Brad Green (Utah)

Brad Green (Libertarian Party) ran in a special election to the U.S. House to represent Utah's 2nd Congressional District. He lost in the special general election on November 21, 2023.

Green completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2023. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Brad Green was born in Moab, Utah. Green graduated from Cedar City High School in 1998. He earned B.A. in information systems from Southern Utah University. Green's career experience includes co-owning a business and working as a network and computer IT professional and a computer programmer.^[1]^[2]

Elections

2023

General election

Special general election for U.S. House Utah District 2

The following candidates ran in the special general election for U.S. House Utah District 2 on November 21, 2023.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Celeste Maloy (R)	56.8	89,866
		Kathleen Riebe (D)	33.5	52,949
		Brad Green (L)	2.9	4,528
		Cassie Easley (Constitution Party)	2.3	3,678
		January Walker (United Utah Party)	1.8	2,856
	Submit photo	Perry Myers (Independent)	1.4	2,276
		Joseph Geddes Buchman (Independent)	0.8	1,281
	Submit photo	Jonathan La Rele Peterson (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	2
		Other/Write-in votes	0.4	688

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 158,124
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

The Democratic primary election was canceled. Kathleen Riebe advanced from the special Democratic primary for U.S. House Utah District 2.

Republican primary election

Special Republican primary for U.S. House Utah District 2

Celeste Maloy defeated Becky Edwards and Bruce Hough in the special Republican primary for U.S. House Utah District 2 on September 5, 2023.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Celeste Maloy	38.8	36,288
	Becky Edwards	32.7	30,560
	Bruce Hough	28.4	26,562

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 93,410
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Remy Kush (R)

Constitution primary election

The Constitution primary election was canceled. Cassie Easley advanced from the special Constitution primary for U.S. House Utah District 2.

Libertarian primary election

The Libertarian primary election was canceled. Brad Green advanced from the special Libertarian primary for U.S. House Utah District 2.

United Utah Party primary election

The United Utah Party primary election was canceled. January Walker advanced from the special United Utah Party primary for U.S. House Utah District 2.

Democratic convention

Special Democratic convention for U.S. House Utah District 2

Kathleen Riebe defeated Guy Warner and Archie Williams III in the special Democratic convention for U.S. House Utah District 2 on June 28, 2023.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kathleen Riebe (D)	85.6	243
	Submit photo	Guy Warner (D)	12.7	36
		Archie Williams III (D)	1.8	5

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 284
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican convention

Special Republican convention for U.S. House Utah District 2

The following candidates ran in the special Republican convention for U.S. House Utah District 2 on June 24, 2023.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Celeste Maloy (R)	52.4	380
		Gregory Hughes (R)	47.6	345
	Submit photo	Jordan Hess (R)	0.0	0
		Becky Edwards (R)	0.0	0
		Scott Reber (R)	0.0	0
		Kathleen Anderson (R)	0.0	0
	Submit photo	Henry Eyring (R)	0.0	0
	Submit photo	R. Quin Denning (R)	0.0	0
		Bruce Hough (R)	0.0	0
	Submit photo	Bill Hoster (R)	0.0	0
		Scott Hatfield (R)	0.0	0

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 725
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Ty Jensen (R)

Constitution convention

Special Constitution convention for U.S. House Utah District 2

Cassie Easley advanced from the special Constitution convention for U.S. House Utah District 2 on July 1, 2023.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Cassie Easley (Constitution Party)	100.0	24

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 24
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Libertarian convention

Special Libertarian convention for U.S. House Utah District 2

Brad Green advanced from the special Libertarian convention for U.S. House Utah District 2 on June 24, 2023.

		Candidate
✔		Brad Green (L)

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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United Utah Party convention

Special United Utah Party convention for U.S. House Utah District 2

January Walker defeated Stoney Fonua in the special United Utah Party convention for U.S. House Utah District 2 on June 27, 2023.

		Candidate
		Stoney Fonua (United Utah Party)
✔		January Walker (United Utah Party)

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Green in this election.

Campaign themes

2023

Ballotpedia survey responses

Brad Green completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2023. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Green'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.

Brad Green is an entrepreneur, familyman, community leader, conservative voice, local activist, famous former missionary, champion meat smoker, and former Republican Party leader (SCC, EC, Audit Committee chairman).

Born and raised in Southern Utah, Brad graduated from Southern Utah University. He worked for the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah, was a co-host on FreeCapitalist Radio. He is now an owner of G.O. Green Enterprises, a company that manages fulfillment warehouses, hardware stores (Southwest Plumbing Supply and Cooling Heating Supply), manufacturing (Adams&Co, Redback Tools, Trone Plumbing, ProStock), and eCommerce websites (PlumbersStock.com, Adams&Co.net, swplumbing.com).

The founder of a citizens group APC in Iron County, Brad has helped liberty-minded candidates in their effort to seek political office, and has led efforts to magnify the voice of the people through local advocacy and referendum processes. At Brad's direction, APC hosted the first post-Covid concert in the nation, in collaboration with Utah Business Revival (Eric Moutsos); the concert was held at Iron Springs Resort, west of Cedar City Utah and Colin Raye was the performer. As school resumed in 2020, Brad organized parents around the state to effectively fight back against mask mandates and new vaccine requirements in both public and private organizations across Utah.

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?

Brad has a reputation from his time in leadership in the Republican party, for fighting against the establishment, and for the grassroots. I want to stand up against elitist rule-making, and give a big voice to the regular citizen who is forced to pay the bill and bear the burden of laws created by so-called representatives.
Born and raised in Rural Utah, having worked here, and now employing hundreds of people here, Brad understands this district better than any candidate in the race. His outside-the-box entrepreneurial attitude is effective at finding new ways to fight important battles and return power to the people
As a result of his time in leadership in the Utah Republican Party, Brad understands how new election laws have been cleverly devised to reduce the influence of the party on the politicians that need it's brand to get elected. This corruption of our election laws serves as a means to make it more difficult for grassroots candidates to win elections and represent the average voter in the state. Instead of reducing the affect of money in state politics, the legislative trend has expanded the benefit that comes from wealth and fame. Brad is running as a Libertarian to showcase how effective those corrupt laws have been at weakening the GOP's nominations.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

My top issue is to end the Federal Income Tax. That includes repealing the 16th Amendment, abolishing the IRS, and making the Federal Government beg the states for funds instead of the other way around. Make states States again is my slogan in this regard. The Federal Government's ability to tax each citizen individually breaks the States' ability to protect their citizens and hold the feds accountable.

I'm a Constitutional Originalist; I believe that the document says what it says, and doesn't say what it doesn't say. Congress is the weakest link in our Federal apparatus, and as a result the brilliant concepts of "separation of powers" and "co-equal branches of government" are no longer to advance or preserve American exceptionalism. Congress needs to reign in the executive agencies they created and create accountable legislation to protect the US people from executive overreach and unaccountable bureaucratic rulemaking. Neither the President, nor his minions have the authority to legislate; Congress must guard that authority jealously to protect the people they represent.

State lands are another area of my policy passion. States in the West have not been dealt with honestly. The Federal Government still claims a large majority of the land in the State. This results in a slower economy, higher prices, less opportunity for the future, and less influence in national and world politics. I want to fight this battle from D.C. to help Utah get its land back.

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

Jesus Christ

Ron Paul
My Dad
Mike Lee
Grover Cleveland
Thomas Jefferson
Connor Boyack
Cicero
Socrates

Ezra Taft Benson

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

Auberon Herbert's Right & Wrong of Compulsion by the State; Frederick Bastiat's The Law; Ezra Taft Benson's Proper Role of Government; Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged; The Book of Ether; John Locke's Second Treatise on Government; W. Cleon Skousen's The 5000 Year Leap;

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

Ability to communicate; honesty; willingness to be accountable; desire for transparency; ability to understand code and statutes; understanding of history; strong personal conviction and principles that they can articulate; and courage to stand alone in defense of principles.

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

Honesty; sincerity; financial understanding; ability to read and write legal code; technological understanding as both an IT professional and software engineer; community leadership; personal networker; good articulation; good communication skills; keen memory; business experience

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

Research and understand each vote; defend the citizen from the burden of governmental overreach; be accountable for each vote; help the process be accountable for the people to see; listen to citizens of the state and respectfully consider their opinions; be a check against the other branches of goverment

What legacy would you like to leave?

I want to show the world that big things are possible, that we can save our nation; I want to show that Libertarians are electable at the national level, and the value of long-term vision and action; I want to eliminate the federal income tax.

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

The Challenger Explosion. I was 5 at the time

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

Warehouse help at Southwest Plumbing Supply. I had this job for 8 years.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Atlas Shrugged. It provides an interesting storyline, while showing the consequences of socialism, government overreach, ignorance, corruption, and graft. It makes a compelling case for rugged individualism and laissez-faire capitalism. I still believe the world can be saved, but many of my friends have fallen into a pit of despair and think that isolationism is the answer to society's woes. I hope their wrong, but the author of the book appears to have come to the same conclusion. I think it stirs up a valuable debate that I hope to have in our society.

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

Scooby Doo

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

Divide by Tiana Green

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

I struggle to see small-mindedness enshrined in legal code. Regularly throughout my life, I've seen roadblocks against innovation enacted by government decree and enforced with government violence or threat thereof. Too many people are made into criminals for trying to innovate or progress and society holding back that progress as a result of fear. I've seen elitist lawmakers use the law to protect their elective office, or monopolize their own profession; I've even been affected by this. I have struggled to breathe belief into people who have given up on society, or even their nation, as a result of the government that sets itself up above it.

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

The US House holds the "power of the purse" in our governmental system. All government systems require money to function, and the House can hold those systems accountable by giving or refusing money. The House represents the people, directly, and is always under immediate scrutiny. Every House member is up for election every two years. This provides incentive to represent well the people in their districts.

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

It can be beneficial, it can also cause bias, prejudice, and influential relationships that may push for corruption in the process. I think experience with the legislative process, ability to understand code, and ability to influence other peers in the legislature are needed, and those qualities can be found among other professions and other associations. For example, my time as a member of the GOP State Central Committee, the Executive Committee, and as Chairman of the Audit Committee have prepared me in legislative process and parliamentary procedure. My efforts to advocate for liberty-minded policy in local governments has helped me learn how to understand legal code and find ways to influence that code and those who maintain it. Those experiences have also gained me influence, and persuasive skill, but I don't have the burden of influential relationships that may corrupt my decisions.

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

Inflation, national debt interest, combined to cause demand for higher taxes, which the economy cannot adequately support with the level of executive regulations in place. We need to get the Federal Government out of the people's way, so they can grow the economy, and so the government spends less. That's the only way to stop this snowball that is poised to ruin us all.

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

yes. It's long enough that we can get work done, but not so long that we aren't influenced daily by the needs of our constituents.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

I think it's important to prevent legislators from being in office more than 12 years. I think citizens should actively be involved in removing candidates when they are no longer providing acceptable representation, or if they've been in office too long. I don't push for term limit regulations, because I fear that would cause a full term of "lame duck" votes, because the candidate is not accountable to the voters at the end of a lame duck term. However, given that the voters haven't been effective at removing bad lifetime politicians, term limits provides a mediocre band-aid.

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

I most respect Ron Paul of Texas. I hope to be a similar type of legislator. Similarly his son, Rand Paul is someone I hope to emulate. Others may be Mike Lee, Ted Cruz, and Marco Rubio. I hope to be unwavering in my effort as Phil Lyman in Utah, and as pure in my relationships with lobbyists as Mike Kennedy of Utah.

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?

Stories from cattle ranchers and the difficulty they have dealing with Federal management of public lands are among the most difficult to hear. The nature of their business is physical and unforgiving, sometimes even dangerous. Bureaucrats requiring endless paperwork and extorting payment for use of land that oftentimes has been in use by these families since before statehood. Similarly I'm angered by stories of families trying to camp, hike, or recreate on public lands, but instead get pushed around by forest service employees, or other federal lands agents. Perhaps the most angry story is a family whose members sat in prison for years while BLM agents lied about events that transpired, and those facts finally came out in court which caused the release of these citizens, and the case to be thrown out.

Resounding not from anger, but more pragmatism, I know of hundreds of stories of small businesses that spend more time dealing with taxes than with customers. Every business person I know has to weigh every decision against how local, state, and federal governments will treat that decision and the risk that it poses to the future success of the company. Income Tax is public enemy #1, but seems to be politicians favorite tool. That dichotomy needs to be solved.

Tell us your favorite joke.

What's the most important part of a joke?the timing!

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Yes compromise is necessary for policymaking. Smart people, and good negotiators are desirable in these offices so that those who elected them are effectively represented and protected from bad compromises. We shouldn't let perfect be the enemy of great, but we should always be pursuing better than we currently have. Reactionism isn't compromise, it's laziness.

The Constitution says that all bills for raising revenue must originate in the House. What role would this power play in your priorities if elected?

I would reign in all federal executive agencies using this power of the purse. Congress needs to do a better job of clarifying expectations of the executive branch, and restrain those agencies from taking that delegated authority any farther.

Congress should be passing a budget every year, but it's been decades since it happened. I will fight to repeal the 16th Amendment, abolish the IRS, and return taxing authority to the States. Then those states will rightly demand a budget, and Congress will have to provide one, before spending can occur.

How should the U.S. House use its investigative powers?

The legislative branch is supposed to be a check against the other two branches of government. I would primarily use the House's investigative powers to investigate claims of abuse from executive and judicial branches. For example, I think several investigations are being demanded by the public, and can restore their trust in their government:

Who was on Epstein's client list, who has access to it, and why isn't it being released? How can investigations be pursued and charges be filed for those clearly complicit in the most horrible pattern of criminal activity in recent history.
The House needs to audit the Federal Reserve, and/or remove special treatment for that organization.
FBI coverup and social media censorship campaign of the Hunter Biden laptop story
Origins, involvement, and funding of "gain of function" research in China, and whether it caused the outbreak of Covid-19
Federal involvement in the events of January 6, 2021. What government employees were present and what role did they play in the events.

Why are January 6th prisoners still not being tried? The house should investigate speedy trial violations.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Utah Libertarian Party

Advocates of a Prosperous Community
Eric Moutsos
Ryan Bundy

Richard Jensen

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.

Campaign website

Green's campaign website stated the following:

“

My Issues

Fight against taxes

The power to tax is the power to destroy. The Federal Income Tax is the most destructive policy. My top priority, if elected, will be to work with others to promote the repeal of the 16th Amendment and abolish the IRS.

On "tax day" in April of 2023, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas demanded the end of IRS 'weaponization' of tax code. And he called to abolish the IRS. In the House of Representatives, I would help Senator Cruz by being willing to sponsor and promote similar legislation in the House.

Before the 16th Amendment, the Federal Government was required to pass a budget; and then bill the several States for their portion of that budget, according to their proportion of population in the country. For example, Utah's 3.3 million resident population is about 1% of the national population; so their proportion of the national budget would be about 1%.

In a system without the 16th amendment, the Federal Government would have to come asking the States for money, and States would have the upper hand. States would have an incentive to make the US Government efficient, frugal and accountable.

Instead of States begging the Feds for money, the Federal Government would be accountable to the States. That's the way this nation was created, and this is one important change that we revert back to its Constitutional origins.

This is my top issue, because it would have the most widespread postitive impact on Utahns, and the rest of the world. Our world's economy is tied to our stock market, and (with apologies to Ronald Reagan for the paraphrase) taxes on income are the epoxy that greases the wheels of progress. We can do better.

Separation of Powers

The most brilliant parts of the Constitution's structure are the "co-equal branches of governemnt", and "separation of powers". Three branches: Executive, Legislative, and Judicial. Elegant and visionary!

The legislative branch (House and Senate) represent the people and are the ONLY branch given authority to make laws. Legislators are tasked with staying in contact with the people and representing the consent they are willing to give to government authority. These representatives are tasked with making laws clear and specific enough that the average citizen can understand and consent or protest.

The executive branch is tasked with executing (carrying out) those laws, and does not have legal authority to make them. The President was not meant to be a king, but a servant and a leader. They were meant to be someone who could motivate and inspire the nation, and those public servants hired to help carry out the duties given by Congress.

Likewise, the judicial branch is not tasked with making laws, but only judging whether or not the laws made by the legislative branch are within the authority granted by the Constitution. Their decisions can provide clarity when the Legislature failed to make laws clear enough, and can block executive overreach that could lead to tyranny.

It is critical to the survival and success of these United States that we demand and enforce these co-equal branches of government to ensure the separation of powers, so as to protect the rights of this people to a free and prosperous society.

State Sovereignty

The 10th Amendment to the Constitution, the last Amendment in the "Bill of Rights", adds important clarity to the "separation of powers". It stipulates that "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

The several States, and the people as individuals are recognised by this "Supreme Law of the Land" as the source of the rights delegated to this Nation, and those powers not delegated are "reserved" for us respectively. Just as Government agents at all levels work diligently to maximize their abilities and reach, how much more should we work diligently to defend our rights and expand our ability to exercise them!

One area where many States can be defending and exercising their rights is with regard to public land. In the West of this country, HUGE areas of land are claimed by the Federal Government. While states East of Colorado have largely had their territory turned over to control of those States, the Western States average 45.9% of their land claimed by the Federal Government. Nearly 2/3 of Utah's land is "owned" by the Federal Government, 35 million acres! No wonder it's so expensive to live here!

Another area I hope both States and Citizens will stand up and defend their rights is gun ownership. Restrictions on gun-ownership, and use, are NOT among the ennumerated powers of the US Constitution. In fact, they're expressly prohibited from restraining us! Protest, dissent, and resistance to this improper use of federal power are important to safeguard all of our rights.^[3]

”

—Brad Green's campaign website (2023)^[4]

External links

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Candidate

U.S. House Utah District 2

Personal

Footnotes

↑ Brad Green for Congress, "Home," accessed August 2, 2023
↑ Brad Green for Congress, "About," accessed August 2, 2023
↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
↑ Brad Green for Congress, “Home,” accessed August 2, 2023

[show]

Utah's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

John Curtis (R)

Mike Lee (R)

Representatives

District 1

Blake Moore (R)

District 2

Celeste Maloy (R)

District 3

Mike Kennedy (R)

District 4

Burgess Owens (R)

Republican Party (6)

[bio-1] Brad Green for Congress, "Home," accessed August 2, 2023

[bio2-2] Brad Green for Congress, "About," accessed August 2, 2023

[quotedisclaimer-3] Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

[4] Brad Green for Congress, “Home,” accessed August 2, 2023

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

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Brad Green (Utah)

Biography

Elections

2023

General election

Special general election for U.S. House Utah District 2

Democratic primary election

Republican primary election

Special Republican primary for U.S. House Utah District 2

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Constitution primary election

Libertarian primary election

United Utah Party primary election

Democratic convention

Special Democratic convention for U.S. House Utah District 2

Republican convention

Special Republican convention for U.S. House Utah District 2

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Constitution convention

Special Constitution convention for U.S. House Utah District 2

Libertarian convention

Special Libertarian convention for U.S. House Utah District 2

United Utah Party convention

Special United Utah Party convention for U.S. House Utah District 2

Endorsements

Campaign themes

2023

Ballotpedia survey responses

Campaign website

See also

External links

Footnotes

Information about voting

2025 Elections

2026 Elections

2024 Election analysis

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Public Policy

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