Hello,

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My name is Fernando Valdez, Jr., and I would like to run for Congress in Michigan’s 9th District in 2026—not because I seek power, prestige, or a political career, but because I believe our democracy is in real and present danger.

 

Like many of you, I earned my retirement the hard way—through years of work, responsibility, and commitment to this country. I should be enjoying that chapter of my life. Instead, I am speaking to you because I can no longer sit by and watch our constitutional system be dismantled from within. I do not want to run for office. I have to run.

 

Our nation was built on a simple but powerful principle: no one is above the law. That principle is now under direct assault.

 

Recent actions by the United States Supreme Court, particularly its decision to grant the President sweeping immunity from prosecution for criminal acts, have fundamentally altered the balance of power in our republic. That ruling has emboldened authoritarian behavior and undermined the rule of law. A President who believes he is untouchable is not a President bound by the Constitution. That is not democracy. That is danger.

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This erosion of accountability has been enabled by a Congress that has failed to act. Too many members of the legislative branch—including my opponent, Representative Lisa McClain—have ceded their constitutional responsibility to the executive branch. They have chosen party loyalty and political survival over their oath to defend the Constitution. Silence in the face of lawlessness is complicity.

 

We are also witnessing grave abuses of civil liberties. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as it currently operates, has become a militarized agency that too often functions without meaningful oversight or accountability. Americans and non-citizens alike—particularly people of color—have been detained, arrested, and, in documented cases, subjected to violence based on how they look or the language they speak. History teaches us that when government agents are allowed to operate with impunity, democracy itself is at risk.

 

That is why I support abolishing ICE in its current form and replacing it with a lawful, accountable Immigration Enforcement Agency that respects due process, human dignity, and constitutional limits. At the same time, I believe the border should remain closed (with humanitarian exceptions) until Congress fulfills its duty and delivers a comprehensive, bipartisan immigration solution that is humane, lawful, and effective.

 

My platform is grounded in accountability, fairness, and structural reform:

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• I support term limits for all members of Congress, because public service should not become a lifetime entitlement.

• I support term limits for Supreme Court justices, to restore balance and public trust in the judiciary.

• I believe any member of Congress who presides over a government shutdown or fails to pass a budget on time should be barred from running for re-election. Governing is the job—and failure should have consequences.

• Our military must never be used as a political prop or bargaining chip. Those who serve deserve respect, not exploitation.

• I support a national healthcare system that guarantees care for everyone. Access to healthcare should not depend on your income, your employer, or your ZIP code.

• I believe the President must be fully subject to the law, and that presidential pardon powers must be limited to prevent abuse.

• I support codifying the right to abortion into federal law. I support choice, because bodily autonomy is a fundamental liberty.

• And I believe that when voters elect a representative—even in a special election—that individual must be seated immediately. No political body should be able to obstruct the will of the people.

 

Internationally, our standing has been damaged. Longstanding alliances have been weakened. The rule of international law has been disregarded. Authoritarian leaders have been embraced while democratic norms are dismissed. This is not the America we were taught to believe in, and it is not the America we should accept.

 

I am running as an independent because this moment demands independence. The Democratic and Republican parties have both failed, in different ways, to meet this crisis. As an independent, the odds are stacked against me. I must collect twice as many petition signatures just to appear on the ballot. That means I need at least 3,000 signatures as opposed to the 1,500 that the Democrat or Republican candidates are required to submit.  So that also means I need to collect at least 4,500 signatures as a buffer for those signatures that could be deemed invalid. I need volunteers to canvas. I need grassroots donations. I need your help.

 

This campaign is not about me. It is about protecting our democracy, restoring accountability, and standing up for everyday Americans—the people who always seem to pay the price when policy is written to benefit the wealthy and the powerful.

 

If you have voted Democratic before and believe in these values, I ask you to consider me. If you are a Republican who believes in the Constitution and the rule of law, I ask you to consider me. This district is winnable—but only with a candidate who can reach beyond party labels and speak plainly about right and wrong.

 

I am not looking for a political career. I am looking to do my part—alongside you—to stop the erosion of our democracy and to ensure that future generations inherit a nation governed by laws, not by men.

 

No one is above the law. Not a President. Not a justice. Not a member of Congress. Not a weaponized law enforcement agency.

 

If you believe that too, then I ask for your support. If you believe that our voices should not and will not be silenced then reach out to me.  Get involved. Volunteer. Help me get on the ballot. 

 

Thank you.