Thomas Hansen (Iowa)

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Thomas Hansen

Republican Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

June 2, 2020

Personal

Birthplace

Lindenhurst, N.Y.

Religion

Christian

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Personal Facebook

Thomas Hansen (Republican Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Iowa's 1st Congressional District. He lost in the Republican primary on June 2, 2020.

Hansen completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Hansen grew up in Lindenhurst, New York. His professional experience includes working as a refrigeration technician for Hansen Refrigertion and as a rancher at Rock Cedar Ranch.

Organizations

As of his 2020 campaign, Hansen was affiliated with the following organizations:

• Winneshiek County Republican Party, Chairman
• Republican Party of Iowa/Co-Chair 1DEC and State Platform Committee
• Winneshiek County Cattlemen's Association, Board member

Elections

2020

See also: Iowa's 1st Congressional District election, 2020

Iowa's 1st Congressional District election, 2020 (June 2 Republican primary)

Iowa's 1st Congressional District election, 2020 (June 2 Democratic primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House Iowa District 1

Ashley Hinson defeated incumbent Abby Finkenauer in the general election for U.S. House Iowa District 1 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Ashley Hinson (R)	51.2	212,088
		Abby Finkenauer (D)	48.6	201,347
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	434

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 413,869
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Iowa District 1

Incumbent Abby Finkenauer advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Iowa District 1 on June 2, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Abby Finkenauer	99.3	72,474
		Other/Write-in votes	0.7	482

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 72,956
= 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.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Iowa District 1

Ashley Hinson defeated Thomas Hansen in the Republican primary for U.S. House Iowa District 1 on June 2, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Ashley Hinson	77.8	38,552
		Thomas Hansen	21.9	10,845
		Other/Write-in votes	0.3	152

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 49,549
= 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.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Darren White (R)

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Thomas Hansen completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Hansen's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Born in Suffolk County, NY; raised in Las Vegas, NV where I met my wife, Jeanett, the last day she was there, helping the neighbors move back to Decorah. Stayed up all night talking, she left the next day, Monday. Friday, flew back to Iowa and asked her to marry me, 32 years now. One amazing daughter, Addie Rose.

Moved back to Decorah after finishing engineering apprenticeship program, started Hansen Refrigeration (30 years) then started Rock Cedar Ranch Beef (25 years) with Jeanett who has been in the beef business 46 years.

Started Northeast Iowa Tea Party in 2009, took over and revitalized Winneshiek County Republican Party in 2012, elected to the Republican State Platform Committee in 2014 and helped condense the platform making it more concise, then annotated it to insure its use as a checklist to encourage the Iowa Legislature to pay attention to it and do what we the people think is important. Also elected to Platform Committee in 2016 and 2018 and to Co-Chair of the First District Executive Committee in 2018.

First book, 'Life and times of George Washington' at age 7 and have been studying American history, government and philosophies behind the Constitution for 50 years. Two groups now vying for control of America: socialists who believe government is our master and patriots who believe government is our servant. Running for office to stop the former group and to ensure the latter group is successful in maintaining our Liberties and Rights.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• I have actual plans written out on hansenforcongress.com explaining what I want to do and how I want to do them on key issues. No other candidate does.
• My Faith, commitment, business experience and Constitutional studies make me the most qualified person for the job.
• I love to write and on issues, like defending the Second Amendment, have 25+ years of writings to back up my stances.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Health care. We have been without health insurance for 23 years and with the experience gained studying what is broken with the system and in negotiating medical bills, like Jeanett's heart surgery, I have developed a health care plan to solve this problem.

    Illegal immigration. I want the wall built; the end to chain migration and visa lottery; and proper funding and personal to make the system more efficient. I have also developed a "red card" plan to address the issue of current illegal immigrants here in America and a solution to the DACA issue.

    Education. End the cookie cutter "everyone needs to go to college" system and institute programs to identify what areas youth excel and encouraging them through our educational system to follow those passions. "There is nothing that so lifts the human spirit as success through one's own efforts" (my campaign slogan) and this is accomplished through proper education which should not be limited by your zip code. Children in failing schools should have alternatives like charter schools.

    Taxes. Simplify further

    Budget. Nothing less that a freeze; then reduce 1% a year.

    Regulations. Continue to reassess/eliminate burdensome ones.

    Agriculture. Revitalize. Younger farmers back on the land.

    Defend Life. Heartbeat

    Second Amendment. No new regulations. Reciprocity.

    Military. Peace through strength.

Plans and expanded writings for all the above on hansenforcongress.com

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Thomas Jefferson. He had a thirst for knowledge and never stopped educating himself. He was dedicated to making America a great Nation right up until his death and did not care if he sacrificed everything Earthly he had because it was the future that mattered.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Book: Two Treatises on Government by John Locke
Movie: Patton

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Faith, Wisdom, Sense of Justice, Toleration, and Fortitude

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Have started and work at two successful businesses. Understand the impact of tax policies and regulations.

Studied Ameican history, government and Constitutional philosophies for 50+ years. Know not only the words of the Constitution but the reasons they are there. Can defend them.
Was taught to never start a project or criticize someone else's plans without having plans of your own. I have them and you can read them.
Know when and how to negoiate; when to stand my ground; appeasement never works; and always fight from the top of the hill.

Commitment, married 32+ years; fortitude, chased her 1800 miles across the country; Faith, after knowing her for 24 hours; Tolerance, still happily married.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To defend the Constitution, Protect and expand the Rights and Liberties of those they represent, and to accomplish those jobs constitutionally mandated to the government using the least amount of taxpayer dollars possible.

What legacy would you like to leave?

My Daughter living in a more safe and secure world with the Liberty for her and the rest of posterity to live happy and successful lives.

Hansen Health Care Act
Red Card Immigration Reform Act
Income Tax on a Postcard Act

Life Defined at a Heart Beat Act

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

Moon Landing. 20 July 1969. Sitting in front of our black and white TV at 220 47th Street. I was seven years old. Got me started on the road of studying about America and its exceptionalism. Bought my first book, 'The life anb times of George Washington' form the Scholastic Book Club at William Rall School in Lidenhurst, Long Island, New York that Fall.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Wendy's Hamburgers. Summer of Freshman year in High School. Did a little bit of everything and then promoted to "top job", hamburger cook.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Two Treatises on Government by John Locke
Excellent insight on a wide variety of the proper roles of a government that serves the people and explantions why.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Woodrow F. Call

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

It's my day to be brilliant' by Shinedown

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Loss of a child.

Loss of my Father at 52 because of the arrogance of others.

Otherwise stuggles are good. It is how we learn and build character if we look at them the right way, as lessons not punishments.

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

The power of the purse and they need to use it in a more prudent and fiscally responsible way to eliminate waste, confine the government within its Constitutional authority, and eliminate the massive debt incurred from years uncontrolled spending (or at least get the debt down to a manageable size).

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

No. As any business owner knows, our success relies on us being able to convince our customers that we have the right solutions, products or services and we have to provide them at a price the consumer wishes to pay. To do this we have to know how to negotiate and then deliver on what we promise. If we do a bad job at any of this, we do not get paid, we cannot pay our bills, our business fails and our family suffers. Those in government and politics routinely promise us the world on a silver platter and deliver a bag of dog crap. Then they still get paid, they pay their bills, their families do well and all the rest of us are the ones that suffer. What the government needs is more business owners and average Americans that know how America actually works and less politicians who have no clue how the real world outside the Washington beltway operates.

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

To halt the spread of socialist ideology, defend the Constitution and re-educate the citizenry of America on the Ideals and Principles upon which our Nation was founded and made Her exceptional. Limited government, fiscal responsibility, personal responsibility, free market economics, Justice, Liberty and equal opportunity

Eliminate or at least substantially reduce the National Debt.
Maintain a strong military that continues to be more technologically advanced then our enemies so as to maintain our freedom.

To expose those that use emotional arguments to generate fear in order to create division in their attempt to maintain power. Reunite America.

If you are not a current representative, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

I think I have a wide enough variety of plans that I may provide solutions wherever I may be put. Healthcare, tax reform, immigration reform and reinvigorating our farming community are my main areas of concern, so whatever committee my ideas may fall under.

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

Yes.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

I have already signed the pledge to push for a Constitutional Amendment for term limits. My personal preference would be for eight years in the House and 12 in the Senate.

If you are not currently a member of your party’s leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives, would you be interested in joining the leadership? If so, in what role?

My main goal is to become a member of the House Freedom Caucus and help promote it so as to garner enough votes to start influencing House business.

Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

No, I want to be me and set a model others can look up to but I do admire Trey Gowdy for his intelligence, articulate speech and no BS approach.

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?

I have heard many personal stories about disastrous health care situations especially when I relate mine own and am angered at the fact that medical providers took advantage of these people because they did not have the fortitude to stand up to them like I did. It is what really drives me to get this problem taken care of because I do not think it is as complicated at some make it seem. I have plans. The President has already instituted some of them and I want to institute the rest to get this job done.

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.

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Footnotes

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Iowa's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Joni Ernst (R)

Chuck Grassley (R)

Representatives

District 1

Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R)

District 2

Ashley Hinson (R)

District 3

Zach Nunn (R)

District 4

Randy Feenstra (R)

Republican Party (6)