining, and GMOs Strong EPA regulations for waste / water. Pump-Up the Working Economy Jobs – Minimum Wage – Union Rights – Social Security $18/hr. minimum wage. Do It Now! (3 month Price Re-set for Labor Fraction of Cost) Fight for 15 started in 2012. That's $18 now. For All workers Peg Min wage to labor productivity index Automation increases productivity. Wages must reflect this. The American worker is your Customer Wage Re-set: Opens all union contracts for re-negotiation M4A means health insurance price inflation, benefit contraction is gone. Contract labor rates defined as multiples of the Min wage to track automatic Min wage increases Counter state “Right to Work” laws by negotiated Federal funding of union dues Expand social security benefits to reflect Wage Re-set. Funding: Remove social security contribution cap. Treat capital gains as ordinary taxable income. Paid Vacation – 2 weeks Min. Paid family and sick leave – 12 weeks Min. The Paper Economy Restore Glass-Stegall Regulation of Banks / Wall Street. Too big to fail equal too big to exist Impose Transaction Tax on Stock Trades to Reduce 'House' Take Impose Wealth Tax Reverse Tax Cuts USPS Introduce Postal Banking Repeal 75 year pension funding requirement Recognize cost actors in uniform price mail delivery across America Build out high-speed internet across America with USPS uniform pricing. Remove the menace to society that Trump appointed to destroy the USPS FURTHER ELECTION REFORM Open Primaries with Ranked Choice Voting. Require voting machines have open source software. Universal and permanent Vote By Mail option Automatic/Mandatory Voter Registration at Age 18 Precedent: Mandatory Selective Service Registration (for males) JUDICIAL REFORM De-militarize police force. Professional salaries and training (e.g. 3 years) for police officers End for-profit prison system. Victimless crime equal civil infraction. End capital punishment. End cash bail system. Convert prison system from punishment to rehabilitation. End war on drugs – drug use is a mental health issue. Legalize marijuana for recreational use, clear convictions, Abolish “Stand your Ground” laws. Federal investigation/prosecution of injuries/death by Law Enforcement Officers The Senate Confirmation Process under Sen. McConnell makes a mockery of judicial impartiality or even competence. The only present legal recourse is judicial, and Senatorial, Impeachment. It is not rational to allow respect for the Judicial Branch to cloak the destruction of Constitutional checks and balances. EDUCATION REFORM Federal per student funding for Pre-K to 12 no Disadvantaged School Districts. Dramatically reduce regressive property taxes Tuition free public universities and trade schools. GI Benefits used for living expenses Professional salaries for all teachers. No public funding of for-profit schools. Cancel student debt. Restructure student loans to 1960's format. National Security: Update Threat Assessment Climate Chaos produces ever more National Security breaches This is the natural role of the National Guard Abolish FEMA - Its contracting latitude fosters Disaster Capitalism Novel Viruses Coronavirus is the greatest National Security Breach in our History Restore pandemic response team. Contain the threat offshore. Secure Supply Chains, Logistics, and National Means of Production. Ban military contractors in war zones. A first step in Ending Endless Wars Apply savings to salaries of enlistees – our soldiers are professionals End international sanctions that punish populations. The International Monetary Fund and World Bank are American controlled vehicles of unconventional warfare. For example: Ukraine default on loans invoked 'modern agricultural techniques' clauses giving American GMO seeds and toxic pesticide companies forced entry into what had been a sustainable organic food powerhouse. Re-define 'loans' to nation states as zero-interest co-investment contracts Veterans Fully fund VA – There are presently 49,000 unfunded staff positions End veteran homelessness. Preserve the VA as a separate full service medical facility dedicated to care of our veterans Make less veterans: End wars of choice, Wars for Oil SOCIAL JUSTICE LGBTQ rights. Religious freedom – ALL religions. Respect separation of church and state. Minority housing and business grants. Path to citizenship DACA / DREAMers / TPS protections. Abolish DHS and its ICE and CBP units. These are products of the extremely problematic 2003 AUMF – the repeal of which is long overdue Abolish immigrant detention for misdemeanor border crossing Ankle tagging is cost effective. And (relatively) humane. Codify Women’s Reproductive Rights Center foreign policy on human rights. Gun control: background checks + train, test, license, insure.	”
—Tom Wells' campaign website (2024)

2022

Tom Wells completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Wells' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I came of age in the 60's, the son of a conscientious surgeon. He served in Army Medical Corp before returning to the States To be Chief of Surgery at a VA Hospital. 10 years patching up soldiers crippled defeating European Fascism and Japan.

He set up private practice in a mid-Georgia mill town in '56 - right at the intersection of Civil Rights, Abortion Rights, and Medicare for All. Poor girls had botched abortions, he treated them at home. Sick people couldn't pay $3 for an office visit, the bill was filed. MLK spoke, we listened. He died at age 50.

And I took a different route. I finished a Ph.D. in theoretical physics at the University of Maryland. I had a family, 4 marvelous children - 10 grandchildren now, and a good career in microwave engineering.

But from 1980 I was aware that my children's - Our Children's - horizons were shrinking. I watched in despair as inequity and injustice flourished, as corruption became the norm - and the inevitability of Climate Collapse became ever more clear. But what could I do?

In 2015 Bernie showed me. I've been doing it ever since.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• This election pits democracy vs. Fascism. The bloody J6 coup festered 17 months before the democratic House began public hearings and is yet un punished. The Supreme is shredding the Constitution. Losing House or Senate threatens the end of meaningful elections.
• The people are woke to this peril. I've had thousands of local conversations in the last year; people understand in their gut that fascism respects no rights
• We are at a point of all or nothing. The government that hears the voices of children yet unborn - and invests in a WWII scope Fossil-Free Green New Deal - will address immediately Social, Racial, Economic, Educational, and Criminal Justice.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Reform of the Supreme Court is critical. They have this year shown arrogant disregard for Justice, for speech and privacy rights, even for life on Earth in arguing that the EPA has not the authority to regulate the deadly profits of those poisoning us. In these, and precedents legalizing corporate bribery, they have brought us fact-to-face with corporate Fascism - the merger of State and corporate power. Expanding the Court may slow the process, but firing the fascists is necessary to reverse the process. How? Art3 Sect1: "Judges, both of the supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold their Offices during good Behaviour". It required only 51 Senators to get the job. 51 can fire them. They work for us. We demand judges that know: People are people, corporations are not. In politics money is not speech, it is bribery. That love is love, and not for others to judge.

The Congress elected under such precedents will represent the people - and our children. A fossil-free Green New Deal, that works at scale, then is possible. A WWII level of investment; trillions of dollars per year invested in making and installing solar, wind, batteries; will bring the working class boom as followed WWII on a healthier planet.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

My father, Ghandi, Mandela, Lula, MLK

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

Kennedy's Assassination. I was 12.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

At 16 I was lifeguarding at a pool. I lifeguarded and taught swimming lessons for 3 summers.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

That depends. Too often resumes are judged just by positions held. The only valid criteria is things accomplished. Arguably, in any rational system, these criteria would be correlated. But the grotesque level of corruption in American politics guarantees that the worst miscreants can advance most rapidly.

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

Restoring the Constitutional democracy that the Amended Constitution promises. Only then can we address the Climate Crisis at an effective scale. Should we not manage these things, 30 years from now we will know that other successes mattered little.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

My hope is that people will learn from present experience that politics controls the future your children will inhabit and that they will use their vote to remove those who ought to be removed. The introduction of big clean public funding would make this a realistic possibility.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Policymaking is necessary. And in a democracy it will always be accompanied by discourse and compromise. And discussion between intelligent well-informed representatives of the people yields compromises that are necessary and desirable. That is not the result in our present Congress.

The level of corruption, corporate money, in present American politics is unmatched in the world. When when donor-owned members negotiate, compromise comes to mean buying off corporate lobbyists with public money. Giving Billions of our tax dollars to corporations who trickle down millions to their Congressmembers. That is not compromise. That is racketeering.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign website

Wells' campaign website stated the following:

“	Statement of Principles The treatment of Socio-Economic Issues that follows is guided by the general principles of 'Fair Market Capitalism' as defined below. The term “Free Market Capitalism” has ceased to have meaning when stretched to fit the unparalleled American corporate welfare state. Principles of Fair Market Capitalism A Fair Market exists only if there is competition. o Profits in Capitalism are earned by competition and risk o Markets that evolve to monopolies must socialized Fair Market decisions require good market information. o Product Market: GMO content, Country of Origin. . . o Labor Market: Free access to and exchange of salary/benefit info. The producer is responsible up-front for damages intrinsic to their production. o Social cost taxes on pollution, e.g. Health consequences o Risk: Undiscovered harms, e.g. Asbestosis, Climate Crisis To promote the general welfare the government must enforce these principles. For-Profit Healthcare is an example of a Market Fail. America is the only developed country with a For-Profit Healthcare system – and that only since the 1973 HMO Act. In Issues of Justice the following Principles suggest themselves. That no organization have the right nor the moral dilemma of self-examination and MLK's dictum that Justice Delayed Is Justice Denied. In issues of Social interaction one looks to the Golden Rule. Job 1: Stopping the Pandemic It early August 2020. The United States is the epicenter of the global pandemic. And Florida is the epicenter of the pandemic in the U.S. The March shutdown order brought a large portion of the real economy to a halt, precipitating a stock market, paper economy crash. Other OECD countries sustained the workers and contained the virus. 'Our' government pumped 4 to 5 Trillion dollars into the stock market and neglected to undertake tracking and containment. If an effective vaccine is not produced and widely employed, the outlook for Jan 20 when a new president if inaugurated, is dismal. Only then can things that ought to have been done in early February be done. 1) Declare a national emergency and invoke the National Defense Procurement Act(?) for PPE, Virus testing, medical equipment production, and other Relevant equipments. 2) Explicitly permit extraction of individualized tracking data from cell phone positioning data limiting use thereof solely to public health purposes in identifying contacts with Covid-19 positives for the duration of the uncontained pandemic. 3) Create HIPA exclusions for Covid-19 to allow personal identification of Covid-19 carriers. 4) Pass M4A. A STRATEGY FOR CHANGE We are rushing headlong into the abyss of Global Climate Collapse. The donor-owned Congress, by denial of science, has allowed this problem to fester. And Congress is where we must resolve the problem. This requires that Congress be re-connected to the people – Now! There is no grace period. No 'next' cycle. That requires a political strategy. The majority of Members of the Congress seated in 2021 will be corporate funded. But they will know that supporting the corporate agenda is no longer sustainable. Enough progressives will have won to make that clear. They will know that the real economy, the wage earners and small businesses - their neighbors' businesses and the former employees thereof, have hit rock bottom. We offer them a path to redemption, and re-election, in 2 Acts. Act 1 : MEDICARE FOR ALL (M4A) Tremendous savings. o Overall costs are reduced by $1 Trillion per year o A half million medical bankruptcies are reduced to 0 o 48,000 annual deaths by lack of access are reduced to 0 o These are the costs of Corporate Welfare Far better health outcomes. o Birth to Death Healthcare. No exclusions for Pre-Existing Conditions. o Covers Vision, Hearing, Dental, Mental Health, Prescription Drugs. o No Insurance premiums, deductibles, or co-pays. o Social Cost Taxes on Tobacco – Reduce Use, Save Lives o You need medical care? All your doctors are in-plan. Implement in 1 year o Because Health Justice Delayed is Justice Denied o Detailed economic analyses has been published Displaced Workers: Code Matchers o There are 3 million medical code matchers at insurance companies and medical facilities, mean salary $30,000/year, ergo $90 Billion. They will be paid full salary for 3 years re-training, e.g. in tuition free public universities/trade schools ACT 2: Straight Arrow Public Funding of Elections Every voter gets a $200 voucher account. To be donated only to candidates bound to take nothing else o in their campaign, in their time in office. o These Straight Arrow Candidates will be so designated on the ballot There will still be corporate funded candidates. o $120 Million of Voter Vouchers are in play in every Congressional District o Connecticut has for 20 years elected solid majorities in their state legislature with far more modest public funding Why Public Funding? o It can be done Now. (Amending the Constitution takes longer.) o This legislation complies with Supreme Court decisions on Public Funding o Because it is Healthcare for Democracy. These Acts are best done quickly, early in the term of the new Congress. Two years out the full benefits of M4A will be evident throughout the population. Your healthy voters will heartily donate their Voter Vouchers to re-elect you. Following Nina Turner's Dictum “Soft on the People, Hard on the Issues.” We will Redeem our colleagues. These 2 Acts Change the System, They constitute a – soft revolution -- Those things that could not be done, can now be done. Climate Justice: The Green New Deal Comprehensive Multi-Faceted Plan as proposed by Sen. Sanders o End fracking on Day 1 by withdrawing exceptions to Clean Air and Water Act negotiated by V.P. Cheney in 2003 Funded so as to build the Real Economy out of Depression into a Sustainable Future. Amended to include a Revenue Neutral Carbon Tax o Initial Rate of $200 per tonne of CO2 equivalent, CO2e o All revenue returned in UBI format o Existing Free Trade Agreements include adjustments for differential CO2e tax rates. (The otherwise odious Free Trade Agreements do get this right) Move to Regenerative, Sustainable, and Organic Agriculture - away from BigAg with its toxic pesticides, phosphate mining, and GMOs Strong EPA regulations for waste / water. Environmental Leadership Climate Collapse & The GND The 2018 UN Climate Report has proven wildly optimistic. The degree of Arctic permafrost melt that was predicted in 2090 was observed in 2019. And it is newly estimated that 700 GigaTons of methane is trapped beneath the melting permafrost at the bottom, 100 foot depth, of the Arctic Ocean. The release of that much methane, by itself, would raise world temperatures in excess of 7 degrees C in a few years. That is off the charts in terms of food uncertainty and mass extinctions. What must be done, which cannot be done while Trump is President, is the effective elimination of the fossil fuel industry. This begins with passing public funding of elections to reconnect the Congress to the people. Elimination of the Fossil Fuel sector cannot be achieved by negotiation with the Fossil Fuel Sector. It must be imposed by free Members in Congress representing us and our children. We will pass the comprehensive Green New Deal developed by Bernie's team. It develops renewable energy and revolutionizes our food and farming system. It is a Marshall Plan level of effort – required around the world. This must be complemented by a revenue neutral GreenHouse Gas (GHG) tax at an initial rate of $200 per ton of CO2e produced. The CO2equivalent of a GHG species is its heat trapping potential expressed as a multiple of that of CO2. It is important that this calculation be taken at the source. For example in fracking of 'clean burning natural gas' the co-generated methane dominates the CO2e budget. This tax applies market forces to speed the reduction in fossil fuel use. It is a revenue neutral tax in that all revenues are returned in UBI format, which to say an equal share to all people living in America. The Wall Street Journal of 17 January 2019 argues the economics more fully [1] At mid June: We are wrestling with a Global Pandemic and the associated economic meltdown. The pandemic teaches us that we can dramatically curtail fossil use; that the reduction in pollutants is immediately observable; and that we can put out 4 Trillion dollars (4T$) in zero interest loans on short notice. At the same time massive glorious Black Lives Matter protests sweep the nation, indeed the world, revealing the depths of Racial, Economic, and Judicial injustices. Through all this we must find a path to Climate Justice. Florida Environmental Issues I have taken an avid interest in politics since Reagan brought Austerity home and in the environment since the Ozone Hole was observed and Gore began Congressional hearings on the Climate Crisis. This was a private (family and friends) obsession with delight in the resolution of Ozone Depletion – and despair at the corporate dissimulation that provided Climate Denial talking points for the donorowned members of Congress. I did not go public till 2015 – when Bernie opened the door to broader discussion. The environmental issues in CD3 and Florida that I have most loudly addressed include Phosphate mines (protests and testimony to Bradford, Union, & Alachua County Commissioners, Lobby Days in Tally), protests of south Florida devastation by 'Big Sugar', protests of fracking, Sabal Trail pipeline, Weyhauser land use proposals, and the Toll Roads for no one. Pump-Up the Working Economy Jobs – Minimum Wage – Union Rights – Social Security $18/hr. minimum wage. Do It Now! (3 month Price Re-set for Labor Fraction of Cost) o Fight for 15 started in 2012. That's $18 now. o For All workers Peg Min wage to labor productivity index o Automation increases productivity. Wages must reflect this. o The American worker is your Customer Wage Re-set: Opens all union contracts for re-negotiation o M4A means health insurance price inflation, benefit contraction is gone. o Contract labor rates defined as multiples of the Min wage to track automatic Min wage increases o Counter state “Right to Work” laws by negotiated Federal funding of union dues Expand social security benefits to reflect Wage Re-set. o Funding: Remove social security contribution cap. o Treat capital gains as ordinary taxable income. Paid Vacation – 2 weeks Min. Paid family and sick leave – 12 weeks Min. The Paper Economy Restore Glass-Stegall Regulation of Banks / Wall Street. o Too big to fail = too big to exist Impose Transaction Tax on Stock Trades to Reduce 'House' Take Impose Wealth Tax Reverse Tax Cuts USPS o Introduce Postal Banking o Repeal 75 year pension funding requirement o Recognize cost actors in uniform price mail delivery across America o Build out high-speed internet across America with USPS uniform pricing. o Remove the menace to society that Trump appointed to destroy the USPS FURTHER ELECTION REFORM Open Primaries with Ranked Choice Voting. Require voting machines have open source software. Universal and permanent Vote By Mail option Automatic/Mandatory Voter Registration at Age 18 o Precedent: Mandatory Selective Service Registration (for males) JUDICIAL REFORM De-militarize police force. Professional salaries and training (e.g. 3 years) for police officers End for-profit prison system. Victimless crime = civil infraction. End capital punishment. End cash bail system. Convert prison system from punishment to rehabilitation. End war on drugs – drug use is a mental health issue. Legalize marijuana for recreational use, clear convictions, Abolish “Stand your Ground” laws. Federal investigation/prosecution of injuries/death by Law Enforcement Officers The Senate Confirmation Process under Sen. McConnell makes a mockery of judicial impartiality or even competence. The only present legal recourse is judicial, and Senatorial, Impeachment. It is not rational to allow respect for the Judicial Branch to cloak the destruction of Constitutional checks and balances. EDUCATION REFORM Federal per student funding for Pre-K to 12 o no Disadvantaged School Districts. o Dramatically reduce regressive property taxes Tuition free public universities and trade schools. o GI Benefits used for living expenses Professional salaries for all teachers. No public funding of for-profit schools. Cancel student debt. Restructure student loans to 1960's format. National Security: Update Threat Assessment Climate Chaos produces ever more National Security breaches o This is the natural role of the National Guard o Abolish FEMA - Its contracting latitude fosters Disaster Capitalism Novel Viruses o Coronavirus is the greatest National Security Breach in our History o Restore pandemic response team. Contain the threat offshore. o Secure Supply Chains, Logistics, and National Means of Production. Ban military contractors in war zones. o A first step in Ending Endless Wars o Apply savings to salaries of enlistees – our soldiers are professionals End international sanctions that punish populations. The International Monetary Fund and World Bank are American controlled vehicles of unconventional warfare. o For example: Ukraine default on loans invoked 'modern agricultural techniques' clauses giving American GMO seeds and toxic pesticide companies forced entry into what had been a sustainable organic food powerhouse. o Re-define 'loans' to nation states as zero-interest co-investment contracts Veterans Fully fund VA – There are presently 49,000 unfunded staff positions End veteran homelessness. Preserve the VA as a separate full service medical facility dedicated to care of our veterans Make less veterans: End wars of choice, Wars for Oil SOCIAL JUSTICE LGBTQ rights. Religious freedom – ALL religions. Respect separation of church and state. Minority housing and business grants. Path to citizenship DACA / DREAMers / TPS protections. Abolish DHS and its ICE and CBP units. These are products of the extremely problematic 2003 AUMF – the repeal of which is long overdue Abolish immigrant detention for misdemeanor border crossing o Ankle tagging is cost effective. And (relatively) humane. Codify Women’s Reproductive Rights Center foreign policy on human rights. Gun control: background checks + train, test, license, insure.	”
—Tom Wells' campaign website (2022)

2020

Tom Wells completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Wells' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Since mid-2016 Tom Wells has been devoting the bulk of his time and effort to running for the U.S. House of Representatives in Florida Congressional District 3. This effort includes active face-to-face campaigning; exploring the issues raised in these conversations; and both defining solutions, what needs to be done, and developing political strategies to get it done.

This problem-solving orientation is a natural consequence of his education & work experience. Tom earned his B.S. in physics at the California Institute of Technology, followed by a Ph'D in theoretical physics at the University of Maryland. Tom then worked: a) 15 years at Georgia Tech, predominantly in research to develop the microwave measurement & analysis to support stealth technology for the Department of Defense, b) as lead engineer at a succession of small microwave technology companies, before c) starting his own company in 2005 to develop solutions to a small class of long-standing Air Force requirements.

Tom studied science hoping to do some distributed good while make a living. Finally he realized that in America the interface of science with life - politics - is broken. That the most desperate need now is to fix the system. And that this is not rocket science - he's done rocket science.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Healthcare is a Human Right
• Green New Deal
• Criminal & Judicial Reform

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about policies that will lead to me being able to help to leave a better world and country for people across the United States. I'm passionate about Climate Change, LGBTQ+ Equality, Immigration, Criminal & Judicial Reform, Getting Money out of Politics and other public polcy ideas to further out country.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

There are many. Bernie, MLK Jr, Nelson Mandela, Gandhi. The unifying theme is civil disobedience driving non-violent revolution.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I want to be able to leave this world knowing I helped contribute to make the country better for everyone. I want to be able to help with fixing Climate change, getting money out of politics and making this country finally work for minorities and members of the working class.

What process do you favor for redistricting?

I'm in favor of executing a comprehensive redistricting strategy that shifts the redistricting power, creating fair districts where Democrats can compete.

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

The House & Senate are permitting the deconstruction of the rule of law that is the necessary basis of democracy. They are functioning as did the Roman Senate of the Third Century - loyalty to the Executive appears to be their singular attribute. It is by this that they are driving themselves from office - a process that is daily quickening. I will not be arriving alone in D.C., I know and am working already with a number of colleagues-to-be. We will arrive in D.C. with vote-ready Acts for Single Payer Healthcare and public funding of elections, aka Healthcare for Democracy!

If you are not a current representative, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

I would like to join either Appropriations, Budget, Education and Labor, Energy and Commerce, Natural Resources, and/or Science, Space, and Technology.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

2016

The following issues were listed on Wells' campaign website. For a full list of campaign themes, click here.

Clean Air & Water: Fair Trade would impose tariffs to equilibrate tax applied to non-participating or not adequately monitored CO2 production. Healthcare: We certainly can and should, as a first order of business, allow every american Citizen access to the American healthcare system. Every American should have access to a primary care doctor, routine tests to prevent serious illnesses, and life-lengthening curative measures when illnesses occur. Raising the Living Wage: I agree that the minimum wage should be increased to $15. I argue that it should in fact be higher. Not just that, but that it should be increased post haste – not over a span of years and should apply to all workers. Straight Arrow Caucus: I am not going to Congress to work with the folk there on TPP, private prisons or fracking. I am going to fight to end all these. And the many other Congressional manifestations of corporate corruption. Together, only together can We the People renew our democracy.

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Tom Wells campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	U.S. House Florida District 3	Lost general	$16,082	$15,789
2022	U.S. House Florida District 3	Lost primary	$28,006	$27,920
2020	U.S. House Florida District 3	Lost primary	$22,331	$21,648
2018	U.S. House Florida District 3	Lost primary	$24,078	N/A**
Grand total			$90,497	$65,357
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

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Footnotes

[show]

Florida's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Ashley Moody (R)

Rick Scott (R)

Representatives

District 1

Jimmy Patronis (R)

District 2

Neal Dunn (R)

District 3

Kat Cammack (R)

District 4

Aaron Bean (R)

District 5

John Rutherford (R)

District 6

Randy Fine (R)

District 7

Cory Mills (R)

District 8

Mike Haridopolos (R)

District 9

Darren Soto (D)

District 10

Maxwell Frost (D)

District 11

Daniel Webster (R)

District 12

Gus Bilirakis (R)

District 13

Anna Luna (R)

District 14

Kathy Castor (D)

District 15

Laurel Lee (R)

District 16

Vern Buchanan (R)

District 17

Greg Steube (R)

District 18

Scott Franklin (R)

District 19

Byron Donalds (R)

District 20

Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D)

District 21

Brian Mast (R)

District 22

Lois Frankel (D)

District 23

Jared Moskowitz (D)

District 24

Frederica Wilson (D)

District 25

Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D)

District 26

Mario Diaz-Balart (R)

District 27

Maria Elvira Salazar (R)

District 28

Carlos Gimenez (R)

Republican Party (22)

Democratic Party (8)