Charlie Hardy in Past and present Senate candidates from Wyoming
On Health Care:
I am in favor of single-payer health insurance
Q: How would you protect Social Security for today's seniors and strengthen it for future generations?
A: Preventive health care is an essential investment in both our physical and financial health. To better meet these needs I am in favor of single-payer health insurance. I will also do everything in my power to protect Social Security and Medicare.
Source: AARP Voter Guide on 2014 Wyoming Senate race
Aug 31, 2014
On Health Care:
Health care is an inalienable right
Q: How would you put Medicare on stronger financial ground and protect today's seniors and future retirees from rising health costs?A: Hardy said no one should be worried about getting sick
and that health care is an inalienable right. He would like to reform Medicare to include provision of eyeglasses, hearing aids and dentures at little cost to senior citizens.
Source: AARP Voter Guide on 2014 Wyoming Senate race
Aug 31, 2014
On Welfare & Poverty:
Minimum wage increase will help lift people out of poverty
Q: How would you help Americans save so they can secure their future?A: Hardy is a strong proponent of raising the minimum wage. He did not give a specific figure, but he believes raising the minimum wage will help lift people out of poverty.
He is not concerned that raising the minimum wage will cause product prices to increase or jobs to be lost, since no one has ever proven that has happened in the past. If people are making more money, increased product prices will not matter.
Source: AARP Voter Guide on 2014 Wyoming Senate race
Aug 31, 2014
On Education:
Substitute teacher in high schools to maintain youth contact
In my lifelong commitment to learning and helping others, I have studied foreign languages in order to speak what I consider to be the most important language, that of friendship. I am fluent in English and Spanish, and have studied Portuguese, German,
Italian, French, Slovenian, Russian, Latin, and Greek. I have traveled to some 30 countries.
I occasionally substitute as a junior-high and high-school teacher in order to maintain contact with youth.
Source: Democracy For America on 2014 Wyoming Senate race
Aug 19, 2014
On Environment:
Invest in environmentally-responsible infrastructure
Our infrastructure--the roads, bridges, and water systems that connect us--must be improved. We need to invest in public transit, and far more renewable energy. I will work hard to make sure that tax dollars help create a more reliable, efficient, and
environmentally responsible infrastructure and energy supply.These policy priorities reflect progressive values that I have championed for decades as a public speaker, writer, priest and pastor. I have dedicated all my life to speaking out and
standing side by side with people in their struggle for justice. I marched on Solidarity Day in 1968 from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial. I stood by the railroad tracks in Cheyenne, Wyoming, to protest war and spending waste as the
white trains carried nuclear warheads to the West Coast. While serving as a missionary in Venezuela, I lived in a cardboard and tin shack without running water or sewers for eight years in a barrio of Caracas.
Source: Democracy For America on 2014 Wyoming Senate race
Aug 19, 2014
On Technology:
Invest in public transit
Our infrastructure--the roads, bridges, and water systems that connect us--must be improved. We need to invest in public transit, and far more renewable energy. I will work hard to make sure that tax dollars help create a more reliable, efficient,
and environmentally responsible infrastructure and energy supply.These policy priorities reflect progressive values that I have championed for decades as a public speaker, writer, priest and pastor.
Source: Democracy For America on 2014 Wyoming Senate race
Aug 19, 2014
On Drugs:
Legalize marijuana
The Democratic candidates tangled over the oft-maligned filibuster that has continually left Congress in gridlock. Charlie Hardy, a retired priest from Cheyenne, compared Congress to children. "As we look at
Congress, it's a bunch of misbehaving children not giving each other the chance to talk about things," Hardy said. "I don't think people should cut off the right of other people to discuss things in Congress."
Rex Wilde, a former Texan working in the energy industry in Cheyenne, said he would block the filibuster. "Yes, I would," Wilde said. "On the Hill right now, those people have totally lost touch with the working class."
Both candidates agreed that marijuana should be legalized. "I'm for full-blown legalization as soon as possible," Wilde said.
Source: Casper Star-Tribune on 2014 Wyoming Senate race
Aug 14, 2014
On Budget & Economy:
Cut wasteful spending but increase other spending
Charlie Hardy criticized the Senator Enzi's so-called penny plan, which would cut 1% from total federal spending for three years to balance the budget by 2017.On June 30, Enzi's campaign sent a press release calling on Wyomingites to support his penny
plan bill by signing their names on the website PennyPlanSolution.com. Enzi has introduced and supported the penny plan in the past.
Hardy, in a statement Wednesday, said the penny plan represents laziness. Some programs should be cut more than
1%, and others need more funding, he said. "Instead of facing the problem of wasteful spending in some areas, it simply punishes all programs and the people who are touched by those programs," he said. Hardy believes that programs benefiting veterans,
senior citizens and children should receive more attention.
A campaign spokeswoman for Enzi said, "If Congress fails to make those tough decisions, then automatic cuts would be imposed to meet the 1% overall reduction."
Source: Casper Star-Tribune on 2014 Wyoming Senate race
Jul 9, 2014
On Abortion:
Men need to shut up about abortion
Abortion, Hardy said, is a private matter for a woman to decide. He said no one is in favor of abortion, and he feels men need to stop telling
women what to do while taking responsibility for their own actions. "Men need to shut up about it," Hardy said. "That's what I think."
Source: Powell Tribune coverage of 2014 Wyoming Senate race
Mar 18, 2014
On Civil Rights:
Supports same-sex marriage and all sexual identities
Hardy is a populist with left-of-center views of many issues, including the minimum wage--he wants it raised--same-sex marriage, which he supports, with the government licensing couples to form a union and churches dealing with religious issues,
and abortion, which he said is a private matter for a woman to decide.Hardy said he is not convinced that he is out of step with most residents in the state. In fact, he rejects the theory that the Cowboy State is filled with deeply conservative
people devoted to the Republican Party. "Because I don't believe that's where the majority of Wyoming is," he said. "That's what our image is."
Hardy said people of all sexual identities deserve respect. God made people differently,
Hardy said, and to not accept that is an "insult to God." "We're all different people," he said. "I think we need to respect the uniqueness of every person."
Source: Powell Tribune coverage of 2014 Wyoming Senate race
Mar 18, 2014
On Crime:
Reform the injustice of the criminal justice system
He said the American criminal justice system is a mess. The United States has 5 percent of the world's population but 25 percent of the prison population.
That must be reformed. "I didn't realize the injustice of the justice system," he said.
Source: Powell Tribune coverage of 2014 Wyoming Senate race
Mar 18, 2014
On Foreign Policy:
Goal of foreign policy should be to make friends
Hardy said American foreign policy has only resulted in making more enemies than ever before. "That is not foreign policy,"
Hardy said. "We should try to make friends. I don't think we're accomplishing that."
Source: Powell Tribune coverage of 2014 Wyoming Senate race
Mar 18, 2014
On Gun Control:
Don't arm felons nor teachers, but all others ok
The primary issue Hardy said he hears about is gun control. People are constantly asking him if he supports taking away their guns. Hardy shook his head and smiled as he recalled some of the incidents. "Democrats do not want to take guns away from
people," he said. "And there are so many other issues."He said he would prohibit convicted felons from having guns, and does not support arming teachers. That would not make schools safer, Hardy said.
Source: Powell Tribune coverage of 2014 Wyoming Senate race
Mar 18, 2014
On Health Care:
ObamaCare is a step in the right direction
Hardy said he wants to focus this campaign on better-paying jobs for workers, health care and affordable housing, among other topics. Hardy said he supports the Affordable Care Act--ObamaCare--and calls it "a step in the right direction,"
even if it is not perfect. "Health care is a right in my mind," he said.
Source: Powell Tribune coverage of 2014 Wyoming Senate race
Mar 18, 2014
On Homeland Security:
Establish "peace bases" with a smaller military
Hardy favors a smaller military, and said rather than forcing people into unemployment, perhaps they could join the Peace Corps or AmeriCorps and serve others.
Hardy talks about "peace bases" and said he envisions Americans helping others, and not merely appearing in uniforms carrying weapons.
Source: Powell Tribune coverage of 2014 Wyoming Senate race
Mar 18, 2014
On Immigration:
Current deportation policy wastes money & does no real good
Hardy said the immigration policies are both foolish and cruel. He has sat through hearings where Mexican citizens were brought before a judge in groups, quickly sentenced and sent back to their country,
where no jobs or opportunities awaited them. Incarcerating people and then sending them back to Mexico and other nations wastes money and does no real good, Hardy said.
Source: Powell Tribune coverage of 2014 Wyoming Senate race
Mar 18, 2014
On Jobs:
Raise the minimum wage
The minimum wage should be raised both to help people and to boost the economy, Hardy said. Henry Ford realized more than a century ago that if he paid people better he would have happier, more productive workers,
and they would spend money, causing all businesses--including his own--to benefit.
Source: Powell Tribune coverage of 2014 Wyoming Senate race
Mar 18, 2014
On Principles & Values:
Served as priest in South America for 25 years
Charlie Hardy isn't a typical candidate. "I'm a people-ist," he said with a smile. "A people-tician." Hardy chose to live in a cardboard hut and serve the people of South America. Hardy is a former priest, and survived years living in abject poverty
with people who were threatened by a violent, corrupt government. "Our only job was to live among the people," he said.
In 1994, he chose the love of a woman he met while working in Venezuela over his vows. He was a priest for three decades before he
and Susana were married in 1994. The couple divorced after six years, but Hardy remained in South America doing social work, spending a quarter century there in total. He finally returned to his hometown of Cheyenne in 2011 and has set his eyes on
national office.
No, Charlie Hardy is not your normal, run-of-the-mill candidate. And what's more, he thinks he can win by running a low-cost campaign centered on what he believes are the true values of Wyoming residents.
Source: Powell Tribune coverage of 2014 Wyoming Senate race
Mar 18, 2014
On Principles & Values:
Run with Charlie: challenges Enzi to debate & road race
Hardy said in the past, he chatted with prominent politicians. But now, politicians are not as accessible. 'I wasn't able to get an appointment with John Barrasso," he said. "I can't talk to Lummis. I couldn't get 10 minutes of her time.
That's when I said, 'Something has gone wrong in Wyoming.'"He's a daily runner and said he plans to challenge Enzi to both a debate and a road race. Hardy said he feels he can win both, and also believes he can win a Senate race without raising a lot
of money.
"We're not going to raise a couple million dollars," Hardy said. "We don't need a couple million dollars. I'm not worried. I'm not worried. We're going to raise money but that's not our priority."
He said his slogan is "Run with Charlie" and he wants people to join his campaign. They can run alongside him and help send him to Washington, D.C.
Source: Powell Tribune coverage of 2014 Wyoming Senate race
Mar 18, 2014
On Foreign Policy:
Served as Catholic missionary in South America
I was born and raised in Cheyenne, Wyoming, the son of European immigrants. As a citizen of the United States, I feel I have been a very fortunate person--and I've dedicated myself to helping others get the same opportunities.
For nearly 30 years, I served communities throughout Wyoming and in South America as a Catholic priest, missionary, and educator.
During the twenty years I ministered as priest in the Diocese in Cheyenne, I served pastorally in the communities of Cheyenne, Laramie, Rock Springs and Casper. I was also the Superintendent of Catholic Schools in Wyoming and executive director of the
Diocesan Pastoral Council. Then, from 1985 to 1993, I ministered in poverty-stricken areas in South America--living for most of the eight years in a pressed-cardboard-and-tin shack in a barrio on the edge of Caracas, Venezuela.
Source: 2014 Wyoming Senate campaign website, RunWithCharlie2014.com
Feb 18, 2014
On Health Care:
There are sick people unable to get medical attention
Quote of the day from Charlie: "There are sick people in Wyoming who are unable to go and get the medical attention they want.
There are kids who want to continue their education, but they can't. We must run, and we must win because of all of these things."
Source: 2014 Wyoming Senate campaign website, RunWithCharlie2014.com
Feb 18, 2014
On Principles & Values:
Take to DC the Wyoming tradition of cooperation & compassion
I am now seeking your support to be Wyoming's next U.S. Senator. I would like to take back to Washington D.C. the Wyoming tradition of cooperation, respect, and compassion.
I hope to meet you in the coming months as I travel the state, and look forward to hearing your concerns and to sharing my message of bi-partisanship and cooperation.
Source: 2014 Wyoming Senate campaign website, RunWithCharlie2014.com
Feb 18, 2014
On Principles & Values:
Finished 10K road race in 28,580th place
Today, as I run for the U.S. Senate, I also stay fit by running a few miles every day. I recently ran a 10K road race and finished 28,580 out of 47,925 participants.
My health has been good and I have been fortunate to never having to spend a night in a hospital as a patient. I was not even born in a hospital.
Source: 2014 Wyoming Senate campaign website, RunWithCharlie2014.com
Feb 18, 2014
On Jobs:
Raising the minimum wage reduces need for welfare
His motive to run, Hardy said, is the estimated 30,000 children in Wyoming who will not eat three meals today as well as the men and women who will work all week and not make enough money to take care of their families' basic needs.
He called for increases in the minimum wage and job creation. Raising the minimum wage will pump more money into the economy and will reduce people's need to rely on food stamps and welfare, he said.
Hardy said his campaign will be grass-roots, "to go around the state and meet people." Improving the nation's decaying infrastructure will create jobs,
he said. "I have spent my life listening to and being with people to whom the politicians haven't been listening," Hardy said. "I don't plan to stop now."
Source: Billings Gazette on 2014 Wyoming Senate race
Feb 5, 2014
On Families & Children:
Many parents worry about not providing for their children
Hardy spoke to a couple dozen supporters who braved the snow and bitter cold to crowd into his campaign office in downtown Cheyenne. He told them he's running because many parents in Wyoming worry about not having enough money to provide for their
children."There are sick people in Wyoming who are unable to go and get medical attention they want. There are kids who want to continue their education, but they can't. We must run, and we must win because of all of these things," he said.
Source: The Republic (Columbus, Indiana) on 2014 Wyoming Senate race
Feb 4, 2014
On Welfare & Poverty:
30,000 children in Wyoming won't eat three meals today
His motive to run, he said, is the estimated 30,000 children in Wyoming who will not eat three meals today as well as the men and women who will work all week and not make enough money to take care of their families' basic
needs. "I have spent my life listening to and being with people to whom the politicians haven't been listening," Hardy said. "I don't plan to stop now."
He called for increases in the minimum wage and job creation. Raising the minimum wage will pump more money into the economy and will reduce people's need to rely on food stamps and welfare, he said.Improving the nation's decaying infrastructure also
will create jobs, he said. "I have spent my life listening to and being with people to whom the politicians haven't been listening," Hardy said. "I don't plan to stop now."
Source: Star-Tribune on 2014 Wyoming Senate race
Feb 4, 2014
Page last updated: Feb 23, 2019