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Jeff Burdick
Jeff Burdick (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent California's 7th Congressional District. He lost in the primary on March 3, 2020.
Burdick completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. Click here to read the survey answers.
Elections
2020
See also: California's 7th Congressional District election, 2020
General election
General election for U.S. House California District 7
Incumbent Ami Bera defeated Buzz Patterson in the general election for U.S. House California District 7 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Ami Bera (D) | 56.6 | 217,416 |
 | Buzz Patterson (R)  | 43.4 | 166,549 | |
| Total votes: 383,965 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for U.S. House California District 7
Incumbent Ami Bera and Buzz Patterson defeated Jeff Burdick, Jon Ivy, and Chris Richardson in the primary for U.S. House California District 7 on March 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Ami Bera (D) | 50.3 | 106,124 |
| ✔ | | Buzz Patterson (R) | 33.6 | 70,803 |
 | Jeff Burdick (D) | 7.2 | 15,114 | |
 | Jon Ivy (R) | 6.6 | 14,017 | |
 | Chris Richardson (G) | 2.3 | 4,837 | |
| Total votes: 210,895 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Campaign themes
2019
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Jeff Burdick completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Burdick's responses.
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
Universal Health Care Election Reform Constitutional Amendment Fight Climate change
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
I am a passionate good government Democrat who believes only a Constitutional Amendment to reform our elections will break the gridlock in Washington. This includes reversing Citizens United, ending gerrymandering and reforming our corrupt campaign finance system. It won't be easy to pass the 28th Amendment, but it's our only chance to restore our founding principles of a truly representative democracy.
Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?
I lionize Abraham Lincoln's pragmatic idealism in fighting every way he could to get the 13th Amendment passed out of Congress for ratification by the states. That fight and the fight to establish Martin Luther King's birthday are the models I look to in my effort to reform our elections through a 28th amendment.
Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?
Steven Spielberg's movie "Lincoln" crystalizes hard one must fight to move the nation forward through a hard-fought Constitutional amendment fight.
What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?
A sense of public service, integrity, tenacity, collaboration.
What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?
I have a very clear understanding of my agenda, especially the fight to reform our democracy through a 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. I understand how difficult it will, but also how essential it is to the survival of our democracy. I will be unstoppable in that effort.
What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?
Progress the mission of America to achieve a more perfect union. Represent the core values of one's district. Work hard and creatively to advance one's legislative goals.
What legacy would you like to leave?
Passing a 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and seeing it get ratified by the states.
What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?
The Carter-Ford presidential race. I was 6.
What was your very first job? How long did you have it?
Throughout eighth grade, I was an after-school prep boy at a hot dog stand. I would clean the back kitchen, prepare skewers of sausage for later grilling, and fill back-up bins of toppings and condiment bottles.
What happened on your most awkward date?
At dinner, a blind date once dug out a shard of shellfish from between her teeth, examined it on her index finger, and then flicked it over her shoulder back toward another table.
What is your favorite holiday? Why?
Thanksgiving. Four-day weekend with friends and family.
What is your favorite book? Why?
Catcher in the Rye. It gave me my first sense of confidence to march to my own drummer.
If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?
I loved the principled obduracy of Howard Roark in The Fountainhead. Plus I love touring great architecture.
What is your favorite thing in your home or apartment? Why?
My wife and six-year-old adopted son. It's a home filled with love.
What was the last song that got stuck in your head?
"Helpless" from the cast recording of Hamilton.
What is something that has been a struggle in your life?
A family member had a long-hidden addiction that proved challenging for the family to come together on and address. It left lasting scars that aren't fully healed.
What process do you favor for redistricting?
I favor a Constitutional Amendment to resolve this once and forever. As part of my proposed Election Reform Constitutional Amendment, I propose banning gerrymandering by requiring Congressional districts to resemble, as much as possible, a simple rectangle and to fairly represent the local political and ethnic diversity. District boundaries should be straight and feature no more than 10 corners (to allow for adjustments to balance populations between districts). A curved boundary or other exceptions will only be allowed if formed by a coastline, river, lake or a historically established municipal, county or state line.
What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?
It is the people's chamber. U.S. representatives run every two years, which requires them to be even more accountable to and reflective of the values of their constituents.
Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?
Not necessarily. Half of current members of the House of Representatives had no previous elective experience. Some new members will have experience in politics as a staffer and on issues. Others bring specialized knowledge from different parts of American society and the economy. And many experienced incumbents squander their expertise by spending 70 percent or more of their time in an election year fund raising for themselves, their leadership PAC and for the national party.
What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?
A tie: Campaign finance reform, which is the roadblock to so much popularly desired legislative corrections. And passing universal healthcare to establish health care as a human right.
If you are not a current representative, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?
House Judiciary, including its Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. And either Ethics or Foreign Affairs.
Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?
Yes.
What are your thoughts on term limits?
Open to them, but not without campaign finance reform. With finance reform, term limits would put even more power into the hands of the rich donor class as the financial gate keepers for candidates.
Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?
I would pick attributes from several representatives. In terms of contemporaries, Ro Khanna has quickly established a strong, wise and respected voice within both the Progressive and larger Democratic Caucuses. You must respect AOC for her diligent committee work and hitting-the-ground-running on her agenda. Nancy Pelosi's ability to herd a diverse caucus toward specific policy goals (especially the original ACA) is impressive. And last, to reach far back in time, no one can beat former President John Quincy Adams who returned to Congress for 9 terms, serving as the window-rattling conscience of the House.
Both sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?
The economic struggles of one volunteer in a previous campaign always stays with me. An incredibly smart and dedicated volunteer, he was father of a two-income family with two children just trying to do everything right and enjoy their part of the middle-class American Dream. They struggled to buy a starter home in Elk Grove, but once one of them lost their job, it created a calamity for the entire family. Playing by the rules and working hard for your family and for your community should be rewarded and not be such a gamble for so many. It illustrates how inequitable wage growth has been in the country and the real toll it is taking on fine hard-working families.
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.
See also
2020 Elections
External links
Footnotes
