How Dems Ran 2026

Fred Wellman

MO-02

Attacked tax breaks and handouts for Big Tech and data centers

it's estimated that Meta has been able to avoid $2.1 billion with the bee of taxes on their data centers simply by saying, "Oh, it's an experiment. That's where we need to raise taxes.Interview, St. Louis Public Radio, October 8, 2026

Supported stronger oversight of data-center development

Give data centers strong guardrails and make them pay for their own power.Campaign website, affordability page (undated)
Give data centers strong guardrails and make them pay for their own power. Their business should not make your community’s families foot the bill.Wellman campaign affordability platform, captured September 23, 2026
if a billionaire, a billion billion trillion dollar company wants to come to our communities, steal our resources, right? poison our water, maybe poison the air with their diesel generators, raise the temperature up to five degrees within six miles of data center. I better damn sure know who it is, what the guarantees are, and who they are paying for the electricity they're causing.Town hall, June 9, 2026

Developer responsibility for infrastructure and utility costs

Give data centers strong guardrails and make them pay for their own power.Campaign website, affordability page (undated)
if a billionaire, a billion billion trillion dollar company wants to come to our communities, steal our resources, right? poison our water, maybe poison the air with their diesel generators, raise the temperature up to five degrees within six miles of data center. I better damn sure know who it is, what the guarantees are, and who they are paying for the electricity they're causing.Town hall, June 9, 2026

Enforceable water, energy, and community protections

Give data centers strong guardrails and make them pay for their own power. Their business should not make your community’s families foot the bill.Wellman campaign affordability platform, captured September 23, 2026

Supported reining in or regulating Big Tech and AI companies

AI I think as itself is fine. We just have to have reasonable guard rails and reasonable laws in place.Interview, EladPod, June 9, 2026

Called for big structural changes that expand public coverage or Medicare benefits: Medicare for All, a public option, a Medicare buy-in, lowering the Medicare age such as Medicare at 55, or dental, vision, and/or hearing in Medicare

I support the Leveling the Playing Field approach and immediate reforms that can pass and help people now: restoring ACA subsidies, reversing damaging Medicaid cuts, lowering the Medicare eligibility age, and creating a strong public option.Campaign website, policy page (undated)
People should have some sort of a public option to get health insurance, health care.Video interview, March 5, 2026
Let people buy into Medicare early.Campaign website, healthcare page (undated)
So I really feel strongly Congress needs to step up, do their job as a co-equal branch of government, oversee the executive branch, and implement things like... lowering the tariffs, lowering the age of Medicare so people can buy into Medicare, bringing back the ACA subsidies quickly.Video, October 27, 2026
We have to immediately work on getting health care affordable again, lowering the age for Medicare, including dental vision and mental health dental vision in Medicare, making people's lives better.Video, October 28, 2026

Called to reverse the cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, or ACA coverage

I support the Leveling the Playing Field approach and immediate reforms that can pass and help people now: restoring ACA subsidies, reversing damaging Medicaid cuts, lowering the Medicare eligibility age, and creating a strong public option.Campaign website, policy page (undated)
We should reverse the healthcare cuts in the Big Beautiful Bill, protect Medicare’s power to bring down prescription drug costs, and strengthen Social Security by requiring the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share.Leader Publications candidate questionnaire, October 21, 2026

Called for lowering prescription-drug prices

We should reverse the healthcare cuts in the Big Beautiful Bill, protect Medicare’s power to bring down prescription drug costs, and strengthen Social Security by requiring the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share.Leader Publications candidate questionnaire, October 21, 2026
My first priority is lowering costs for working families: housing, healthcare, prescription drugs, food and childcare. Second, I will confront corruption by banning members of Congress from trading individual stocks, curbing corporate giveaways and making government answer to people instead of wealthy donors.West News Magazine candidate questionnaire, July 22, 2026
Cap insulin at $35 a month for everyone.Campaign website, healthcare page (undated)
We need to finally bring down drug prices by standing up to the big corporations that put profits ahead of patients.Campaign website, policy page (undated)
Let Medicare negotiate more drug prices. Build on a program already lowering prices for seniors.Campaign website, healthcare page (undated)

Prescription-drug price limits

Cap insulin at $35 a month for everyone.Campaign website, healthcare page (undated)

Called for restoring ACA subsidies

I support the Leveling the Playing Field approach and immediate reforms that can pass and help people now: restoring ACA subsidies, reversing damaging Medicaid cuts, lowering the Medicare eligibility age, and creating a strong public option.Campaign website, policy page (undated)
We got to get rid of these tariffs. We got to have Congress take back control of tariffs. We've got to low reinstate the ACA subsidies.Video, October 28, 2026
So I really feel strongly Congress needs to step up, do their job as a co-equal branch of government, oversee the executive branch, and implement things like... lowering the tariffs, lowering the age of Medicare so people can buy into Medicare, bringing back the ACA subsidies quickly.Video, October 27, 2026

Government price negotiation

We should reverse the healthcare cuts in the Big Beautiful Bill, protect Medicare’s power to bring down prescription drug costs, and strengthen Social Security by requiring the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share.Leader Publications candidate questionnaire, October 21, 2026
Let Medicare negotiate more drug prices. Build on a program already lowering prices for seniors.Campaign website, healthcare page (undated)

Creating a public option

I support the Leveling the Playing Field approach and immediate reforms that can pass and help people now: restoring ACA subsidies, reversing damaging Medicaid cuts, lowering the Medicare eligibility age, and creating a strong public option.Campaign website, policy page (undated)
People should have some sort of a public option to get health insurance, health care.Video interview, March 5, 2026

Letting people buy into Medicare

Let people buy into Medicare early.Campaign website, healthcare page (undated)
So I really feel strongly Congress needs to step up, do their job as a co-equal branch of government, oversee the executive branch, and implement things like... lowering the tariffs, lowering the age of Medicare so people can buy into Medicare, bringing back the ACA subsidies quickly.Video, October 27, 2026

Lowering the Medicare age, such as Medicare at 55

I support the Leveling the Playing Field approach and immediate reforms that can pass and help people now: restoring ACA subsidies, reversing damaging Medicaid cuts, lowering the Medicare eligibility age, and creating a strong public option.Campaign website, policy page (undated)
So I really feel strongly Congress needs to step up, do their job as a co-equal branch of government, oversee the executive branch, and implement things like... lowering the tariffs, lowering the age of Medicare so people can buy into Medicare, bringing back the ACA subsidies quickly.Video, October 27, 2026

Adding dental, vision, and/or hearing to Medicare

We have to immediately work on getting health care affordable again, lowering the age for Medicare, including dental vision and mental health dental vision in Medicare, making people's lives better.Video, October 28, 2026

Called for higher taxes on billionaires and the wealthy

We have to make the billionaires pay their share.Town hall, June 9, 2026

Called for corporations to pay more in taxes

it's estimated that Meta has been able to avoid $2.1 billion with the bee of taxes on their data centers simply by saying, "Oh, it's an experiment. That's where we need to raise taxes.Interview, St. Louis Public Radio, October 8, 2026

Called for campaign-finance reform to reduce big money's influence

Third, we have to end Citizens United. There’s no way around it.Democracy News interview, October 28, 2026

Called to overturn Citizens United

Third, we have to end Citizens United. There’s no way around it.Democracy News interview, October 28, 2026

Refused corporate PAC money

No, I'm not taking corporate pack money. That's easy.Live video interview, May 13, 2026
I have no corporate pack donations. I have I have banned I've stopped it. I won't take it from Apac.Video, September 27, 2026

Called for banning stock trading by members of Congress

So, on Day One, I want to pass a true stock trading and asset trading ban for Congress and members of the executive branch. We also have to ban all crypto trading by members of the Congress and the federal government.Democracy News interview, October 28, 2026
Day one, we outlaw all forms of stock trading and asset trading for all members of Congress in every wayNews story, October 27, 2026
on day one, we need to stop these tariffs. On day one, we need to repeal this national emergency on trade. On day one, we need to pass the stock and the crypto and the prediction market acts to stop the idea that they can trade on their insider knowledge.Video, August 19, 2026
We're going to ban stock trading by members of Congress.Video, October 28, 2026
My first priority is lowering costs for working families: housing, healthcare, prescription drugs, food and childcare. Second, I will confront corruption by banning members of Congress from trading individual stocks, curbing corporate giveaways and making government answer to people instead of wealthy donors.West News Magazine candidate questionnaire, July 22, 2026

Supported stronger conflict-of-interest and ethics rules

I think one of my first things as a day one Democrat is outlawing the use of these prediction markets by members of the governmentVideo, October 29, 2026

Called out Trump's corruption, self-dealing, or profiting from office

So, whatever peace deal they're coming up with, I question every single line because there's always an underlying current to everything they suggest that enriches the Trump family and their neighbors.Video, October 8, 2026
Trump’s ability to just take money from a government coffer and use it however he wants, including giving contracts to his kids, sending Kushner around the Middle East to end a war when he’s actually just making investments.News story, October 28, 2026

Called for reversing tariffs that raise household costs

on day one, we need to stop these tariffs. On day one, we need to repeal this national emergency on trade. On day one, we need to pass the stock and the crypto and the prediction market acts to stop the idea that they can trade on their insider knowledge.Video, August 19, 2026
Roll back the tariffs raising your grocery bill. Put tariff power back in Congress, where the Constitution puts it.Campaign website, affordability page (undated)
We got to get rid of these tariffs. We got to have Congress take back control of tariffs. We've got to low reinstate the ACA subsidies.Video, October 28, 2026
So I really feel strongly Congress needs to step up, do their job as a co-equal branch of government, oversee the executive branch, and implement things like... lowering the tariffs, lowering the age of Medicare so people can buy into Medicare, bringing back the ACA subsidies quickly.Video, October 27, 2026

Called for making child care more affordable

My first priority is lowering costs for working families: housing, healthcare, prescription drugs, food and childcare. Second, I will confront corruption by banning members of Congress from trading individual stocks, curbing corporate giveaways and making government answer to people instead of wealthy donors.West News Magazine candidate questionnaire, July 22, 2026

Called for lowering household utility bills

Build the power grid we need to lower costs.Wellman campaign affordability platform, captured September 23, 2026

Blamed high gas and fuel prices on the Iran war, tariffs, or oil companies

Right now we have a war in Iran that's driven up diesel and gas to a ridiculous amount.Interview, The Dave Glover Show, October 27, 2026

Named policies to lower household utility bills: utility-rate rules, bill assistance, or lower-cost energy and grid policies

Build the power grid we need to lower costs.Wellman campaign affordability platform, captured September 23, 2026

Lower-cost energy, grid, or efficiency policies

Build the power grid we need to lower costs.Wellman campaign affordability platform, captured September 23, 2026

Criticized Democratic leaders for failing to stand with working people

Too many D.C. Democrats are out of touch and unwilling to confront the scale of the suffering people are enduring.Campaign press release, November 10, 2025

Supported stronger union organizing and collective-bargaining rights

We must immediately raise the federal minimum wage, protect workers' rights to form and join unions, and ensure equal pay and paid family leave for all employees.Campaign website, policy page (undated)
It is imperative that we strengthen laws to end illegal union-busting, strengthen collective bargaining rights across all sectorsCampaign website, policy page (undated)
Fred will stand with you— for fair wages, safe workplaces, secure pensions, and the right to organize.Post on X, November 2, 2026

Supported raising the minimum wage

We must immediately raise the federal minimum wage, protect workers' rights to form and join unions, and ensure equal pay and paid family leave for all employees.Campaign website, policy page (undated)

Supported expanding paid leave or paid time off

We must immediately raise the federal minimum wage, protect workers' rights to form and join unions, and ensure equal pay and paid family leave for all employees.Campaign website, policy page (undated)
Create paid family and medical leave. Nobody should choose between a paycheck and a newborn or a dying parent.Campaign website, affordability page (undated)

Supported stronger workplace protections

Fred will stand with you— for fair wages, safe workplaces, secure pensions, and the right to organize.Post on X, November 2, 2026

Workplace safety and labor-law enforcement

Fred will stand with you— for fair wages, safe workplaces, secure pensions, and the right to organize.Post on X, November 2, 2026

Called for high earners to contribute more to Social Security

We should reverse the healthcare cuts in the Big Beautiful Bill, protect Medicare’s power to bring down prescription drug costs, and strengthen Social Security by requiring the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share.Leader Publications candidate questionnaire, October 21, 2026
That means protecting Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, raising the minimum wage, and making sure the billionaires pay their share by lifting the Social Security tax cap.Post on X, July 22, 2026

Opposed benefit cuts

I will fight any effort to cut benefits, raise the retirement age or privatize Social Security and Medicare.Leader Publications candidate questionnaire, October 21, 2026

Eliminating the payroll-tax cap

That means protecting Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, raising the minimum wage, and making sure the billionaires pay their share by lifting the Social Security tax cap.Post on X, July 22, 2026

Called for making housing more affordable

Stop Wall Street from outbidding families. End the tax breaks that let investors beat first-time buyers to the closing table.Campaign website, affordability page (undated)
My first priority is lowering costs for working families: housing, healthcare, prescription drugs, food and childcare. Second, I will confront corruption by banning members of Congress from trading individual stocks, curbing corporate giveaways and making government answer to people instead of wealthy donors.West News Magazine candidate questionnaire, July 22, 2026

Called for restricting corporate, private equity, and hedge fund purchases of homes

Stop Wall Street from outbidding families. End the tax breaks that let investors beat first-time buyers to the closing table.Campaign website, affordability page (undated)

Called out Wall Street, big banks, or private equity

When you're making rules that are especially carved out for the rich and for the banks and for the investment firms to get richer, while working Americans have their real wages going down, they have lost faith.Interview, KSDK, October 29, 2026

Supported protecting or expanding abortion access

Fred will always stand up for the freedom to make deeply personal healthcare decisions without politicians interfering. Because whether it's abortion, contraception, or IVF, those decisions belong to you, your family, and your doctor.Wellman campaign Facebook

Supported stronger rights and safeguards in immigration enforcement

In an independent editorial before his congressional campaign announcement, Wellman argued for due process in deportation proceedings. The article is co-bylined with guest Aaron Reichlin-Melnick; this passage is the host's editorial narrative. Due process does include the opportunity to present evidence of innocence or mitigating circumstances perhaps. For example, when ICE says your tattoos are gang symbols but they are actually an Autism Awareness ribbon, you can tell an immigration judge and get your deportation stopped.Independent editorial, April 4, 2025
Discussing ICE agents, Wellman said: And to have masked men unaccountable to law running around our streets is chilling and must be stopped.WCPT 820 Candidate Interview: Fred Wellman, published by September 12, 2026

Stronger enforcement accountability

Discussing ICE agents, Wellman said: And to have masked men unaccountable to law running around our streets is chilling and must be stopped.WCPT 820 Candidate Interview: Fred Wellman, published by September 12, 2026

Supporting a path to citizenship

Discussing immigration, the candidate addressed people who want to come to America legally: we need to fix the system in general so that it allows people who want to come to America and have the opportunity to grow and learn and be part of our wonderful vibrant completely diverse beautiful country come legally and have a pathway to citizenship and have the pathway to safetyEladPod candidate interview

Abolishing or replacing ICE

I think they should be the INS again. I think we should go back to actually processing immigration instead of stopping it.EladPod candidate interview

Supported stronger checks on executive power

Second, a robust investigation and subpoena power of the Congress to investigate this Administrations’ crimes, and that leads where it leads. I’m going to investigate Trump. I’m going to investigate the Trump kids. I’m going to investigate Hegseth. I’m going to investigate everybody.Democracy News interview, October 28, 2026
Well, I'm pretty sure article one talks about tariff authority being congressional. So, we have to take the authority back from there.Video, October 8, 2026
So I really feel strongly Congress needs to step up, do their job as a co-equal branch of government, oversee the executive branch, and implement things like... lowering the tariffs, lowering the age of Medicare so people can buy into Medicare, bringing back the ACA subsidies quickly.Video, October 27, 2026
So we need to investigate all that. Subpoenas, dragging before the House, dragging before committees.Video, March 5, 2026
It’s to provide checks and balances on the Executive Branch. You’re damn right we will investigate crimes and corruptionHuffPost, June 27, 2026
It's not necessarily an end to the war. It's about oversight. And having them come explain what they're doing at this point, no one in this administration explained what the strategy is, what the end goal is, and what defines victory in any way, shape or form.Video, October 29, 2026
Right now we have a war in Iran that's driven up diesel and gas to a ridiculous amount. And Wagner has voted six times, not for or against the war, simply to ignore it. She doesn't even want to participate in overseeing that war. I have a problem with that. We should get control. Congress should do their constitutional duty.Video, October 27, 2026
So I really feel strongly Congress needs to step up, do their job as a co-equal branch of government, oversee the executive branchVideo, October 27, 2026
First thing we've got to do is we got to take a very hard look at the National Emergencies Act right now.Video, February 5, 2026
So we have to advance the Insurrection Act because it's being used to threaten American cities. That has to be changed.Video, May 13, 2026
We should have answers. He should be called before Congress. He is appointed government official.Video, March 5, 2026

Banning partisan gerrymandering

We've been saying for years we want to get rid of gerrymandering. I stand by that. Gerrymandering is outrageous.St. Louis Public Radio candidate interview

Opposed war with Iran or called for ending it

The Iran War has been an unmitigated disaster in every way. Congress must immediately act to end this misbegotten venture, conduct real oversight, and demand answers and accountability for the Trump Administration's failures in executing it.Campaign website, policy page (undated)
the war in Iran must end. It is an illegal war.Live video interview, May 13, 2026
The Iran war will go down in history as the biggest blunder in American military history. And I say that without reservation.Video, August 19, 2026
What this was was a war of choice, and we were not prepared for it.Video, October 8, 2026

Called for conditions on or limits to military aid or arms transfers to Israel

Wellman calls for applying U.S. and international law to aid, including Leahy Law enforcement, while supporting Israeli self-defense. The killing must end, humanitarian aid must reach civilians, and the United States must ensure that our military assistance is used in accordance with American and international law. I support the Stop the Bombs Act, the West Bank Violence Prevention Act, and enforcement of the Leahy Law.Campaign website, policy page, retrieved by August 12, 2026
So what I am seeing from the Netanyahu government is war crimes and that should be punishable in a real way and the and and that is a problem. So if our leverage over them is management of the weapon systems we're giving them and the money we're giving them, we need to use those leverageVideo, May 13, 2026

Supported requiring congressional authorization for military action

Congress must immediately convene and debate a war powers resolution and assert their Constitutional control of our military actions.Campaign press center, statement on the Venezuela strikes, January 3, 2026
Congress must reclaim its constitutional responsibility for decisions of war and peace, because service members and their families should never pay the price for political recklessness.Campaign website, policy page (undated)
War and peace are not throwaway votes. Congress has a constitutional duty to weigh in, and our troops deserve leaders who take that responsibility seriously.Post on X, October 29, 2026
The point though is that Congress has a constitutional duty to declare and manage the wars. So when them saying they're not going to restrict the president, what they're saying is they're surrendering.Video, October 8, 2026
It's about Congress's job as a co-equal branch. They have a duty to authorize military force that we did it for 9/11. We did it for the Iraq War as well. They have not done any of that.Video, October 29, 2026

Called for a specific diplomatic step or civilian protections

Wellman calls for applying U.S. and international law to aid, including Leahy Law enforcement, while supporting Israeli self-defense. The killing must end, humanitarian aid must reach civilians, and the United States must ensure that our military assistance is used in accordance with American and international law. I support the Stop the Bombs Act, the West Bank Violence Prevention Act, and enforcement of the Leahy Law.Campaign website, policy page, retrieved by August 12, 2026

Specified legal, humanitarian, or government conditions on military aid or arms transfers to Israel

Wellman calls for applying U.S. and international law to aid, including Leahy Law enforcement, while supporting Israeli self-defense. The killing must end, humanitarian aid must reach civilians, and the United States must ensure that our military assistance is used in accordance with American and international law. I support the Stop the Bombs Act, the West Bank Violence Prevention Act, and enforcement of the Leahy Law.Campaign website, policy page, retrieved by August 12, 2026