District 2: Tony Vargas
Party:
Age:
Occupation: State senator
Family: Wife, Lauren, civil rights attorney; two kids
Elected offices held: Nebraska Legislature, District 7
Website: vargasfornebraska.com
Education: University of Rochester, B.A.; Pace University, M.S.
Why are you running for office?
I'm running for office to fight for working families in Washington, just like mine. As a former teacher with young kids, I believe that Omaha families need leadership that will put them first, yet for too long, politicians have been more concerned about keeping power rather than doing right for their constituents. In Congress, we must pass a middle class tax cut, lower prescription prices, and restore Roe v. Wade nationwide.
What experiences qualify you for this office?
I'm a father, former teacher, and state senator. I've worked hard to cut taxes, balance budgets, and invest in working families. I've worked across the aisle, building genuine relationships with my colleagues. I want to do the same in Washington.
What is your top priority?
My top priority in Congress would be passing a middle class tax cut and lowering costs for working families. Higher costs and politicians in D.C. have left Nebraskans behind. We need to prioritize investing in working people, not big corporations and billionaires, by passing a middle class tax cut, holding large corporations accountable for price gouging, lowering prescription prices, reducing the cost of housing, and expanding job training opportunities.
What do you see as the top problem facing Nebraskans?
Costs are simply too high. As a former teacher with young kids, I see this in my own family budget every day. We need to pass a middle class tax cut, lower prescription costs, build more housing, and expand job training opportunities so that we can give some relief to people just trying to live their lives.
What role should the federal government play in regulating access to abortion, contraception and fertility treatments?
Government and politicians should not be inserting themselves into women's healthcare decisions. That is between her and her doctor. I would vote to restore Roe v. Wade back into law, and to protect access to birth control and IVF. Don Bacon has co-sponsored a national abortion ban THREE times with no exceptions for rape, incest or the life of the mother — he's working to go even farther than Nebraska's ban. His bill could end IVF nationwide and ban forms of birth control.
How should the federal government handle undocumented immigrants already in this country?
We need leaders who will put partisanship aside to address our immigration crisis. When Congress had the opportunity to pass a bipartisan border security bill, Donald Trump ordered Republicans to kill the bill so he could use the issue to campaign on – and Bacon obeyed. That bill would have invested in more border agents and expedited our backlogged court system. I would have voted for that bill and would support an earned pathway to citizenship for law abiding people in our communities.
