Angel Oakley: 2026 candidate for the 3rd Congressional District

Bio

Office sought: 3rd Congressional District

Party: Republican

City: Wheaton

Age: 50

Previous offices held: Village Trustee and Village Communications Commissioner

Q&A

What is your view on the role of tariffs in the American economy? Do you support the president’s policies on setting tariffs on goods from other countries?

Tariffs are a tool, and whether they are useful depends on what we are trying to accomplish. I support using targeted tariffs to make trade more fair, strengthen American businesses and jobs, protect important industries and supply chains, and reduce our dependence on countries such as China. But that doesn't mean every tariff is automatically good. Tariffs can raise prices, increase costs for businesses, disrupt supply chains, and lead other countries to put tariffs on American goods. Each tariff should have a clear purpose, and the benefits should be worth the costs.

My support for Trump's EO tariffs is therefore nuanced. His stated goal was to use tariffs as leverage to make trade more reciprocal and reduce U.S. dependence on China. The U.S. goods trade deficit with China fell by about 42% from the first half of 2024 to the first half of 2026. But we still have a large overall trade deficit, so there is more work to do. Congress has proposed 4 bills, but none with substantive impact.

For me, America First means using tariffs when they give the U.S. useful leverage or protect important American interests, and reducing or removing them when they no longer serve that purpose.

What should Congress do to protect Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid? Will Congress act in time to prevent significant cuts in Social Security benefits?

The question should be: How do we transition from today’s structure to a sustainable one without breaking commitments already made?

Congress should pursue 5 principles:

1) Protect promises made. Honor benefits for current beneficiaries and those near retirement. 2) Make future benefits sustainable. Gradually adjust benefits, eligibility, financing, & incentives for younger generations. 3) Clarify purposes. Distinguish earned social insurance from means-tested assistance, finance each transparently.

4) Control healthcare costs. Increase competition, price transparency, & consumer choice; expand access to benchmark pricing; reduce administrative complexity, fraud, abuse, & unnecessary care; pursue targeted tort reform & address market consolidation.

5) Reduce healthcare needs. Invest in environmental health, sound science, prevention, nutrition and chronic-disease reduction so Americans stay healthier & spending declines.

Citizen oversight: Create diverse, nonpartisan citizen commissions representing workers, retirees, patients, and providers to vet reforms & develop a comprehensive, long-term transition plan. Congress must act before financial pressures force abrupt changes.

How do you rate the state of health care in America? In particular, what are your views on the Affordable Care Act and the concept of Medicare for All?

Unsatisfactory! We spend more than any other nation per person on Healthcare and have the worst outcomes by many metrics. ACA expansion and Medicare for All correctly identify that coverage gaps are unjust, but coverage alone cannot solve a disease-burden problem.

Deregulation and market-competition correctly identify that competition and transparency reduce costs, but ignore that you cannot effectively compete for care when you are having a heart attack.

The right solution is to fix what is making Americans sick, restructure the market to be competitive and transparent, institute tort reform, and guarantee universal emergency and catastrophic care. This is intellectually honest, fiscally grounded, ethically centered, and practically superior to the prevailing narratives. It’s harder to campaign on, as it requires telling Americans something many don't want to hear: the system will not be sustainable until Americans get healthier, which requires confronting the food industry, the chemical industry, the pharmaceutical industry, and 50 years of subsidized bad nutrition science. This is why MAHA is worth taking seriously, and not as a partisan slogan.

How would you describe the working relationships in the U.S. House today? What can be done to promote more effective government in Congress, and what will you do personally to work toward this goal?

The relationships are broken. Tribalism has replaced statesmanship. Too often, members perform for their base and donors rather than for their constituents, and the public pays the price in dysfunction, distrust, and delayed solutions. I am beholden only to my voters, modeling money out of politics, unlike my opponent.

Effective government requires members who show up to work with everyone. I will join the Bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus and measure my success by the problems solved. Bipartisanship is about how I govern, not about abandoning my principles. I will follow the Constitution and American values, and seek win-win solutions that are financially sound and provide measurable results.

I’ll also introduce the WIEE Act (Well Informed and Educated Electorate Act), creating a federal-state partnership for a digital public square where constituents can access verified information and communicate directly with elected officials and candidates at no campaign cost. I’ve reviewed every bill claiming to get money out of politics, and this is the most substantive.

Do you believe the nation's election system and those of the individual states are secure and fair? If not, what must be done to improve them?

I believe we can do better. Election integrity and ballot access are both essential to the health of our constitutional republic, including fair access for voters and candidates. Security, fairness, transparency, and access should not be partisan issues.

We can rebuild public confidence by working together to modernize voter registration, maintain accurate voter rolls, standardize chain-of-custody and audit practices, strengthen transparency, and close gaps that leave room for error or abuse. Confidence matters alongside security: an accurate result that the public does not trust creates a serious civic problem.

I support modern, verified, portable voter registration; paper records for every ballot; rigorous, transparent post-election audits; accessible polling; and clear verification procedures. Voter ID should be required, while ensuring that identification is accessible and universally available, with no-cost identification available to those who cannot afford it.

I support federal minimum standards that protect both access and integrity while preserving appropriate state authority over election administration.

If elected, what will you do to help make Congress more effective?

I will be a steady voice of reason in what can feel like a sea of chaos. As an innovative problem solver, I’ll listen, seek understanding, and collaborate. I’ll join the Problem Solvers Caucus, a bipartisan group focused on addressing our nation’s most pressing challenges. I’ll support legislation rooted in the Constitution, responsible stewardship, sound evidence, and the general welfare of our Union.

I’ll champion bills like the WIEE Act that get money out of politics and improve civic engagement with the electorate. I’ll initiate economical reforms that leverage technology to produce greater efficiency, transparency, collaboration, and accountability.