Bryan Maxwell: 2026 candidate for U.S. Senate

Bio

Office sought: U.S. Senate

City: Urbana

Age: 37

Occupation: Project Engineer and Assistant Research Scientist

Previous offices held: None

Q&A

What is your top issue and how do you propose to address it?

My top priority is to stop sending American tax dollars overseas for endless wars and militarism, and reinvest and safe and affordable communities for Americans at home. It involves voting against the National Defense Authorization Act which allocates military spending each year. Whether their politics are left, right, or center, Americans are tired of their federal tax dollars not being spent helping Americans. We need to reduce our military spending by $120 billion and reinvest that money into housing, healthcare, free tuition at community colleges and trade schools, small businesses, food accessibility, and clean energy. I will advocate to stop the use of US sanctions and military intervention which is a major driver of mass migration from the Global South into the US and Europe, creating immigration crises around the world.

Do you support the unilateral foreign policy course President Trump has taken with such actions as the bombing of Iran, assaults on Venezuelan ships and the seizure of the Venezuelan president?

I do not support the unilateral action that Trump has taken against Iran or Venezuela. Congress needs to reclaim its authority over declaring war and make serious revisions to the War Powers Act that gives too much authority to the Executive Branch to engage in international warfare without the input of Congress. Iran and Venezuela are only the most recent examples of egregious violations of international law by the US government. When our country violates international law, it sets a precedent for other countries that governments can violate international law as long as they have the military capacity to do so. Our aggressive military posture around the world is causing other countries to increase their military spending, at a time when we need to be investing in clean energy, jobs, and affordable housing.

The executive branch has expanded its powers in recent years on foreign policy, economic tariffs, executive orders and more. Are you satisfied with the direction these activities are moving? If so, why? If not, what needs to be done differently?

I am not satisfied with the current direction of our federal government that continues to cede authority to the Executive Branch. Under the Constitution it should be up to Congress to levy tariffs and make decision to go to war. We can no longer leave major foreign policy decisions up to a single person. Trump’s erratic tariffs have wrecked international markets for farmers, and now the agricultural industry is facing catastrophic conditions. Trump’s tariffs have majorly setback international markets that took decades to develop. Trump’s $40 billion bail out of Argentina’s economy allowed Argentina’s farmers to undercut American farmers, further setting back the agricultural industry. It’s time that Congress actually took back its power that was assigned.

What should U.S. border policy be? If elected, what would you do to make it happen?

We need to enforce US border policy to make sure that our borders are secure. For immigrants in the country without proper documentation, we need to streamline the process for documentation so individuals can get adequate ID and work permits, so that workers' rights for immigrants are protected. When it comes to social services like healthcare, housing, and food, we need to make sure that Americans are given priority over people arriving in this country without documentation. I believe that ICE as an agency needs to be abolished, and federal immigration law enforcement should only be delegated to working with state and local law enforcement to extradite immigrants who have committed and been convicted of a crime. I do not support the mass detention of immigrant families, which is typically done under inhumane conditions.

What should be the government’s role in assuring health care for Americans? What should be done regarding the ACA to better perform this function?

The Affordable Care Act has failed to deliver affordable healthcare for all Americans. We are the richest country in the world, and yet the only developed country that does not guarantee universal, affordable healthcare to its citizenry. I support Medicare for All which has been shown to reduce overall healthcare spending in the US and reduce out-of-pocket costs for Americans. I support Medicare for All not just because it's better for Americans' health, but because it's better for small businesses and entrepreneurs. Americans are more likely to start small businesses and take risk on new enterprise when they don't have to rely on government or corporate jobs for healthcare. The ACA's health coverage requirement for employers puts small businesses at a disadvantage to corporations.

What is your vision for a solution to conflicts involving Israel and the Palestinians? What should the United States be doing to advance this position?

By almost every objective analysis of the 2024 election, the Biden/Harris administration's unconditional US military support for Israel led to Trump's re-election. Millions of voters who were morally outraged at this most recent chapter in endless overseas war decided to stay home or vote third party. Almost every major international human rights organization has labeled Israel's actions a genocide, and Israel's head of state is charged with war crimes by the ICC. Israel has been credibly accused of human rights violations, and possesses nuclear weapons despite not signing the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Treaty. For both those reasons it in fact ILLEGAL by our own laws to send weapons to Israel. The US needs to uphold international law, grant Palestinians full international rights, and bring both parties to the negotiating table to come up with a solution for a just and lasting peace. I do not believe the Democratic Party will be able to build a durable, winning coalition until it abandons its toxic, unconditional support for Israel, which has become a rogue, pariah state in the eyes of the international community.