Land of The Free: American Political Roleplay (OOC VI)

[Gordano and Lysandus]

Congressional Business

House Docket
On the Agenda

• Restoring Integrity to our Judicial Detainment System Act - Representative Emily Davenport (D-CA-34)
• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act - Representative Brett Thomas (D-NC-4)
• Punishing Acts of Domestic Terrorism Act - Senator Richard Slater (R-AR) {PASSED SENATE}
• Safer Buses Act - Representative Mac Faulhaber (D-TN-9)
• Condemnation of Notable Genocides and Atrocities Act - Senator Michelle Brown (R-WY) {PASSED SENATE}
• Combating Online Predators and Scams Act - Senator Francine Sullivan (D-AK) {PASSED SENATE}
• Hong Kong Immigration Act of 2019 - Senator Sean Kelly (D-RI) {PASSED SENATE}
• The Rohingya (Omnibus) Act - Representative Phillip Crawford (D-KY-3), Representative John Atang (D-NY-3) & Representative Caroline Simone (D-NY-12)
• Public Divulgence of Prescription Discounts and Real-Time Recipient Prescription Expense Act - Representative Linda Lazare (D-TX-7)

Off the Agenda

• The Constitutional Access to Necessary Defense Options Reciprocity Act - Representative Diane Paulson (R-ME-2)
• Academic Freedom and Thought Act - Representative John Logan Ruler (R-IA-4)
• Iran Liberation Act of 2019 - Representative Earl Tenson (R-MT-At Large), Representative Matt Walker (R-WA-4), Senator Barry Anderson (R-MO), & Representative Thomas Volker (R-MO-8)
• Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of the United States to Forbid the Desecration of the Flag of the United States of America - Representative Katherine Edwards (R-GA-3)
• Secure American Jobs Through Extending the Credit for Production of Refined Coal Act - Representative Stanton Stonewell (R-PA-9)
• The Savings Act of 2020 - Representative Thomas Volker (R-MO-8)
• National Conscription and Civil Service Act - Representative Tristian Dikes (R-FL-6)
• NO SNIP Act - Representative Mac Faulhaber (D-TN-9)
• The American Farmland Defense Act - Representative Jason Evander (R-SD-At Large)
• Simple Resolution Demanding the designation of Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization - Representative Crawford Clay (R-TX-4)
• Child Tax Credit Expansion Act - Representative Crawford Clay (R-TX-4)
• The End BDS Act - Senator Richard Slater (R-AR) & Representative Chip Renfus (R-MS-4) {PASSED SENATE}
• An Act to Support American Families and Public Health Services Economically - Representative Crawford Clay (R-TX-4)

Senate Docket
On the Agenda

• Heartbeat Protection Act of 2019 - Senator Luke Hawthorne (R-OH)
• The American Israeli Alliance Defense Act - Senator Greg Kost (R-FL)
• Penalty Enhancement Act - Senator Barry Anderson (R-MO)
• Stop Chinese and Russian Imperialism Act - Senator Everitt Colbert (R-UT) [AT DEBATE]
• An Act to Direct the Removal of Seductive Chinese Communist Party Influences Subversively Infiltrating the Educational Systems and Research Institutions of the United States of America - Representative Kevin Villalobos (R-FL-4) {PASSED HOUSE}
• Sullivan-Tenson Space Force Act of 2019 - Senator Francine Sullivan (D-AK)
• Alaska Remote Generator Act of 2019 - Senator Francine Sullivan (D-AK)
• Protecting the Republic from Objectionable Technological Espionage and Communist Tampering Act - Senator Barry Anderson (R-MO)
• Family Farm Defense Act of 2019 - Representative John Logan Ruler (R-IA-4) {PASSED HOUSE}
• An Act to Provide Emergency Tax Relief to Americans - Senator Torrie Volker (R-MO)
• National Collegiate Athletics Reform Act - Senator Everitt Colbert (R-UT)

Off the Agenda

• The Green Corps for America Act - Senator Abigail Winthrop (D-MA)
• Green New Deal Resolution - Senator Abigail Winthrop (D-MA)
• The American Opportunity Act - Senator Ben Little (D-MD)
• Federal Jobs Guarantee Development Act - Senator Abigail Winthrop (D-MA)
• Corporate Freeloader Fee Act - Senator Tim Westra (D-NJ)
• United States National Health Program Act - Senator Abigail Winthrop (D-MA)
• Universal Prekindergarten and Early Childcare Act - Senator Tim Westra (D-NJ)
• Reparations for Historical Injustice Act - Senator Benjamin Little (D-MD)
• Defense of Fetal Life Act - Senator Barry Anderson (R-MO)
• Protecting American Privacy Act - Senators Frank Doyle (D-OR) & Tim Westra (D-NJ)
• A Bill To Establish Election Day as a Federal Holiday - Senator Greg Kost (R-FL) {VETOED}
• Insulating the Data of Everyday Americans Act - Representative Caroline Simone (D-NY-12) {PASSED HOUSE}
• Gun Violence Prevention Act of 2019 - Representative Malcolm Douglas (D-NJ-9) {PASSED HOUSE}
• A joint resolution to direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities against the Islamic Republic of Iran that have not been authorized by Congress - Senator Tim Westra (D-NJ) & Representative John Atang (D-NY-3)
• Yusef Hawkins Act - Representative John Atang (D-NY-3) and Senator Augusta Merriam (R-NH) {PASSED HOUSE}
• Living Wage Act - Senator Levi Murphy (D-MN)
• Protecting Appalachian Communities Act of 2019 - Senator Jillian Dayton (D-VA)
• The Startup Act of 2019 - Senator James Moore (D-MI)
• An Act to Prevent Negative Health Effects of Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining Until the Effects on Appalachian Communities are Studied - Senator Jillian Dayton (D-VA)
• Equal Access to Women's Healthcare Act of 2019 - Senator Jillian Dayton (D-VA)
• Saving America from Electromagnetic Pulses Act - Senator Everitt Colbert (R-UT)
• Automatic Voter Registration Act of 2019 - Representative Kathleen Nez (D-AZ-7) {PASSED HOUSE}
• The Reapportionment Act of 2019 - Representative Kathleen Nez (D-AZ-7) {PASSED HOUSE}
• The Act Prohibit the Usage of the Victim's Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity as Justification for Crime - Representative Julia Piotrowska (D-IL-5) {PASSED HOUSE}
• Healthcare Protection of Public Safety Officers After Retirement - Representative Linda Lazare (D-TX-7) {PASSED HOUSE}
• 1st American Rescue Package - Senator Robert Warrick (R-IN)
• MIRACLE Act - Representative Mac Faulhaber (D-TN-9) {PASSED HOUSE}
• Dramatic Intervention to Relieve the Economy (II) Act - Senator Timothy Westra (D-NJ) and Representative Kathleen Nez (D-AZ-7) {PASSED HOUSE}
• An Act to Increase the Federal Minimum Wage - Senator Buster Bunker (D-CA) & Representative Fiona Lowell (D-WI-3) {PASSED HOUSE}

Pending Confirmations

• [EMPTY]

President's Desk

• [EMPTY]

Enacted Legislation

Signed into law by President Arnold Wolf (R-ME)

• Protecting American Diplomats Act - Senator Frank Doyle (D-OR) {AMENDED}
• Democracy and Openness for Venezuela Act - Representative Caroline Simone (D-NY-12)
• The Camera Grant Act of 2019 - Senator James Moore (D-MI)
• An Act to Provide Service Dogs to Veterans with Mental Illness - Representative John Logan Ruler (R-IA-4) {ENACTED WITHOUT SIGNATURE}

Signed into law by President Richard Tawney (R-TN)

• Relief Act of 2019 - Senator Jillian Dayton (D-VA) and Representative Jason Evander (R-SD-At Large) {AMENDED}
• Murder Sentencing Act - Senator Barry Anderson (R-MO)
• Iran Sanctions Act of 2019 - Representative John Logan Ruler (R-IA-4)
• Democracy in Hong Kong Act of 2019 - Senator Jillian Dayton (D-VA) {AMENDED}
• Raise American Incomes to Survive and Expand Act - Senator Tim Westra (D-NJ)
• American Assistance and Relief Act of 2020 - Various
• Saving America’s Energy Act of 2020 - Senator Rebecca Trelawney (R-IN) {AMENDED}
• No More Silence Act - Represenative Kathleen Nez (D-AZ-7)

Resolutions passed by the House

• A Simple Resolution to Admit and Seat a Delegate from the Cherokee Nation - Representative Kathleen Nez (D-AZ-7) and Representative Jay Joseph Dietrich (R-AK-At Large)
• Resolution of Contempt against Michael Jones, Attorney General of the United States - Representative Ibrahim Simpson (D-CA-37)

Federal Officers Confirmed

Nominated by President Arnold Wolf (R-ME)

• George M. Berentsen (I-IL) as Secretary of Defense

Nominated by President Richard Tawney (R-TN)

• Jay Joseph Dietrich (R-AK) as Vice President of the United States

Current state of play on the congressional dockets.

[Dentali]

Congressman Garfield would like to co-sponsor!

Ok! Great!!!

Senator Gardner would like to co-sponsor

[Louisianan]

Ok! Great!!!

Senator Gardner would like to co-sponsor

Wonderful!

[Concerned American Workers]

I'm also working on a Latina Democrat to balance my roster, but the inspiration for this guy just flowed. It's a longer one, so sorry in advance, but hoping to do some cool things with a libertarian Republican.

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Character Information Sheet

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NS Nation Name: Capile
Character Name: Eric Falconer
Character Gender: Male
Character Age: 59
Character Height: 6'4"
Character Weight: 230 lbs
Character Position/Role/Job:

Junior US Senator for Alaska (2010 – Present)
State Representative for Alaska's 32nd District (2008 – 2010)
Mayor of Cordova, Alaska (2003 – 2008)
Cordova City Councilman (1997 – 2003)
OB-GYN (1994 – 2010)
OB-GYN Resident (1992 – 1994)
Medical Intern (1991 – 1992)
Clinical Clerk (1990 – 1991)
Private Pilot (1986 – 1990)
Quarrier (1984 – 1986)
Enterprise Rent-A-Car Sales Associate (1983 – 1984)
USAF Senior Airman (1981 – 1983)
USAF Airman First Class (1979 – 1981)

Appearance: John Thune
Character State of Origin: Texas
Character State of Residence: Alaska
Character Party Affiliation:

Republican (2007 – Present)
Libertarian (1990 – 2007)
Republican (1979 – 1990)

Main Strengths: Relatively safe seat; economic-focused, laissez-faire platform appeals to moderate, independent, and Libertarian voters; military service shores up veteran vote; decently attractive; reputation for defending the 2nd Amendment and other Constitutional freedoms keeps Republican base loyal; standard-bearer for the Libertarian wing of the GOP; principled, honest, and hard-working; loving family; intelligent and intuitive; eloquent writer; skilled physician and pilot; physically fit and active
Main Weaknesses: Dwindling and thinly spread nationwide support for his politics; uncompromising and idealistic when it comes to how government should work; long history of obstructionism; almost no meaningful legislation passed in ten years; soft-spoken in person and on the debate stage; often willful and bull-headed; isolationist and unwilling to seek help; politically isolated in Congress; [presumably] disliked by Republican leadership; critical of Arnold Wolf and his policies; refuses to endorse candidates who do not completely represent his values

Biography: When you think Alaska, the William P. Hobby Airport probably doesn't come to mind. But for Senator Eric Falconer, too great a part of his youth is tied to that damnable, beautiful place.

Eric was born in Houston, Texas, in 1961. An only child, he was raised mostly by his mother, Loretta; his father, Fred, a commercial airline pilot, was never around for a game of catch or a fishing trip. The Falconers lived in a house much larger and nicer than they could afford on paper; the William Hobby Airport was as close as the nearest neighbor, and the noise pollution drove the property value down. When he wasn't reading, young Eric often found himself watching from his window as the sleek metal birds took wing, wondering when one would bring his father back to him— or, as he grew older, how long it would be before he was the one soaring high as eagles.

Eric was a precocious, analytical, and frank child, never quite learning when it was best to keep his mouth shut. He was prone to pointing out flaws and proposing rational solutions in everything from his math homework to others' love lives, and his deadpan remarks, always intended as informative rather than humorous, usually resulted in either a chorus of laughs or a mouthful of soap, but rarely an intellectual discussion. He thus acquired an active dislike for most people from childhood, and kept a tiny and cerebral circle of friends. When his grandfather died of cancer, Eric, still in middle school, wanted to know exactly why, and his subsequent research sparked a lifelong interest in medicine, a field whose bread and butter was diagnosing problems and prescribing solutions.

Inspired by an anti-Communist speech from then-presidential candidate Ronald Reagan in 1976, Eric joined the JROTC program, enabling him to realize his long-time dream of learning to fly. He also became a varsity athlete on his high school's cross country and swim teams, developing a robust physique he would maintain for the rest of his life. Despite all of his achievements, his social life was very limited, exemplified by the fact that he chose not to attend his senior prom. After graduating, Eric enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1979, and was granted the rank of Airman First Class because of his JROTC experience. Shortly thereafter he was transferred to Eielson Air Force Base near Moose Creek Alaska, to participate in a training program for the A-10 Thunderbolt.

Initially less than thrilled to leave balmy Texas for what he had imagined as the North Pole, Eric was surprised by the natural beauty that met him in Alaska and impressed by many of the state government's policies, such as the abolition of income tax and the Permanent Fund dividend. While stationed at Eielson, Eric's voracious appetite for literature outpaced the base's meager library, and he began reading anything he could get his hands on, culminating in a battered second-hand copy of Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. The novel had a profound impact on Falconer, who identified strongly with its "men of the mind," captains of industry inhibited by lesser men and bloated government. He soon imbibed the rest of Rand's corpus and began to work his way through abstruse tomes by Austrian school economists like Mises, Hayek, Sennholz, and Rothbard, nurturing an unabashedly libertarian worldview.

In 1980, after many years of romantic failures, Eric was introduced by a friend to his future wife, Wendy, the only daughter of Fairbanks oil baron Charles Roark. Although Eric and Wendy took to each other quickly, finding shared interests in literature and running, her father disapproved of the match, and it was only through stealth and subterfuge he could see her. With the passion of their affair magnified by its secrecy, the two began to consider elopement, an idea repellant to Eric's conservative sensibilities, but seemingly the only way they could marry. Before any plans could be executed, Eric was deployed to Grenada in 1983 in Operation Urgent Fury, promising he would return for Wendy.

Eric had emerged from his awkward teenage years a self-confident and headstrong young man well-known for arguing with his superiors and disregarding orders, frustrating any hope of promotion past Senior Airman. Nevertheless, he distinguished himself by his bravery and dedication during the operation, flying multiple back-to-back missions providing close air support to the jarheads on the ground. On one such mission, Eric forget his standard-issue earplugs; being the willful, self-reliant man he was, he refused to turn back, and suffered permanent hearing damage from the thunder of his warthog's engines. At Urgent Fury's end, Falconer was decorated with a Bronze Star by the (admittedly medal-happy) Air Force; yet he did not see a future for himself there. Upon returning to Alaska and reuniting with Wendy, he sought and was granted an honorable discharge due to his hearing disability.

Although his mother compelled him to return to Texas, Eric chose to remain in the state he had come to adopt as his homeland, but had doubts as to his future. He did not want to make a living as a commercial pilot, like his father, which narrowed the opportunities in the field in which he was trained. Moreover, he resolved that he would not marry Wendy without her father's blessing, and so the pressure for a high-income job had never been more intense. Funded by the GI Bill, Eric enrolled in the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where he majored in biology. To pay the bills, he took a sales job at the local Enterprise Rent-A-Car dealership. Eric hated being a car salesman, and was not very good at it, either; his blunt candor saved many potential customers their money, to the ire of his boss. He lasted less than a year before, fed up with the sleazy business dealings he witnessed on a daily basis, he quit, trading the cushy job for a night shift at a nearby granite quarry.

The work was long and back-breaking, and it took a heavy toll on Eric both physically and mentally; but there was a silver lining. When Charles Roark learned that Eric was working in a quarry to fund his education and had aspirations of going to medical school, he could no longer pretend that the boy was a ne'er-do-well stringing his daughter along. Somewhat shamefacedly, he admitted he had misjudged Eric, and gave him his blessing to marry Wendy. As a gesture of contrition, Charles paid for the wedding, a stately and romantic affair officiated under the ghostly blaze of the Northern Lights in 1985. The next year, Charles also arranged for Eric to be employed as the private pilot of one of his wealthy friends, Ranjan Patel. Although Eric initially chafed at the prospect of being another man's glorified chauffeur, he and his employer shared many Libertarian politics, and the two became friends.

Eric was accepted to medical school at University of Alaska Fairbanks, and after Wendy became pregnant in 1989, chose to specialize in obstetrics and gynecology, graduating in 1992. He completed his clinical clerkship and medical internship at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital. Juggling his education with his work, his marriage, and his newborn daughter, Autumn, proved trying, and there were more than a few nights when Eric had to turn to the bottle for solace; but he survived, completing his residency at a local women's hospital in 1994 shortly after the birth of his second daughter, Anne. The same year, the Falconer family moved south to the remote but affluent Cordova, where Eric opened the town's first women's clinic.

All this time, Eric had been closely watching politics; he left the Republican Party for the Libertarian Party in protest of President George H.W. Bush's tax hikes in 1990, and had since become firmly entrenched in Libertarian and constitutionalist philosophy, particularly due to the local success third parties enjoyed in Alaska. He had been an active member of Fairbanks' chapter of the Libertarian Party, and became a crucial organizer of the Cordova chapter, hosting meetings in his home and making large monetary donations to local candidates. He was such a lynchpin that many encouraged him to run for citywide office, despite only living in Cordova for a few years. Eric had never felt a calling for the civil service, but accomplishing Libertarian objectives on a local level seemed achievable, responsible, and patriotic, and in 1997 he ran for city council.

With only a few hundred residents to convince, Eric was easily elected— no doubt many of his voters were parents whose children he had delivered. Eric served two terms on the city council, repealing ordinances he felt constricted civil liberties and working to reduce government as much as possible. In his personal life, he kept a loving marriage, raised his daughters with a strict but tender hand, and remained physically active. Earning a generous salary from his clinic, he commissioned a private airstrip and acquired an 8GCBC Scout bush plane. In 2003, Falconer became something of a local hero: a wildfire threatened Cordova, and Eric evacuated several families on his private plane. He regarded it as nothing more than human decency, but to his irritation, the local media idolized him. Although the flames were blown away at the last minute by a "miracle wind," the glowing press Eric received from the incident was not quickly forgotten, and his constituents urged him to run for mayor.

Endorsed by the retiring incumbent, Eric won the mayorship of Cordova in a landslide in 2003. Although he was reticent about becoming a bureaucrat, there was something about public service that was heart-warming, especially in such a small and tight-knit community; and on top of that, Eric felt he was making real, Libertarian progress. Cordova saw record economic and population growth under his tenure; relaxed business regulations encouraged job providers to migrate to the small town, and Mayor Falconer halved the city's sales tax and eliminated the surtax on tobacco and alcohol. The first Libertarian to be elected to an Alaskan mayorship, Eric garnered significant renown among the Libertarian Party of Alaska, and was a keystone speaker at the state convention of 2004. However, Falconer was discouraged by the disorganized, fractious, and stagnant state of the Party, as well as the growth of the radical caucus formed in 2006.

Also in 2006, Eric easily won re-election. The local state representative had recently announced that she would not seek another term, prompting several friends to suggest that Eric run for her seat in the statehouse. His father-in-law even offered to contribute $20,000 to his campaign, a sum his friend and previous employer Ranjan Patel promised to match. Falconer had many reservations about leaving small town politics for state-level bureaucracy, but his opinions shifted when [not-Ron Paul] came to national attention by launching a bid for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination. Eric became a devoted follower of [not-Paul], impressed by his consistent voting record, and, anticipating a Libertarian revolution in the Republican Party, filed for candidacy in the election for state representative of Alaskas's 32nd district as a Republican.

Eric swept the field against a handful of obscure candidates in the primary, and faced Susan Pokiak, who was doomed to defeat by the D next to her name on the ballot, in the general election. His candidacy was boosted by his military service, a slew of endorsements from state figures, including Governor Paulette Smith, and generous campaign contributions from his father-in-law and other wealthy acquaintances. Upon entering the statehouse, Falconer quickly made a name for himself by voting against an unprecedented amount of legislation, often by himself, on the grounds that it was not explicitly prescribed by either the state or US Constitution. He was also a prolific author of symbolic legislation that had little chance of leaving the House floor, though a few of his bills passed into law, such as one designating the Alaskan Malamute the state dog, another declaring Alaskan firearms exempt from federal regulation, and another expanding tax credits for the oil, gas, and fishing industries. Falconer continued to reside in Cordova and practice obstetrics and gynecology when the House was not in session.

Eric was disappointed when [not-Ron Paul] lost the 2008 nomination, and refused to support Jeff McDowd, whom he regarded as only superficially different from Democratic candidate Rashid Baharia. However, he was buoyed when [not-Paul] announced a possible 2012 campaign, and began to consider a federal candidacy himself. In 2009, he was approached by Republican Party functionaries who were seeking a candidate to primary first-term incumbent Senator [not-Lisa Murkowski]; with a Democrat in Alaska's other seat, the Senate delegation was far too moderate for the taste of many state Republicans. Eric was considered a rising star in the Alaskan Republican Party, with better name recognition than many statewide politicians due to his unorthodox voting habits. With the support of his family, large donors, and many state Republicans, Eric declared his intention to run early in 2010, envisioning himself as a torchbearer who would bring libertarian Republican ideals to the Senate floor and thus the center stage.

The Republican primary was vicious. Already advantaged as the incumbent, [not-Murkowski] attacked Falconer for his obstructionist record in the statehouse, his recent desertion from the Libertarian Party, and his refusal to endorse Republican presidential candidates. Eric prided himself on running a clean campaign, emphasizing his military service and uncompromising loyalty to the principles of the Constitution, but was not afraid to criticize his opponent, alleging that she had betrayed the people of Alaska by indulging in corrupt Washington politics and that her appointment to senator in 2002 was a clear act of nepotism. An important issue in the primary was that of abortion; Eric favored repealing Roe v. Wade and letting states write their own abortion laws, a stance that swayed many primary voters. At first, Falconer was viewed as an underdog candidate, with early polling skewed as much as 60% to 30% for [not-Murkowski]; however, his campaign continued to gain momentum throughout the spring of 2010. Eric received a bevy of endorsements from well-known figures both in Alaska and nationwide, most notably former governor Paulette Smith, and was also endorsed by several conservative groups, including the National Rifle Association, the Club for Growth, and the National Right to Life Committee. He was quickly identified as the Tea Party candidate as opposed to the establishmentarian [not-Murkowski], and the primary received some national attention as a litmus test for the nascent Tea Party.

Eric's years in Cordova had humbled him somewhat; his demeanor had become less that of a loose cannon pilot and more that of a country doctor, attentive, courteous, and wise. Soft-spoken for a politician, he was not a commanding or bombastic orator, but was recognized as eloquent nonetheless, with a clear understanding of his platform and a talent for articulating it. The Republican candidates participated in a televised debate, which greatly increased Falconer's name recognition; his performance also received praise, and he rose to within three points of [not-Murkowski] in polling. A large-scale ad push by the Falconer campaign in the last week before the primary, focusing on the issues of abortion and nepotism, was the likely fulcrum, as Eric defeated [not-Murkowski] 51.2% to 48.8% in a well-publicized upset.

Voting Record

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1980 – Ronald Reagan
1984 – Ronald Reagan
1988 – George H.W. Bush
1992 – H. Ross Perot
1996 – H. Ross Perot
2000 – Harry Browne
2004 – Michael Badnarik
2008 – Chuck Baldwin
2012 – Ron Paul (write-in)
2016 – Ron Paul (write-in)
*Assume these names are replaced with their LOTF counterparts

Although [not-Murkowski] conceded the primary, she mounted a write-in campaign against Eric in an attempt to retain her seat. He also faced Democrat [not-Scott McAdams] in the general election. The majority of the GOP coalesced around Eric Falconer's campaign, and [not-Murkowski]'s write-in bid was considered a desperate gamble. Eric vowed to campaign in all nineteen of Alaska's boroughs as well as a dozen locations in the unorganized borough, and spent the summer and fall flying from town to town in his bush plane. He concentrated on communicating his personality and core values to the voters, believing that every last one was a Libertarian— he or she just didn't know it yet.

In the final week before the election, it was discovered that ballots in many Alaskan polling stations still had [not-Murkowski]'s name on them, which Eric publicly decried as blatant evidence of corruption. Local governments protested that there was not enough time to order new ballots, and despite Falconer's calls for a rescheduling, the election proceeded as scheduled. However, the claims of corruption had been widely reported, and crippled [not-Murkowski]'s already scant chances. When the votes were tallied, Eric Falconer was elected to the United States Senate with 43.8% of the vote; [not-Murkowski] placed second with 32.7%, while [not-McAdams] garnered only 23.5%.

Swearing his oath of office on his family Bible at age 49, Eric joined Alaska's Senate delegation in January 2011, and quickly became known as one of the most eccentric voters in the Republican caucus. As in the Alaskan statehouse, Falconer sponsored a great deal of symbolic legislation: his first proposal was to cut $500 billion from government spending by axing a half-dozen federal agencies. To date, he has one of the lowest legislative success rates in the Senate. However, Eric also made a name for himself as a proponent for the legalization of cannabis, gay marriage, and online gambling. He was one of the inaugural members of the Tea Party Caucus, and one of two Republicans to vote against extending provisions of the PATRIOT Act. He distinguished himself as a strident critic of President Baharia's foreign policy, taking particular exception to American intervention in the Libyan Civil War, and has consistently advocated for a 100% decrease in foreign aid. Senator Falconer endorsed [not-Ron Paul] in the 2012 Republican presidential primary, and refused to support Ron Mitter after he won the nomination, deeming him "indistinguishable" from Baharia on all matters of consequence. Eric frequently filibustered legislation he disagreed with, even that originating from Republican legislators, and spoke for over ten hours in opposition to the re-authorization of the PATRIOT Act. He repeatedly introduced legislation that would fully audit the Federal Reserve, and has boasted of having never voted for a tax hike or a deficit increase.

By 2016, Eric had become the figurehead of the libertarian Republican movement— or what was left of it— and there was some speculation as to whether he would make a bid for the Republican presidential nomination. Instead, Eric chose to defend his Senate seat, easily fending off [not-Murkowski], who challenged him in the primary and then acceded the Libertarian nomination in the general election, to no avail. 48% of Alaskans sent Falconer back to the Senate, despite his refusal to endorse a Republican presidential candidate for the third consecutive election. Eric saw Arnold Wolf as little more than bombast and showmanship, and broke with Wolf more than any other Republican in Congress over the next few years, notably opposing Wolf's proposed border wall. In the 2020 Republican presidential primary, Eric endorsed Dianne Paulson, expressing contempt for Bernard Porter and apathy toward the other candidates.

Other Info:

Military Decorations

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Bronze Star Medal
Air Force Combat Action Medal
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal

Eric remains happily married. His two fully grown daughters are also married, and he has three grandchildren by them. He continues to reside in Cordova when not on congressional business, although he no longer practices medicine. One of the most active members of Congress, he is a regular at the annual Congressional soccer match, and frequently jogs across D.C. to blow off steam. Another hobby he has recently taken to is drone piloting, which has led him into several alterations with the Capitol Police.

In 2017, Eric released his first book, Carrying the Torch: Preserving Freedom in the Modern Era, documenting the battle for the direction of the GOP and offering a Libertarian path for the Party. It sold modestly, and heightened his acclaim among the [not-Ron Paul]/Dianne Paulson wing of the GOP.

Political Positions

Abortion
Falconer is personally pro-life, and supports a repeal of Roe v. Wade, arguing that abortion law should be left to individual states. He has stated that his time as an obstetrician led him to believe life begins at conception.
Immigration
Falconer opposes a border wall and has proposed a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants over a five-year period as part of the yearly immigrant quota.
LGBTQ+
Although he initially believed that gay marriage law should be devolved to the states, he supported the Supreme Court's decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, stating that the government should not have any part in regulating marriage. However, he has denounced gender reassignment surgery as "genital mutilation" and advised that such procedures be illegal for minors.
Foreign Policy
Falconer is a prominent non-interventionist, calling for a large-scale reduction in military spending and a complete suspension of foreign aid. He has stated that he considers Israel to be America's "greatest friend" but that the United States should not interfere in Middle Eastern affairs.
Criminal Justice
Falconer supports criminal justice reform, including restoring voting rights to non-violent felons, ending mandatory minimum sentencing, and abolishing the war on drugs.
Cannabis
Falconer believes cannabis should be legalized, though he would prefer it to be a states' rights issue rather than a federal law.
Government Surveillance
Falconer has made defense of Americans' right to privacy a key plank in his platform, opposing the PATRIOT Act and praising "whistleblowers" like [not-Edward Snowden] and WikiLeaks.
Climate Change
Falconer has not embraced the scientific consensus on climate change, but believes measures should be taken to reduce pollution.
Vaccinations
Falconer has stated that vaccinations should never be mandatory, but has encouraged their use.

I have read and accept the rules of the roleplay: Capile

Do Not Remove: 84721

[not-Murkowski] was not appointed according to Frankie's app rather she ran concurrently for Senate in 2002 where she was beaten by Sullivan so that nepotism reference should be changed. Though it should be easy to say she ran sometime later and won in 2004 for her first term.

[The Grand Duchy Of Nova Capile]

I'm also working on a Latina Democrat to balance my roster, but the inspiration for this guy just flowed. It's a longer one, so sorry in advance, but hoping to do some cool things with a libertarian Republican.

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Character Information Sheet

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NS Nation Name: Capile
Character Name: Eric Falconer
Character Gender: Male
Character Age: 59
Character Height: 6'4"
Character Weight: 230 lbs
Character Position/Role/Job:

Junior US Senator for Alaska (2010 – Present)
State Representative for Alaska's 32nd District (2008 – 2010)
Mayor of Cordova, Alaska (2003 – 2008)
Cordova City Councilman (1997 – 2003)
OB-GYN (1994 – 2010)
OB-GYN Resident (1992 – 1994)
Medical Intern (1991 – 1992)
Clinical Clerk (1990 – 1991)
Private Pilot (1986 – 1990)
Quarrier (1984 – 1986)
Enterprise Rent-A-Car Sales Associate (1983 – 1984)
USAF Senior Airman (1981 – 1983)
USAF Airman First Class (1979 – 1981)

Appearance: John Thune
Character State of Origin: Texas
Character State of Residence: Alaska
Character Party Affiliation:

Republican (2007 – Present)
Libertarian (1990 – 2007)
Republican (1979 – 1990)

Main Strengths: Relatively safe seat; economic-focused, laissez-faire platform appeals to moderate, independent, and Libertarian voters; military service shores up veteran vote; decently attractive; reputation for defending the 2nd Amendment and other Constitutional freedoms keeps Republican base loyal; standard-bearer for the Libertarian wing of the GOP; principled, honest, and hard-working; loving family; intelligent and intuitive; eloquent writer; skilled physician and pilot; physically fit and active
Main Weaknesses: Dwindling and thinly spread nationwide support for his politics; uncompromising and idealistic when it comes to how government should work; long history of obstructionism; almost no meaningful legislation passed in ten years; soft-spoken in person and on the debate stage; often willful and bull-headed; isolationist and unwilling to seek help; politically isolated in Congress; [presumably] disliked by Republican leadership; critical of Arnold Wolf and his policies; refuses to endorse candidates who do not completely represent his values

Biography: When you think Alaska, the William P. Hobby Airport probably doesn't come to mind. But for Senator Eric Falconer, too great a part of his youth is tied to that damnable, beautiful place.

Eric was born in Houston, Texas, in 1961. An only child, he was raised mostly by his mother, Loretta; his father, Fred, a commercial airline pilot, was never around for a game of catch or a fishing trip. The Falconers lived in a house much larger and nicer than they could afford on paper; the William Hobby Airport was as close as the nearest neighbor, and the noise pollution drove the property value down. When he wasn't reading, young Eric often found himself watching from his window as the sleek metal birds took wing, wondering when one would bring his father back to him— or, as he grew older, how long it would be before he was the one soaring high as eagles.

Eric was a precocious, analytical, and frank child, never quite learning when it was best to keep his mouth shut. He was prone to pointing out flaws and proposing rational solutions in everything from his math homework to others' love lives, and his deadpan remarks, always intended as informative rather than humorous, usually resulted in either a chorus of laughs or a mouthful of soap, but rarely an intellectual discussion. He thus acquired an active dislike for most people from childhood, and kept a tiny and cerebral circle of friends. When his grandfather died of cancer, Eric, still in middle school, wanted to know exactly why, and his subsequent research sparked a lifelong interest in medicine, a field whose bread and butter was diagnosing problems and prescribing solutions.

Inspired by an anti-Communist speech from then-presidential candidate Ronald Reagan in 1976, Eric joined the JROTC program, enabling him to realize his long-time dream of learning to fly. He also became a varsity athlete on his high school's cross country and swim teams, developing a robust physique he would maintain for the rest of his life. Despite all of his achievements, his social life was very limited, exemplified by the fact that he chose not to attend his senior prom. After graduating, Eric enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1979, and was granted the rank of Airman First Class because of his JROTC experience. Shortly thereafter he was transferred to Eielson Air Force Base near Moose Creek Alaska, to participate in a training program for the A-10 Thunderbolt.

Initially less than thrilled to leave balmy Texas for what he had imagined as the North Pole, Eric was surprised by the natural beauty that met him in Alaska and impressed by many of the state government's policies, such as the abolition of income tax and the Permanent Fund dividend. While stationed at Eielson, Eric's voracious appetite for literature outpaced the base's meager library, and he began reading anything he could get his hands on, culminating in a battered second-hand copy of Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. The novel had a profound impact on Falconer, who identified strongly with its "men of the mind," captains of industry inhibited by lesser men and bloated government. He soon imbibed the rest of Rand's corpus and began to work his way through abstruse tomes by Austrian school economists like Mises, Hayek, Sennholz, and Rothbard, nurturing an unabashedly libertarian worldview.

In 1980, after many years of romantic failures, Eric was introduced by a friend to his future wife, Wendy, the only daughter of Fairbanks oil baron Charles Roark. Although Eric and Wendy took to each other quickly, finding shared interests in literature and running, her father disapproved of the match, and it was only through stealth and subterfuge he could see her. With the passion of their affair magnified by its secrecy, the two began to consider elopement, an idea repellant to Eric's conservative sensibilities, but seemingly the only way they could marry. Before any plans could be executed, Eric was deployed to Grenada in 1983 in Operation Urgent Fury, promising he would return for Wendy.

Eric had emerged from his awkward teenage years a self-confident and headstrong young man well-known for arguing with his superiors and disregarding orders, frustrating any hope of promotion past Senior Airman. Nevertheless, he distinguished himself by his bravery and dedication during the operation, flying multiple back-to-back missions providing close air support to the jarheads on the ground. On one such mission, Eric forget his standard-issue earplugs; being the willful, self-reliant man he was, he refused to turn back, and suffered permanent hearing damage from the thunder of his warthog's engines. At Urgent Fury's end, Falconer was decorated with a Bronze Star by the (admittedly medal-happy) Air Force; yet he did not see a future for himself there. Upon returning to Alaska and reuniting with Wendy, he sought and was granted an honorable discharge due to his hearing disability.

Although his mother compelled him to return to Texas, Eric chose to remain in the state he had come to adopt as his homeland, but had doubts as to his future. He did not want to make a living as a commercial pilot, like his father, which narrowed the opportunities in the field in which he was trained. Moreover, he resolved that he would not marry Wendy without her father's blessing, and so the pressure for a high-income job had never been more intense. Funded by the GI Bill, Eric enrolled in the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where he majored in biology. To pay the bills, he took a sales job at the local Enterprise Rent-A-Car dealership. Eric hated being a car salesman, and was not very good at it, either; his blunt candor saved many potential customers their money, to the ire of his boss. He lasted less than a year before, fed up with the sleazy business dealings he witnessed on a daily basis, he quit, trading the cushy job for a night shift at a nearby granite quarry.

The work was long and back-breaking, and it took a heavy toll on Eric both physically and mentally; but there was a silver lining. When Charles Roark learned that Eric was working in a quarry to fund his education and had aspirations of going to medical school, he could no longer pretend that the boy was a ne'er-do-well stringing his daughter along. Somewhat shamefacedly, he admitted he had misjudged Eric, and gave him his blessing to marry Wendy. As a gesture of contrition, Charles paid for the wedding, a stately and romantic affair officiated under the ghostly blaze of the Northern Lights in 1985. The next year, Charles also arranged for Eric to be employed as the private pilot of one of his wealthy friends, Ranjan Patel. Although Eric initially chafed at the prospect of being another man's glorified chauffeur, he and his employer shared many Libertarian politics, and the two became friends.

Eric was accepted to medical school at University of Alaska Fairbanks, and after Wendy became pregnant in 1989, chose to specialize in obstetrics and gynecology, graduating in 1992. He completed his clinical clerkship and medical internship at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital. Juggling his education with his work, his marriage, and his newborn daughter, Autumn, proved trying, and there were more than a few nights when Eric had to turn to the bottle for solace; but he survived, completing his residency at a local women's hospital in 1994 shortly after the birth of his second daughter, Anne. The same year, the Falconer family moved south to the remote but affluent Cordova, where Eric opened the town's first women's clinic.

All this time, Eric had been closely watching politics; he left the Republican Party for the Libertarian Party in protest of President George H.W. Bush's tax hikes in 1990, and had since become firmly entrenched in Libertarian and constitutionalist philosophy, particularly due to the local success third parties enjoyed in Alaska. He had been an active member of Fairbanks' chapter of the Libertarian Party, and became a crucial organizer of the Cordova chapter, hosting meetings in his home and making large monetary donations to local candidates. He was such a lynchpin that many encouraged him to run for citywide office, despite only living in Cordova for a few years. Eric had never felt a calling for the civil service, but accomplishing Libertarian objectives on a local level seemed achievable, responsible, and patriotic, and in 1997 he ran for city council.

With only a few hundred residents to convince, Eric was easily elected— no doubt many of his voters were parents whose children he had delivered. Eric served two terms on the city council, repealing ordinances he felt constricted civil liberties and working to reduce government as much as possible. In his personal life, he kept a loving marriage, raised his daughters with a strict but tender hand, and remained physically active. Earning a generous salary from his clinic, he commissioned a private airstrip and acquired an 8GCBC Scout bush plane. In 2003, Falconer became something of a local hero: a wildfire threatened Cordova, and Eric evacuated several families on his private plane. He regarded it as nothing more than human decency, but to his irritation, the local media idolized him. Although the flames were blown away at the last minute by a "miracle wind," the glowing press Eric received from the incident was not quickly forgotten, and his constituents urged him to run for mayor.

Endorsed by the retiring incumbent, Eric won the mayorship of Cordova in a landslide in 2003. Although he was reticent about becoming a bureaucrat, there was something about public service that was heart-warming, especially in such a small and tight-knit community; and on top of that, Eric felt he was making real, Libertarian progress. Cordova saw record economic and population growth under his tenure; relaxed business regulations encouraged job providers to migrate to the small town, and Mayor Falconer halved the city's sales tax and eliminated the surtax on tobacco and alcohol. The first Libertarian to be elected to an Alaskan mayorship, Eric garnered significant renown among the Libertarian Party of Alaska, and was a keystone speaker at the state convention of 2004. However, Falconer was discouraged by the disorganized, fractious, and stagnant state of the Party, as well as the growth of the radical caucus formed in 2006.

Also in 2006, Eric easily won re-election. The local state representative had recently announced that she would not seek another term, prompting several friends to suggest that Eric run for her seat in the statehouse. His father-in-law even offered to contribute $20,000 to his campaign, a sum his friend and previous employer Ranjan Patel promised to match. Falconer had many reservations about leaving small town politics for state-level bureaucracy, but his opinions shifted when [not-Ron Paul] came to national attention by launching a bid for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination. Eric became a devoted follower of [not-Paul], impressed by his consistent voting record, and, anticipating a Libertarian revolution in the Republican Party, filed for candidacy in the election for state representative of Alaskas's 32nd district as a Republican.

Eric swept the field against a handful of obscure candidates in the primary, and faced Susan Pokiak, who was doomed to defeat by the D next to her name on the ballot, in the general election. His candidacy was boosted by his military service, a slew of endorsements from state figures, including Governor Paulette Smith, and generous campaign contributions from his father-in-law and other wealthy acquaintances. Upon entering the statehouse, Falconer quickly made a name for himself by voting against an unprecedented amount of legislation, often by himself, on the grounds that it was not explicitly prescribed by either the state or US Constitution. He was also a prolific author of symbolic legislation that had little chance of leaving the House floor, though a few of his bills passed into law, such as one designating the Alaskan Malamute the state dog, another declaring Alaskan firearms exempt from federal regulation, and another expanding tax credits for the oil, gas, and fishing industries. Falconer continued to reside in Cordova and practice obstetrics and gynecology when the House was not in session.

Eric was disappointed when [not-Ron Paul] lost the 2008 nomination, and refused to support Jeff McDowd, whom he regarded as only superficially different from Democratic candidate Rashid Baharia. However, he was buoyed when [not-Paul] announced a possible 2012 campaign, and began to consider a federal candidacy himself. In 2009, he was approached by Republican Party functionaries who were seeking a candidate to primary first-term incumbent Senator [not-Lisa Murkowski]; with a Democrat in Alaska's other seat, the Senate delegation was far too moderate for the taste of many state Republicans. Eric was considered a rising star in the Alaskan Republican Party, with better name recognition than many statewide politicians due to his unorthodox voting habits. With the support of his family, large donors, and many state Republicans, Eric declared his intention to run early in 2010, envisioning himself as a torchbearer who would bring libertarian Republican ideals to the Senate floor and thus the center stage.

The Republican primary was vicious. Already advantaged as the incumbent, [not-Murkowski] attacked Falconer for his obstructionist record in the statehouse, his recent desertion from the Libertarian Party, and his refusal to endorse Republican presidential candidates. Eric prided himself on running a clean campaign, emphasizing his military service and uncompromising loyalty to the principles of the Constitution, but was not afraid to criticize his opponent, alleging that she had betrayed the people of Alaska by indulging in corrupt Washington politics and that her appointment to senator in 2002 was a clear act of nepotism. An important issue in the primary was that of abortion; Eric favored repealing Roe v. Wade and letting states write their own abortion laws, a stance that swayed many primary voters. At first, Falconer was viewed as an underdog candidate, with early polling skewed as much as 60% to 30% for [not-Murkowski]; however, his campaign continued to gain momentum throughout the spring of 2010. Eric received a bevy of endorsements from well-known figures both in Alaska and nationwide, most notably former governor Paulette Smith, and was also endorsed by several conservative groups, including the National Rifle Association, the Club for Growth, and the National Right to Life Committee. He was quickly identified as the Tea Party candidate as opposed to the establishmentarian [not-Murkowski], and the primary received some national attention as a litmus test for the nascent Tea Party.

Eric's years in Cordova had humbled him somewhat; his demeanor had become less that of a loose cannon pilot and more that of a country doctor, attentive, courteous, and wise. Soft-spoken for a politician, he was not a commanding or bombastic orator, but was recognized as eloquent nonetheless, with a clear understanding of his platform and a talent for articulating it. The Republican candidates participated in a televised debate, which greatly increased Falconer's name recognition; his performance also received praise, and he rose to within three points of [not-Murkowski] in polling. A large-scale ad push by the Falconer campaign in the last week before the primary, focusing on the issues of abortion and nepotism, was the likely fulcrum, as Eric defeated [not-Murkowski] 51.2% to 48.8% in a well-publicized upset.

Voting Record

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1980 – Ronald Reagan
1984 – Ronald Reagan
1988 – George H.W. Bush
1992 – H. Ross Perot
1996 – H. Ross Perot
2000 – Harry Browne
2004 – Michael Badnarik
2008 – Chuck Baldwin
2012 – Ron Paul (write-in)
2016 – Ron Paul (write-in)
*Assume these names are replaced with their LOTF counterparts

Although [not-Murkowski] conceded the primary, she mounted a write-in campaign against Eric in an attempt to retain her seat. He also faced Democrat [not-Scott McAdams] in the general election. The majority of the GOP coalesced around Eric Falconer's campaign, and [not-Murkowski]'s write-in bid was considered a desperate gamble. Eric vowed to campaign in all nineteen of Alaska's boroughs as well as a dozen locations in the unorganized borough, and spent the summer and fall flying from town to town in his bush plane. He concentrated on communicating his personality and core values to the voters, believing that every last one was a Libertarian— he or she just didn't know it yet.

In the final week before the election, it was discovered that ballots in many Alaskan polling stations still had [not-Murkowski]'s name on them, which Eric publicly decried as blatant evidence of corruption. Local governments protested that there was not enough time to order new ballots, and despite Falconer's calls for a rescheduling, the election proceeded as scheduled. However, the claims of corruption had been widely reported, and crippled [not-Murkowski]'s already scant chances. When the votes were tallied, Eric Falconer was elected to the United States Senate with 43.8% of the vote; [not-Murkowski] placed second with 32.7%, while [not-McAdams] garnered only 23.5%.

Swearing his oath of office on his family Bible at age 49, Eric joined Alaska's Senate delegation in January 2011, and quickly became known as one of the most eccentric voters in the Republican caucus. As in the Alaskan statehouse, Falconer sponsored a great deal of symbolic legislation: his first proposal was to cut $500 billion from government spending by axing a half-dozen federal agencies. To date, he has one of the lowest legislative success rates in the Senate. However, Eric also made a name for himself as a proponent for the legalization of cannabis, gay marriage, and online gambling. He was one of the inaugural members of the Tea Party Caucus, and one of two Republicans to vote against extending provisions of the PATRIOT Act. He distinguished himself as a strident critic of President Baharia's foreign policy, taking particular exception to American intervention in the Libyan Civil War, and has consistently advocated for a 100% decrease in foreign aid. Senator Falconer endorsed [not-Ron Paul] in the 2012 Republican presidential primary, and refused to support Ron Mitter after he won the nomination, deeming him "indistinguishable" from Baharia on all matters of consequence. Eric frequently filibustered legislation he disagreed with, even that originating from Republican legislators, and spoke for over ten hours in opposition to the re-authorization of the PATRIOT Act. He repeatedly introduced legislation that would fully audit the Federal Reserve, and has boasted of having never voted for a tax hike or a deficit increase.

By 2016, Eric had become the figurehead of the libertarian Republican movement— or what was left of it— and there was some speculation as to whether he would make a bid for the Republican presidential nomination. Instead, Eric chose to defend his Senate seat, easily fending off [not-Murkowski], who challenged him in the primary and then acceded the Libertarian nomination in the general election, to no avail. 48% of Alaskans sent Falconer back to the Senate, despite his refusal to endorse a Republican presidential candidate for the third consecutive election. Eric saw Arnold Wolf as little more than bombast and showmanship, and broke with Wolf more than any other Republican in Congress over the next few years, notably opposing Wolf's proposed border wall. In the 2020 Republican presidential primary, Eric endorsed Dianne Paulson, expressing contempt for Bernard Porter and apathy toward the other candidates.

Other Info:

Military Decorations

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Bronze Star Medal
Air Force Combat Action Medal
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal

Eric remains happily married. His two fully grown daughters are also married, and he has three grandchildren by them. He continues to reside in Cordova when not on congressional business, although he no longer practices medicine. One of the most active members of Congress, he is a regular at the annual Congressional soccer match, and frequently jogs across D.C. to blow off steam. Another hobby he has recently taken to is drone piloting, which has led him into several alterations with the Capitol Police.

In 2017, Eric released his first book, Carrying the Torch: Preserving Freedom in the Modern Era, documenting the battle for the direction of the GOP and offering a Libertarian path for the Party. It sold modestly, and heightened his acclaim among the [not-Ron Paul]/Dianne Paulson wing of the GOP.

Political Positions

Abortion
Falconer is personally pro-life, and supports a repeal of Roe v. Wade, arguing that abortion law should be left to individual states. He has stated that his time as an obstetrician led him to believe life begins at conception.
Immigration
Falconer opposes a border wall and has proposed a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants over a five-year period as part of the yearly immigrant quota.
LGBTQ+
Although he initially believed that gay marriage law should be devolved to the states, he supported the Supreme Court's decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, stating that the government should not have any part in regulating marriage. However, he has denounced gender reassignment surgery as "genital mutilation" and advised that such procedures be illegal for minors.
Foreign Policy
Falconer is a prominent non-interventionist, calling for a large-scale reduction in military spending and a complete suspension of foreign aid. He has stated that he considers Israel to be America's "greatest friend" but that the United States should not interfere in Middle Eastern affairs.
Criminal Justice
Falconer supports criminal justice reform, including restoring voting rights to non-violent felons, ending mandatory minimum sentencing, and abolishing the war on drugs.
Cannabis
Falconer believes cannabis should be legalized, though he would prefer it to be a states' rights issue rather than a federal law.
Government Surveillance
Falconer has made defense of Americans' right to privacy a key plank in his platform, opposing the PATRIOT Act and praising "whistleblowers" like [not-Edward Snowden] and WikiLeaks.
Climate Change
Falconer has not embraced the scientific consensus on climate change, but believes measures should be taken to reduce pollution.
Vaccinations
Falconer has stated that vaccinations should never be mandatory, but has encouraged their use.

I have read and accept the rules of the roleplay: Capile

Do Not Remove: 84721

Don’t know 100% how it’s worked out but he could possibly be appointed to the seat in 2010 by my character who was Governor at the time.

From what I remember, Ted Stevens is in the 2010 seat, but he died both IRL and IC in 2010. He’d just have to die before a special election has to be called (60-90 days after the vacancy occurs).

Okay so I've reviewed with Xath and the Alaska Senate timeline is majorly fucked compared to IRL. Would it be possible to say that the Ted Stevens' corruption scandal only broke in 2010, allowing my character to primary Stevens that year?

[Meelducan]

Don’t know 100% how it’s worked out but he could possibly be appointed to the seat in 2010 by my character who was Governor at the time.

From what I remember, Ted Stevens is in the 2010 seat, but he died both IRL and IC in 2010. He’d just have to die before a special election has to be called (60-90 days after the vacancy occurs).

Okay so I've reviewed with Xath and the Alaska Senate timeline is majorly fucked compared to IRL. Would it be possible to say that the Ted Stevens' corruption scandal only broke in 2010, allowing my character to primary Stevens that year?

That would work best.

>Stevens Corruption Scandal
>Primary gets heated and Falconer wins
>Stevens dies in August
>Temp. Senate Appointment made (probs some random member of the Johnston cabinet)
>Falconer wins election

[Erbaile]

How far into the election are y'all?

[Louisianan]

How far into the election are y'all?

We're basically past the primaries at this point. We have a clear Repub and Dem candidate for Prez right now I believe.

[Alozia]

Any co-sponsors? lol

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Act to Legalize Cannabis and Expunge Criminal Records and Convictions
Nickname: Legal Cannabis Act

Sponsors: Rep. Jamal Patrick [L-SC-07], Theodore Vohoffsky [R-CA-45]
Co-Sponsor(s): Rep. Alexander Santiago [D-FL-27]

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Overview: The following bill seeks to legalize cannabis for medical and recreational purposes alike in the entirety of the United States of America as well as to declare amnesty for all non-violent drug offenders, release those sentenced for non-violent drug offences from prisons and to clear their criminal records.

SECTION 1 - REPEAL

(a) Any use of the words "marijuana" or "cannabis" or any variants thereof in federal legislation enacted before the passage of the following legislation shall be omitted.

(b) Cannabis shall be removed from the Controlled Substances Act, in particular.

SECTION 2 - CONVENTION ON PSYCHOTROPIC SUBSTANCES

Using the authority vested in the United States Congress, the House of Representatives begins the process of withdrawing from the Convention on Psychotropic Substances, originally ratified in 1971, declaring it null and void and calling on the Senate and President of the United States to take action to withdraw from the aforementioned Convention to avoid any legal conflicts.

SECTION 3 - DECLARATION

Declares cannabis legal, for both medical and recreational purposes, in the entirety of the United States including unincorporated territories under United States jusrisdiction.

SECTION 4 - REGULATION

(a) Any person who posses, sells, distributes, handles, or cultivates marijuana, cannabis, or any variants thereof without a permit from the Commissioner on Food and Drugs, henceforth referred to as a "3.1 permit", shall be guilty of an offense under this section.

(b) The Commissioner on Food and Drugs must issue a 3.1 permit to any person that has attained twenty-one years of age and who has never been found guilty of any federal or state felony.

(c) The Commissioner on Food and Drugs shall not issue a 3.1 permit to any person that has not attained twenty-one years of age, or any person who has been found guilty of any federal or state felony or misdemeanor within 10 years prior excepting any federal or state felony relating to the possession or sale of marijuana, cannabis, or any variant thereof, excepting such cases involving another controlled substance.

(d) The Commissioner on Food and Drugs may regulate the quantity of certain chemicals prescribed by him that may be used in the cultivation of cannabis, marijuana, or any variants thereof, and any person who breaches such regulations shall be guilty of an offense under this section.

(d) The Commissioner on Food and Drugs shall not use section (d) as means to fully prohibit or attempt to fully prohibit the possession, sale, distribution, handling, or cultivation of cannabis, marijuana, or any variants thereof.

(e) Any person who operates a vehicle whilst under the influence of cannabis, marijuana, or any variants thereof shall be guilty of an offense under this section.

SECTION 5 - PENALTIES

(a) Any person who is guilty of an offense under section 4 shall be imprisoned not more than 2 years, fined under Title 18 of the US Code, or both; or, if such person has one prior state or federal felony or misdemeanor conviction excepting any federal or state felony relating to the possession or sale of marijuana, cannabis, or any variant thereof, excepting such cases involving another controlled substance, shall be imprisoned not more than 7 years, fined under title 18 of the US Code, or both; or, if such person has two or more prior state or federal felony or misdemeanor convictions excepting any federal or state felony relating to the possession or sale of marijuana, cannabis, or any variant thereof, excepting such cases involving another controlled substance, shall be imprisoned not more than 14 years, fined under title 18 of the US Code, or both.

(b) Any person who whilst guilty of an offense under section 4 causes the death of another in the process of committing such offense shall be imprisoned for not more than life, fined under title 18 of the US Code, or both.

SECTION 5 - EXPUNGEMENT

(a) Expungement Of Non-Violent Federal Cannabis Offense Convictions For Individuals Not Under A Criminal Justice Sentence.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, each Federal district shall conduct a comprehensive review and issue an order expunging each conviction or adjudication of juvenile delinquency for a non-violent Federal cannabis offense entered by each Federal court in the district before the date of enactment of this Act and on or after May 1, 1971. Each Federal court shall also issue an order expunging any arrests associated with each expunged conviction or adjudication of juvenile delinquency.

(2) NOTIFICATION.—To the extent practicable, each Federal district shall notify each individual whose arrest, conviction, or adjudication of delinquency has been expunged pursuant to this subsection that their arrest, conviction, or adjudication of juvenile delinquency has been expunged, and the effect of such expungement.

(3) RIGHT TO PETITION COURT FOR EXPUNGEMENT.—At any point after the date of enactment of this Act, any individual with a prior conviction or adjudication of juvenile delinquency for a non-violent Federal cannabis offense, who is not under a criminal justice sentence, may file a motion for expungement. If the expungement of such a conviction or adjudication of juvenile delinquency is required pursuant to this Act, the court shall expunge the conviction or adjudication, and any associated arrests. If the individual is indigent, counsel shall be appointed to represent the individual in any proceedings under this subsection.

(4) SEALED RECORD.—The court shall seal all records related to a conviction or adjudication of juvenile delinquency that has been expunged under this subsection. Such records may only be made available by further order of the court.

Section 6 - PROHIBITIONS

(a) Prohibits the denial of federal public benefits to a person on the basis of non-violent cannabis-related conduct or convictions,

(b) Prohibits the denial of benefits and protections under immigration laws on the basis of a cannabis-related event (e.g., conduct or a conviction)

SECTION 7 - BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

The following piece of legislation requires the Bureau of Labor Statistics to regularly publish demographic data on cannabis business owners and employees,

SECTION 8 - FEDERAL HIRING STANDARDS

Federal agencies shall not make regulations prohibiting hiring on the basis of cannabis usage, excepting a long record of cannabis-related abuses and incidents.

This bill is then honorably presented to the House of Representatives for consideration in order to legalize and regulate the use of cannabis as well as to expunge non-violent cannabis-related convictions to improve the United States Law and is backed by Jamal Patrick and Theodore Vohoffsky on ________ __, ____.

Do Not Remove: 1337

[Louisianan]

Any co-sponsors? lol

(Image)

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Act to Legalize Cannabis and Expunge Criminal Records and Convictions
Nickname: Legal Cannabis Act

Sponsor: Rep. Jamal Patrick [L-SC-07], Theodore Vohoffsky [R-CA-45]

---

Overview: The following bill seeks to legalize cannabis for medical and recreational purposes alike in the entirety of the United States of America as well as to declare amnesty for all non-violent drug offenders, release those sentenced for non-violent drug offences from prisons and to clear their criminal records.

SECTION 1 - REPEAL

(a) Any use of the words "marijuana" or "cannabis" or any variants thereof in federal legislation enacted before the passage of the following legislation shall be omitted.

(b) Cannabis shall be removed from the Controlled Substances Act, in particular.

SECTION 2 - CONVENTION ON PSYCHOTROPIC SUBSTANCES

Using the authority vested in the United States Congress, the House of Representatives begins the process of withdrawing from the Convention on Psychotropic Substances, originally ratified in 1971, declaring it null and void and calling on the Senate and President of the United States to take action to withdraw from the aforementioned Convention to avoid any legal conflicts.

SECTION 3 - DECLARATION

Declares cannabis legal, for both medical and recreational purposes, in the entirety of the United States including unincorporated territories under United States jusrisdiction.

SECTION 4 - REGULATION

(a) Any person who posses, sells, distributes, handles, or cultivates marijuana, cannabis, or any variants thereof without a permit from the Commissioner on Food and Drugs, henceforth referred to as a "3.1 permit", shall be guilty of an offense under this section.

(b) The Commissioner on Food and Drugs must issue a 3.1 permit to any person that has attained twenty-one years of age and who has never been found guilty of any federal or state felony.

(c) The Commissioner on Food and Drugs shall not issue a 3.1 permit to any person that has not attained twenty-one years of age, or any person who has been found guilty of any federal or state felony or misdemeanor within 10 years prior excepting any federal or state felony relating to the possession or sale of marijuana, cannabis, or any variant thereof, excepting such cases involving another controlled substance.

(d) The Commissioner on Food and Drugs may regulate the quantity of certain chemicals prescribed by him that may be used in the cultivation of cannabis, marijuana, or any variants thereof, and any person who breaches such regulations shall be guilty of an offense under this section.

(d) The Commissioner on Food and Drugs shall not use section (d) as means to fully prohibit or attempt to fully prohibit the possession, sale, distribution, handling, or cultivation of cannabis, marijuana, or any variants thereof.

(e) Any person who operates a vehicle whilst under the influence of cannabis, marijuana, or any variants thereof shall be guilty of an offense under this section.

SECTION 5 - PENALTIES

(a) Any person who is guilty of an offense under section 4 shall be imprisoned not more than 2 years, fined under Title 18 of the US Code, or both; or, if such person has one prior state or federal felony or misdemeanor conviction excepting any federal or state felony relating to the possession or sale of marijuana, cannabis, or any variant thereof, excepting such cases involving another controlled substance, shall be imprisoned not more than 7 years, fined under title 18 of the US Code, or both; or, if such person has two or more prior state or federal felony or misdemeanor convictions excepting any federal or state felony relating to the possession or sale of marijuana, cannabis, or any variant thereof, excepting such cases involving another controlled substance, shall be imprisoned not more than 14 years, fined under title 18 of the US Code, or both.

(b) Any person who whilst guilty of an offense under section 4 causes the death of another in the process of committing such offense shall be imprisoned for not more than life, fined under title 18 of the US Code, or both.

SECTION 5 - EXPUNGEMENT

(a) Expungement Of Non-Violent Federal Cannabis Offense Convictions For Individuals Not Under A Criminal Justice Sentence.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, each Federal district shall conduct a comprehensive review and issue an order expunging each conviction or adjudication of juvenile delinquency for a non-violent Federal cannabis offense entered by each Federal court in the district before the date of enactment of this Act and on or after May 1, 1971. Each Federal court shall also issue an order expunging any arrests associated with each expunged conviction or adjudication of juvenile delinquency.

(2) NOTIFICATION.—To the extent practicable, each Federal district shall notify each individual whose arrest, conviction, or adjudication of delinquency has been expunged pursuant to this subsection that their arrest, conviction, or adjudication of juvenile delinquency has been expunged, and the effect of such expungement.

(3) RIGHT TO PETITION COURT FOR EXPUNGEMENT.—At any point after the date of enactment of this Act, any individual with a prior conviction or adjudication of juvenile delinquency for a non-violent Federal cannabis offense, who is not under a criminal justice sentence, may file a motion for expungement. If the expungement of such a conviction or adjudication of juvenile delinquency is required pursuant to this Act, the court shall expunge the conviction or adjudication, and any associated arrests. If the individual is indigent, counsel shall be appointed to represent the individual in any proceedings under this subsection.

(4) SEALED RECORD.—The court shall seal all records related to a conviction or adjudication of juvenile delinquency that has been expunged under this subsection. Such records may only be made available by further order of the court.

Section 6 - PROHIBITIONS

(a) Prohibits the denial of federal public benefits to a person on the basis of non-violent cannabis-related conduct or convictions,

(b) Prohibits the denial of benefits and protections under immigration laws on the basis of a cannabis-related event (e.g., conduct or a conviction)

SECTION 7 - BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

The following piece of legislation requires the Bureau of Labor Statistics to regularly publish demographic data on cannabis business owners and employees,

SECTION 8 - FEDERAL HIRING STANDARDS

Federal agencies shall not make regulations prohibiting hiring on the basis of cannabis usage, excepting a long record of cannabis-related abuses and incidents.

This bill is then honorably presented to the House of Representatives for consideration in order to legalize and regulate the use of cannabis as well as to expunge non-violent cannabis-related convictions to improve the United States Law and is backed by Jamal Patrick and Theodore Vohoffsky on ________ __, ____.

Do Not Remove: 1337

Linda supports it privately, but will not put her name on the bill. Her suburban wine mom constituents drink wine at 9 am, not light joints at noon. XDDDD

[The Grand Duchy Of Nova Capile]

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Character Information Sheet

NS Nation Name: Capile
Character Name: Augustin Ashley "Gus" Durant
Character Gender: Male
Character Age: 59
Character Height: 6'4"
Character Weight: 230 lbs
Character Position/Role/Job:

Junior US Senator from Alaska (2011 – Present)
State Representative for Alaska's 32nd District (2009 – 2010)
Mayor of Cordova, Alaska (2004 – 2009)
Cordova City Councilman (1998 – 2004)
OB-GYN (1994 – 2010)
OB-GYN Resident (1992 – 1994)
Medical Intern (1991 – 1992)
Clinical Clerk (1990 – 1991)
Private Pilot (1986 – 1990)
Quarrier (1984 – 1986)
Enterprise Rent-A-Car Sales Associate (1983 – 1984)
USAF Senior Airman (1981 – 1983)
USAF Airman First Class (1979 – 1981)

Appearance: John Thune
Character State of Origin: Texas
Character State of Residence: Alaska
Character Party Affiliation:

Republican (2007 – Present)
Libertarian (1990 – 2007)
Republican (1979 – 1990)

Main Strengths: Relatively safe seat; economic-focused, laissez-faire platform appeals to moderate, independent, and Libertarian voters; military service shores up veteran vote; decently attractive; reputation for defending the 2nd Amendment and other Constitutional freedoms keeps Republican base loyal; standard-bearer for the Libertarian wing of the GOP; principled, honest, and hard-working; loving family; intelligent and intuitive; eloquent writer; skilled physician and pilot; physically fit and active
Main Weaknesses: Dwindling and thinly spread nationwide support for his politics; uncompromising and idealistic when it comes to how government should work; long history of obstructionism; almost no meaningful legislation passed in ten years; soft-spoken in person and on the debate stage; often willful, bull-headed, blunt, and tactless; isolationist and unwilling to seek help; politically isolated in Congress; [presumably] disliked by Republican leadership; critical of Arnold Wolf and his policies; refuses to endorse candidates who do not completely represent his values

Biography: When you think Alaska, the William P. Hobby Airport probably doesn't come to mind. But for Senator Gus Durant, too great a part of his youth is tied to that damnable, beautiful place.

Augustin Ashley Durant was born in Houston, Texas, in 1961. An only child, he was raised mostly by his mother, Loretta; his father, Fred, a commercial airline pilot, was never around for a game of catch or a fishing trip. The Durants lived in a house much larger and nicer than they could afford on paper; the William Hobby Airport was as close as the nearest neighbor, and the noise pollution drove the property value down. When he wasn't reading, young Gus often found himself watching from his window as the sleek metal birds took wing, wondering when one would bring his father back to him— or, as he grew older, how long it would be before he was the one soaring high as eagles.

Gus was a precocious, analytical, and frank child, never quite learning when it was best to keep his mouth shut. He was prone to pointing out flaws and proposing rational solutions in everything from his math homework to others' love lives, and his deadpan remarks, always intended as informative rather than humorous, usually resulted in either a chorus of laughs or a mouthful of soap, but rarely an intellectual discussion. He thus acquired an active dislike for most people from childhood, and kept a tiny and cerebral circle of friends. When his grandfather died of cancer, Gus, still in middle school, wanted to know exactly why, and his subsequent research sparked a lifelong interest in medicine, a field whose bread and butter was diagnosing problems and prescribing solutions.

Inspired by an anti-Communist speech from then-presidential candidate Ronald Reagan in 1976, Gus joined the JROTC program, enabling him to realize his long-time dream of learning to fly. He also became a varsity athlete on his high school's cross country and rowing teams, developing a robust physique he would maintain for the rest of his life. Although his athletic achievements enlarged his ego, his social life remained very limited, exemplified by the fact that he chose not to attend his senior prom. After graduating, Gus enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1979, and was granted the rank of Airman First Class because of his JROTC experience. Shortly thereafter he was transferred to Eielson Air Force Base near Moose Creek Alaska, to participate in a training program for the A-10 Thunderbolt.

Initially less than thrilled to leave balmy Texas for what he had imagined as the North Pole, Gus was surprised by the natural beauty that met him in Alaska and impressed by many of the state government's policies, such as the abolition of income tax and the Permanent Fund dividend. While stationed at Eielson, Gus' voracious appetite for literature outpaced the base's meager library, and he began reading anything he could get his hands on, culminating in a battered, second-hand copy of Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. The novel had a profound impact on Durant, who identified strongly with its "men of the mind," captains of industry inhibited by lesser men and bloated government. He soon imbibed the rest of Rand's corpus and began to work his way through abstruse tomes by Austrian school economists like Mises, Hayek, Sennholz, and Rothbard, nurturing an unabashedly libertarian worldview.

In 1980, after many years of romantic failures, Gus met his future wife, Wendy, at a local rowing event. Although Gus and Wendy took to each other quickly, finding shared interests in literature and rowing, her father, local oil baron Charles Roark, disapproved of the match, and it was only through stealth and subterfuge he could see her. With the passion of their affair magnified by its secrecy, the two began to consider elopement, an idea repellant to Gus' conservative sensibilities, but seemingly the only way they could marry. Before any plans could be executed, Gus was deployed to Grenada in 1983 in Operation Urgent Fury, promising he would return for Wendy.

Gus had emerged from his awkward teenage years a self-confident and headstrong young man well-known for arguing with his superiors and disregarding orders, frustrating any hope of promotion past Senior Airman. Nevertheless, he distinguished himself by his bravery and dedication during the operation, flying multiple back-to-back missions providing close air support to the jarheads on the ground. On one such mission, Gus forget his standard-issue earplugs; being the willful, self-reliant man he was, he refused to turn back, and suffered permanent hearing damage from the thunder of his warthog's engines. At Urgent Fury's end, Durant was decorated with a Bronze Star by the (admittedly medal-happy) Air Force; yet he did not see a future for himself there. Upon returning to Alaska and reuniting with Wendy, he sought and was granted an honorable discharge due to his hearing disability.

Military Decorations

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Bronze Star Medal
Air Force Combat Action Medal
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal

Although his mother compelled him to return to Texas, Gus chose to remain in the state he had come to adopt as his homeland, but had doubts as to his future. He did not want to make a living as a commercial pilot, like his father, which narrowed the opportunities in the field in which he was trained. Moreover, he resolved that he would not marry Wendy without her father's blessing, and so the pressure for a high-income job had never been more intense. Funded by the GI Bill, Augustin enrolled in the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where he majored in biology. To pay the bills, he took a sales job at the local Enterprise Rent-A-Car dealership. Gus hated being a car salesman, and was not very good at it, either; his blunt candor saved many potential customers their money, to the ire of his boss. He lasted less than a year before, fed up with the sleazy business dealings he witnessed on a daily basis, he quit, trading the cushy job for a night shift at a nearby granite quarry.

The work was onerous and back-breaking, and it took a heavy toll on Gus both physically and mentally; but there was a silver lining. When Charles Roark learned that Gus was working in a quarry to fund his education and had aspirations of going to medical school, he could no longer pretend that the boy was a ne'er-do-well stringing his daughter along. Somewhat shamefacedly, he admitted he had misjudged Gus, and gave him his blessing to marry Wendy. As a gesture of contrition, Charles paid for the wedding, a stately and romantic affair officiated under the ghostly blaze of the Northern Lights in 1985. The next year, Charles also arranged for Gus to be employed as the private pilot of one of his wealthy friends, Ranjan Patel. Although Gus initially chafed at the prospect of being another man's glorified chauffeur, he and his employer shared many Libertarian politics, and the two became friends.

Durant was accepted to medical school at University of Alaska Fairbanks, and after Wendy became pregnant in 1989, chose to specialize in obstetrics and gynecology, graduating in 1992. He completed his clinical clerkship and medical internship at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital. Juggling his education with his work, his marriage, and his newborn daughter, Autumn, proved trying, and there were more than a few nights when Gus had to turn to the bottle for solace; but he survived, completing his residency at a local women's hospital in 1994 shortly after the birth of his second daughter, April. The same year, the Durant family moved south to the remote but affluent Cordova, where Gus opened the town's first women's clinic.

All this time, Gus had been closely watching politics; he left the Republican Party for the Libertarian Party in protest of President George H.W. Bush's tax hikes in 1990, and had since become firmly entrenched in Libertarian and constitutionalist philosophy, particularly due to the local success third parties enjoyed in Alaska. He had been an active member of Fairbanks' chapter of the Libertarian Party, and became a crucial organizer of the Cordova chapter, hosting meetings in his home and making large monetary donations to local candidates. He was such a lynchpin that many encouraged him to run for citywide office, despite only living in Cordova for a few years. Gus had never felt a calling for the civil service, but accomplishing Libertarian objectives on a local level seemed achievable, responsible, and patriotic, and in 1997 he ran for city council.

With only a few hundred residents to convince, Gus was easily elected— no doubt many of his voters were parents whose children he had delivered. He served two terms on the city council, repealing ordinances he felt constricted civil liberties and working to reduce government as much as possible. In his personal life, he kept a loving marriage, raised his daughters with a strict but tender hand, and remained physically active. Earning a generous salary from his clinic, he commissioned a private airstrip and acquired an 8GCBC Scout bush plane. In 2003, Durant became something of a local hero: a wildfire threatened Cordova, and Gus evacuated several families on his private plane. He regarded it as nothing more than human decency, but to his irritation, the local media idolized him. Although the flames were blown away at the last minute by a "miracle wind," the glowing press Gus received from the incident was not quickly forgotten, and his constituents urged him to run for mayor.

Endorsed by the retiring incumbent, Gus won the mayorship of Cordova in a landslide in 2003. Although he was reticent about becoming a bureaucrat, there was something about public service that was heart-warming, especially in such a small and tight-knit community; and on top of that, Gus felt he was making real, Libertarian progress. Cordova saw record economic and population growth under his tenure; relaxed business regulations encouraged job providers to migrate to the small town, and Mayor Durant halved the city's sales tax and eliminated the surtax on tobacco and alcohol. The first Libertarian to be elected to an Alaskan mayorship, Gus garnered significant renown among the Libertarian Party of Alaska, and was a keystone speaker at the state convention of 2004. However, Durant was discouraged by the disorganized, fractious, and stagnant state of the Party, as well as the growth of the radical caucus formed in 2006.

Also in 2006, Gus easily won re-election. The local state representative had recently announced that she would not seek another term, prompting several friends to suggest that Gus run for her seat in the statehouse. His father-in-law even offered to contribute $20,000 to his campaign, a sum his friend and previous employer Ranjan Patel promised to match. Durant had many reservations about leaving small town politics for state-level bureaucracy, but his opinions shifted when [not-Ron Paul] came to national attention by launching a bid for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination. Gus became a devoted follower of [not-Paul], impressed by his consistent voting record, and, anticipating a Libertarian revolution in the Republican Party, filed for candidacy in the election for state representative of Alaskas's 32nd district as a Republican.

Gus swept the field against a handful of obscure candidates in the primary, and faced Susan Pokiak, who was doomed to defeat by the D next to her name on the ballot, in the general election. His candidacy was boosted by his military service, a slew of endorsements from state figures, including Governor Paulette Smith, and generous campaign contributions from his father-in-law and other wealthy acquaintances. Upon entering the statehouse, Durant quickly made a name for himself by voting against an unprecedented amount of legislation, often by himself, on the grounds that it was not explicitly prescribed by either the state or US Constitution. He was also a prolific author of symbolic legislation that had little chance of leaving the House floor, though a few of his bills passed into law, such as one designating the Alaskan Malamute the state dog, another declaring Alaskan firearms exempt from federal regulation, and another expanding tax credits for the oil, gas, and fishing industries. Durant continued to reside in Cordova and practice obstetrics and gynecology when the House was not in session.

Voting Record

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1980 – Ronald Reagan
1984 – Ronald Reagan
1988 – George H.W. Bush
1992 – H. Ross Perot
1996 – H. Ross Perot
2000 – Harry Browne
2004 – Michael Badnarik
2008 – Chuck Baldwin
2012 – Ron Paul (write-in)
2016 – Ron Paul (write-in)
*Assume these names are replaced with their LOTF counterparts

Gus was disappointed when [not-Ron Paul] lost the 2008 nomination, and refused to support Jeff McDowd, whom he regarded as only superficially different from Democratic candidate Rashid Baharia. However, he was buoyed when [not-Paul] announced a possible 2012 campaign, and began to consider a federal candidacy himself. In early 2010, he was approached by Republican Party functionaries seeking a candidate to primary Senator [not-Ted Stevens], who had been convicted in a federal corruption trial. Gus was considered a rising star in the Alaskan Republican Party, with better name recognition than many statewide politicians due to his unorthodox voting habits. Supported by his family, large donors, and many state Republicans, Gus declared his intention to run early in 2010, envisioning himself as a torchbearer who would bring libertarian Republican ideals to the Senate floor and thus the center stage.

The Republican primary was vicious. Already advantaged as the longtime incumbent, [not-Stevens] attacked Durant for his relative inexperience, his obstructionist record in the statehouse, his recent desertion from the Libertarian Party, and his refusal to endorse Republican presidential candidates. Gus prided himself on running a clean campaign, emphasizing his military service and uncompromising loyalty to the principles of the Constitution, but was not afraid to criticize his opponent, leveraging the guilty verdict as evidence of [not-Stevens]'s corruption. An important issue in the primary was that of abortion; Gus favored repealing Roe v. Wade and letting states write their own abortion laws, a stance that swayed many primary voters. At first, Durant was viewed as an underdog candidate, with early polling skewed as much as 60% to 30% for [not-Stevens]; however, his campaign continued to gain momentum throughout the spring of 2010. Gus received a bevy of endorsements from well-known figures both in Alaska and nationwide, most notably former governor Paulette Smith, and was also endorsed by several conservative groups, including the National Rifle Association, the Club for Growth, and the National Right to Life Committee. He was quickly identified as the Tea Party candidate as opposed to the more establishmentarian [not-Stevens], and the primary received some national attention as a litmus test for the nascent Tea Party.

Gus' years in Cordova had humbled him somewhat; his demeanor had transformed from a loose cannon pilot to a country doctor, attentive, courteous, and wise. Soft-spoken for a politician, he was not a commanding or bombastic orator, but was recognized as eloquent nonetheless, with a clear understanding of his platform and a talent for articulating it, when given the time. The Republican candidates participated in a televised debate, which greatly increased Durant's name recognition; his performance also received praise, and he rose to within three points of [not-Stevens] in polling. A large-scale ad push by the Durant campaign in the last week before the primary, focusing on the issues of abortion and corruption, was the likely fulcrum, as Gus defeated [not-Stevens] 51.2% to 48.8% in a well-publicized upset.

Just days after conceding the primary, [not-Stevens] was killed in a plane crash, and Alaska's governor appointed a replacement to complete the last few months of his term. Meanwhile, Gus faced Democrat [not-Scott McAdams] and a handful of third party candidates in the general election. Now with the full strength of the GOP behind him, Durant vowed to campaign in all nineteen of Alaska's boroughs as well as a dozen locations in the unorganized borough, and spent the summer and fall flying from town to town in his bush plane. He concentrated on communicating his personality and core values to the voters, believing that every last one was a Libertarian— he or she just didn't know it yet.

Although the Democratic opposition attempted to use [not-Stevens]'s conviction as an indictment of the Republican Party in general, Durant was a vehemently anti-corruption candidate, and the election was widely regarded as a safe Republican hold. When the final votes were tallied, Gus Durant was elected to the United States Senate with 56.8% of the vote; [not-McAdams] placed second with only 23.5%, followed by a number of third party and independent contenders.

Swearing his oath of office on his family Bible at age 49, Gus joined Alaska's Senate delegation in January 2011, and quickly became known as one of the most eccentric voters in the Republican caucus. As in the Alaskan statehouse, Durant sponsored a great deal of symbolic legislation: his first proposal was to cut $500 billion from government spending by axing a half-dozen federal agencies. To date, he has one of the lowest legislative success rates in the Senate. However, Gus also made a name for himself as a proponent for the legalization of cannabis, gay marriage, and online gambling. He was one of the inaugural members of the Tea Party Caucus, and one of two Republicans to vote against extending provisions of the PATRIOT Act. He distinguished himself as a strident critic of President Baharia's foreign policy, taking particular exception to American intervention in the Libyan Civil War, and has consistently advocated for a 100% reduction in foreign aid. Senator Durant endorsed [not-Ron Paul] in the 2012 Republican presidential primary, and refused to support Ron Mitter after he won the nomination, deeming him "indistinguishable" from Baharia on all matters of consequence. Gus frequently filibustered legislation he disagreed with, even that originating from Republican legislators, and spoke for over ten hours in opposition to the re-authorization of the PATRIOT Act. He repeatedly introduced legislation that would fully audit the Federal Reserve, and has boasted of having never voted for a tax hike or a deficit increase.

Committee Assignments

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Committee on Appropriations

• Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
• Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies

Committee on Armed Services

• Subcommittee on Airland (Chair)
• Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support
• Subcommittee on Strategic Forces

Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

• Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security
• Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard

Committee on the Judiciary

• Subcommittee on the Constitution

Committee on Veterans' Affairs

By 2016, Gus had become the poster boy of the libertarian Republican movement— or what was left of it— and there was some speculation as to whether he would make a bid for the Republican presidential nomination. Instead, Durant chose to defend his Senate seat, fending off a primary challenge and dominating the general election. 51% of Alaskans sent him back to the Senate, despite his refusal to endorse a Republican presidential candidate for the third consecutive election. Gus saw Arnold Wolf as little more than bombast and showmanship, and broke with Wolf more than any other Republican in Congress over the next few years, notably opposing Wolf's proposed border wall. Although he briefly considered competing in the 2020 Republican presidential primary, Gus instead endorsed Dianne Paulson, expressing contempt for Bernard Porter and apathy toward the other candidates.

Other Info: Gus remains happily married. His two fully grown daughters are also married, and he has three grandchildren by them. He continues to reside in Cordova when not on congressional business, although he no longer practices medicine. One of the most active members of Congress, he is a regular at the annual Congressional soccer match, frequently jogs across D.C. to blow off steam, and regularly competes in local rowing regattas. Another hobby he has recently taken to is drone piloting, which has led him into several alterations with the Capitol Police. He owns a Siberian Huskies named Locke.

In 2018, Gus released his first book, Carrying the Torch: Preserving Freedom in the Modern Era, documenting the battle for the direction of the GOP and offering a Libertarian path for the Party. It sold modestly, and heightened his acclaim among the [not-Ron Paul]/Dianne Paulson wing of the GOP.

Political Positions

Abortion
Durant is personally pro-life, and supports a repeal of Roe v. Wade, arguing that abortion law should be left to individual states. He has stated that his time as an obstetrician led him to believe life begins at conception.
Immigration
Durant opposes a border wall and has proposed a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants over a five-year period as part of the yearly immigrant quota.
LGBTQ+
Although he initially believed that gay marriage law should be devolved to the states, Durant supported the Supreme Court's decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, stating that the government should not have any part in regulating marriage. However, he has denounced gender reassignment surgery as "genital mutilation" and advised that such procedures be illegal for minors.
Foreign Policy
Durant is a prominent non-interventionist, calling for a large-scale reduction in military spending and a complete suspension of foreign aid. He has stated that he considers Israel to be America's "greatest friend" but that the United States should not interfere in Middle Eastern affairs.
Criminal Justice
Durant supports criminal justice reform, including restoring voting rights to non-violent felons, ending mandatory minimum sentencing, and abolishing the war on drugs.
Cannabis
Durant believes cannabis should be legalized, though he would prefer it to be a states' rights issue rather than a federal law.
Government Surveillance
Durant has made defense of Americans' right to privacy a cornerstone of his platform, opposing the PATRIOT Act and praising "whistleblowers" like [not-Edward Snowden] and WikiLeaks.
Climate Change
Durant has not embraced the scientific consensus on climate change, but believes measures should be taken to reduce pollution.
Vaccinations
Durant has stated that vaccinations should never be mandatory, but has encouraged their use.

I have read and accept the rules of the roleplay: Capile

Do Not Remove: 84721

[Erbaile]

How far into the election are y'all?

We're basically past the primaries at this point. We have a clear Repub and Dem candidate for Prez right now I believe.

What are they like then? Like Biden and Trump or?

[Kargintinia]

We're basically past the primaries at this point. We have a clear Repub and Dem candidate for Prez right now I believe.

What are they like then? Like Biden and Trump or?

Republican: Nate Richardson, former Governor of North Carolina. Very moderate, Mitt Romney like.

Democrat: Jillian Dayton, Senator for Virginia, younger Hillary Clinton

[Erbaile]

What are they like then? Like Biden and Trump or?

Republican: Nate Richardson, former Governor of North Carolina. Very moderate, Mitt Romney like.

Democrat: Jillian Dayton, Senator for Virginia, younger Hillary Clinton

How did a Mitt Romney win in the party of Trump???

[Louisianan]

Republican: Nate Richardson, former Governor of North Carolina. Very moderate, Mitt Romney like.

Democrat: Jillian Dayton, Senator for Virginia, younger Hillary Clinton

How did a Mitt Romney win in the party of Trump???

I have been asking this question for a long time tbh, but eh. It was actually a very close race tbh.

[Latvijas Otra Republika]

Republican: Nate Richardson, former Governor of North Carolina. Very moderate, Mitt Romney like.

Democrat: Jillian Dayton, Senator for Virginia, younger Hillary Clinton

How did a Mitt Romney win in the party of Trump???

A dropout and concessions

[Erbaile]

How did a Mitt Romney win in the party of Trump???

A dropout and concessions

Well that doesn't tell me much lol.

[Louisianan]

A dropout and concessions

Well that doesn't tell me much lol.

Well, I think we ought to explain it a bit more. Our Trump (Wolf) got brain cancer and resigned, his VP (Tawney) chose not to seek election for the Presidency. Two people, (Nate and Porter) is Romney and Trump in many ways, Porter's campaign was full of far righters, while Nates was moderate. Eventually, Porter dropped out, Nate continued on to win the nomination.

[New Cobastheia]

Republican: Nate Richardson, former Governor of North Carolina. Very moderate, Mitt Romney like.

Democrat: Jillian Dayton, Senator for Virginia, younger Hillary Clinton

How did a Mitt Romney win in the party of Trump???

It's a very long story

So basically, before anyone actually voted in any primary on the Republican side, there were three main candidates, Prendergast (Governor of West Virginia, populist but secretly wasn't a fan of racebaiting and all that) Richardson (Whose's already been described), and Porter (SecDef under Wolf (Our not-Trump) who is basically a fascist). Prendergast was looking like a leader in the field but he dropped out because his Grandson was injured in a mine accident, so it looked like Richardson would win out after that given that he was seemingly in second place in most polling, but want do you know Porter was able to make it back up in the polls mainly because a lot of Prendergast voters went to him rather than towards Richardson. It all came to an end in Georgia, where Richardson won by a point and Porter dropped out, leaving Richardson as the presumptive nominee.

[Erbaile]

Might try this out then. Is Texas gov open?

[Meelducan]

Appropriate edits to the 2010 election have been made. Also added committee assignments.

(Image)

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Character Information Sheet

(Image)

NS Nation Name: Capile
Character Name: Eric Falconer
Character Gender: Male
Character Age: 59
Character Height: 6'4"
Character Weight: 230 lbs
Character Position/Role/Job:

Junior US Senator from Alaska (2011 – Present)
State Representative for Alaska's 32nd District (2009 – 2010)
Mayor of Cordova, Alaska (2004 – 2009)
Cordova City Councilman (1998 – 2004)
OB-GYN (1994 – 2010)
OB-GYN Resident (1992 – 1994)
Medical Intern (1991 – 1992)
Clinical Clerk (1990 – 1991)
Private Pilot (1986 – 1990)
Quarrier (1984 – 1986)
Enterprise Rent-A-Car Sales Associate (1983 – 1984)
USAF Senior Airman (1981 – 1983)
USAF Airman First Class (1979 – 1981)

Appearance: John Thune
Character State of Origin: Texas
Character State of Residence: Alaska
Character Party Affiliation:

Republican (2007 – Present)
Libertarian (1990 – 2007)
Republican (1979 – 1990)

Main Strengths: Relatively safe seat; economic-focused, laissez-faire platform appeals to moderate, independent, and Libertarian voters; military service shores up veteran vote; decently attractive; reputation for defending the 2nd Amendment and other Constitutional freedoms keeps Republican base loyal; standard-bearer for the Libertarian wing of the GOP; principled, honest, and hard-working; loving family; intelligent and intuitive; eloquent writer; skilled physician and pilot; physically fit and active
Main Weaknesses: Dwindling and thinly spread nationwide support for his politics; uncompromising and idealistic when it comes to how government should work; long history of obstructionism; almost no meaningful legislation passed in ten years; soft-spoken in person and on the debate stage; often willful and bull-headed; isolationist and unwilling to seek help; politically isolated in Congress; [presumably] disliked by Republican leadership; critical of Arnold Wolf and his policies; refuses to endorse candidates who do not completely represent his values

Biography: When you think Alaska, the William P. Hobby Airport probably doesn't come to mind. But for Senator Eric Falconer, too great a part of his youth is tied to that damnable, beautiful place.

Eric was born in Houston, Texas, in 1961. An only child, he was raised mostly by his mother, Loretta; his father, Fred, a commercial airline pilot, was never around for a game of catch or a fishing trip. The Falconers lived in a house much larger and nicer than they could afford on paper; the William Hobby Airport was as close as the nearest neighbor, and the noise pollution drove the property value down. When he wasn't reading, young Eric often found himself watching from his window as the sleek metal birds took wing, wondering when one would bring his father back to him— or, as he grew older, how long it would be before he was the one soaring high as eagles.

Eric was a precocious, analytical, and frank child, never quite learning when it was best to keep his mouth shut. He was prone to pointing out flaws and proposing rational solutions in everything from his math homework to others' love lives, and his deadpan remarks, always intended as informative rather than humorous, usually resulted in either a chorus of laughs or a mouthful of soap, but rarely an intellectual discussion. He thus acquired an active dislike for most people from childhood, and kept a tiny and cerebral circle of friends. When his grandfather died of cancer, Eric, still in middle school, wanted to know exactly why, and his subsequent research sparked a lifelong interest in medicine, a field whose bread and butter was diagnosing problems and prescribing solutions.

Inspired by an anti-Communist speech from then-presidential candidate Ronald Reagan in 1976, Eric joined the JROTC program, enabling him to realize his long-time dream of learning to fly. He also became a varsity athlete on his high school's cross country and swim teams, developing a robust physique he would maintain for the rest of his life. Despite all of his achievements, his social life was very limited, exemplified by the fact that he chose not to attend his senior prom. After graduating, Eric enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1979, and was granted the rank of Airman First Class because of his JROTC experience. Shortly thereafter he was transferred to Eielson Air Force Base near Moose Creek Alaska, to participate in a training program for the A-10 Thunderbolt.

Initially less than thrilled to leave balmy Texas for what he had imagined as the North Pole, Eric was surprised by the natural beauty that met him in Alaska and impressed by many of the state government's policies, such as the abolition of income tax and the Permanent Fund dividend. While stationed at Eielson, Eric's voracious appetite for literature outpaced the base's meager library, and he began reading anything he could get his hands on, culminating in a battered second-hand copy of Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. The novel had a profound impact on Falconer, who identified strongly with its "men of the mind," captains of industry inhibited by lesser men and bloated government. He soon imbibed the rest of Rand's corpus and began to work his way through abstruse tomes by Austrian school economists like Mises, Hayek, Sennholz, and Rothbard, nurturing an unabashedly libertarian worldview.

In 1980, after many years of romantic failures, Eric was introduced by a friend to his future wife, Wendy, the only daughter of Fairbanks oil baron Charles Roark. Although Eric and Wendy took to each other quickly, finding shared interests in literature and running, her father disapproved of the match, and it was only through stealth and subterfuge he could see her. With the passion of their affair magnified by its secrecy, the two began to consider elopement, an idea repellant to Eric's conservative sensibilities, but seemingly the only way they could marry. Before any plans could be executed, Eric was deployed to Grenada in 1983 in Operation Urgent Fury, promising he would return for Wendy.

Eric had emerged from his awkward teenage years a self-confident and headstrong young man well-known for arguing with his superiors and disregarding orders, frustrating any hope of promotion past Senior Airman. Nevertheless, he distinguished himself by his bravery and dedication during the operation, flying multiple back-to-back missions providing close air support to the jarheads on the ground. On one such mission, Eric forget his standard-issue earplugs; being the willful, self-reliant man he was, he refused to turn back, and suffered permanent hearing damage from the thunder of his warthog's engines. At Urgent Fury's end, Falconer was decorated with a Bronze Star by the (admittedly medal-happy) Air Force; yet he did not see a future for himself there. Upon returning to Alaska and reuniting with Wendy, he sought and was granted an honorable discharge due to his hearing disability.

Military Decorations

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Bronze Star Medal
Air Force Combat Action Medal
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal

Although his mother compelled him to return to Texas, Eric chose to remain in the state he had come to adopt as his homeland, but had doubts as to his future. He did not want to make a living as a commercial pilot, like his father, which narrowed the opportunities in the field in which he was trained. Moreover, he resolved that he would not marry Wendy without her father's blessing, and so the pressure for a high-income job had never been more intense. Funded by the GI Bill, Eric enrolled in the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where he majored in biology. To pay the bills, he took a sales job at the local Enterprise Rent-A-Car dealership. Eric hated being a car salesman, and was not very good at it, either; his blunt candor saved many potential customers their money, to the ire of his boss. He lasted less than a year before, fed up with the sleazy business dealings he witnessed on a daily basis, he quit, trading the cushy job for a night shift at a nearby granite quarry.

The work was long and back-breaking, and it took a heavy toll on Eric both physically and mentally; but there was a silver lining. When Charles Roark learned that Eric was working in a quarry to fund his education and had aspirations of going to medical school, he could no longer pretend that the boy was a ne'er-do-well stringing his daughter along. Somewhat shamefacedly, he admitted he had misjudged Eric, and gave him his blessing to marry Wendy. As a gesture of contrition, Charles paid for the wedding, a stately and romantic affair officiated under the ghostly blaze of the Northern Lights in 1985. The next year, Charles also arranged for Eric to be employed as the private pilot of one of his wealthy friends, Ranjan Patel. Although Eric initially chafed at the prospect of being another man's glorified chauffeur, he and his employer shared many Libertarian politics, and the two became friends.

Eric was accepted to medical school at University of Alaska Fairbanks, and after Wendy became pregnant in 1989, chose to specialize in obstetrics and gynecology, graduating in 1992. He completed his clinical clerkship and medical internship at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital. Juggling his education with his work, his marriage, and his newborn daughter, Autumn, proved trying, and there were more than a few nights when Eric had to turn to the bottle for solace; but he survived, completing his residency at a local women's hospital in 1994 shortly after the birth of his second daughter, Anne. The same year, the Falconer family moved south to the remote but affluent Cordova, where Eric opened the town's first women's clinic.

All this time, Eric had been closely watching politics; he left the Republican Party for the Libertarian Party in protest of President George H.W. Bush's tax hikes in 1990, and had since become firmly entrenched in Libertarian and constitutionalist philosophy, particularly due to the local success third parties enjoyed in Alaska. He had been an active member of Fairbanks' chapter of the Libertarian Party, and became a crucial organizer of the Cordova chapter, hosting meetings in his home and making large monetary donations to local candidates. He was such a lynchpin that many encouraged him to run for citywide office, despite only living in Cordova for a few years. Eric had never felt a calling for the civil service, but accomplishing Libertarian objectives on a local level seemed achievable, responsible, and patriotic, and in 1997 he ran for city council.

With only a few hundred residents to convince, Eric was easily elected— no doubt many of his voters were parents whose children he had delivered. Eric served two terms on the city council, repealing ordinances he felt constricted civil liberties and working to reduce government as much as possible. In his personal life, he kept a loving marriage, raised his daughters with a strict but tender hand, and remained physically active. Earning a generous salary from his clinic, he commissioned a private airstrip and acquired an 8GCBC Scout bush plane. In 2003, Falconer became something of a local hero: a wildfire threatened Cordova, and Eric evacuated several families on his private plane. He regarded it as nothing more than human decency, but to his irritation, the local media idolized him. Although the flames were blown away at the last minute by a "miracle wind," the glowing press Eric received from the incident was not quickly forgotten, and his constituents urged him to run for mayor.

Endorsed by the retiring incumbent, Eric won the mayorship of Cordova in a landslide in 2003. Although he was reticent about becoming a bureaucrat, there was something about public service that was heart-warming, especially in such a small and tight-knit community; and on top of that, Eric felt he was making real, Libertarian progress. Cordova saw record economic and population growth under his tenure; relaxed business regulations encouraged job providers to migrate to the small town, and Mayor Falconer halved the city's sales tax and eliminated the surtax on tobacco and alcohol. The first Libertarian to be elected to an Alaskan mayorship, Eric garnered significant renown among the Libertarian Party of Alaska, and was a keystone speaker at the state convention of 2004. However, Falconer was discouraged by the disorganized, fractious, and stagnant state of the Party, as well as the growth of the radical caucus formed in 2006.

Also in 2006, Eric easily won re-election. The local state representative had recently announced that she would not seek another term, prompting several friends to suggest that Eric run for her seat in the statehouse. His father-in-law even offered to contribute $20,000 to his campaign, a sum his friend and previous employer Ranjan Patel promised to match. Falconer had many reservations about leaving small town politics for state-level bureaucracy, but his opinions shifted when [not-Ron Paul] came to national attention by launching a bid for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination. Eric became a devoted follower of [not-Paul], impressed by his consistent voting record, and, anticipating a Libertarian revolution in the Republican Party, filed for candidacy in the election for state representative of Alaskas's 32nd district as a Republican.

Eric swept the field against a handful of obscure candidates in the primary, and faced Susan Pokiak, who was doomed to defeat by the D next to her name on the ballot, in the general election. His candidacy was boosted by his military service, a slew of endorsements from state figures, including Governor Paulette Smith, and generous campaign contributions from his father-in-law and other wealthy acquaintances. Upon entering the statehouse, Falconer quickly made a name for himself by voting against an unprecedented amount of legislation, often by himself, on the grounds that it was not explicitly prescribed by either the state or US Constitution. He was also a prolific author of symbolic legislation that had little chance of leaving the House floor, though a few of his bills passed into law, such as one designating the Alaskan Malamute the state dog, another declaring Alaskan firearms exempt from federal regulation, and another expanding tax credits for the oil, gas, and fishing industries. Falconer continued to reside in Cordova and practice obstetrics and gynecology when the House was not in session.

Voting Record

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1980 – Ronald Reagan
1984 – Ronald Reagan
1988 – George H.W. Bush
1992 – H. Ross Perot
1996 – H. Ross Perot
2000 – Harry Browne
2004 – Michael Badnarik
2008 – Chuck Baldwin
2012 – Ron Paul (write-in)
2016 – Ron Paul (write-in)
*Assume these names are replaced with their LOTF counterparts

Eric was disappointed when [not-Ron Paul] lost the 2008 nomination, and refused to support Jeff McDowd, whom he regarded as only superficially different from Democratic candidate Rashid Baharia. However, he was buoyed when [not-Paul] announced a possible 2012 campaign, and began to consider a federal candidacy himself. In early 2010, he was approached by Republican Party functionaries seeking a candidate to primary Senator [not-Ted Stevens], who had been convicted in a federal corruption trial. Eric was considered a rising star in the Alaskan Republican Party, with better name recognition than many statewide politicians due to his unorthodox voting habits. With the support of his family, large donors, and many state Republicans, Eric declared his intention to run early in 2010, envisioning himself as a torchbearer who would bring libertarian Republican ideals to the Senate floor and thus the center stage.

The Republican primary was vicious. Already advantaged as the longtime incumbent, [not-Stevens] attacked Falconer for his relative inexperience, his obstructionist record in the statehouse, his recent desertion from the Libertarian Party, and his refusal to endorse Republican presidential candidates. Eric prided himself on running a clean campaign, emphasizing his military service and uncompromising loyalty to the principles of the Constitution, but was not afraid to criticize his opponent, leveraging the guilty verdict as evidence of [not-Stevens]'s corruption. An important issue in the primary was that of abortion; Eric favored repealing Roe v. Wade and letting states write their own abortion laws, a stance that swayed many primary voters. At first, Falconer was viewed as an underdog candidate, with early polling skewed as much as 60% to 30% for [not-Stevens]; however, his campaign continued to gain momentum throughout the spring of 2010. Eric received a bevy of endorsements from well-known figures both in Alaska and nationwide, most notably former governor Paulette Smith, and was also endorsed by several conservative groups, including the National Rifle Association, the Club for Growth, and the National Right to Life Committee. He was quickly identified as the Tea Party candidate as opposed to the more establishmentarian [not-Stevens], and the primary received some national attention as a litmus test for the nascent Tea Party.

Eric's years in Cordova had humbled him somewhat; his demeanor had become less that of a loose cannon pilot and more that of a country doctor, attentive, courteous, and wise. Soft-spoken for a politician, he was not a commanding or bombastic orator, but was recognized as eloquent nonetheless, with a clear understanding of his platform and a talent for articulating it. The Republican candidates participated in a televised debate, which greatly increased Falconer's name recognition; his performance also received praise, and he rose to within three points of [not-Stevens] in polling. A large-scale ad push by the Falconer campaign in the last week before the primary, focusing on the issues of abortion and nepotism, was the likely fulcrum, as Eric defeated [not-Stevens] 51.2% to 48.8% in a well-publicized upset.

Just days after conceding the primary, [not-Stevens] was killed in a plane crash, and Alaska's governor appointed a replacement to complete the last few months of his term. Meanwhile, Eric faced Democrat [not-Scott McAdams] and a handful of third party candidates in the general election. Now with the full strength of the GOP behind him, Falconer vowed to campaign in all nineteen of Alaska's boroughs as well as a dozen locations in the unorganized borough, and spent the summer and fall flying from town to town in his bush plane. He concentrated on communicating his personality and core values to the voters, believing that every last one was a Libertarian— he or she just didn't know it yet.

Although the Democratic opposition attempted to use [not-Stevens]'s conviction as an indictment of the Republican Party in general, Eric Falconer was a strong anti-corruption candidate, and the election was widely regarded as a safe Republican hold. When the final votes were tallied, Eric Falconer was elected to the United States Senate with 56.8% of the vote; [not-McAdams] placed second with only 23.5%.

Swearing his oath of office on his family Bible at age 49, Eric joined Alaska's Senate delegation in January 2011, and quickly became known as one of the most eccentric voters in the Republican caucus. As in the Alaskan statehouse, Falconer sponsored a great deal of symbolic legislation: his first proposal was to cut $500 billion from government spending by axing a half-dozen federal agencies. To date, he has one of the lowest legislative success rates in the Senate. However, Eric also made a name for himself as a proponent for the legalization of cannabis, gay marriage, and online gambling. He was one of the inaugural members of the Tea Party Caucus, and one of two Republicans to vote against extending provisions of the PATRIOT Act. He distinguished himself as a strident critic of President Baharia's foreign policy, taking particular exception to American intervention in the Libyan Civil War, and has consistently advocated for a 100% reduction in foreign aid. Senator Falconer endorsed [not-Ron Paul] in the 2012 Republican presidential primary, and refused to support Ron Mitter after he won the nomination, deeming him "indistinguishable" from Baharia on all matters of consequence. Eric frequently filibustered legislation he disagreed with, even that originating from Republican legislators, and spoke for over ten hours in opposition to the re-authorization of the PATRIOT Act. He repeatedly introduced legislation that would fully audit the Federal Reserve, and has boasted of having never voted for a tax hike or a deficit increase.

Committee Assignments

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Committee on Appropriations

• Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
• Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies

Committee on Armed Services

• Subcommittee on Airland (Chair)
• Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support
• Subcommittee on Strategic Forces

Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

• Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security
• Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard

Committee on the Judiciary

• Subcommittee on the Constitution

Committee on Veterans' Affairs

By 2016, Eric had become the poster boy of the libertarian Republican movement— or what was left of it— and there was some speculation as to whether he would make a bid for the Republican presidential nomination. Instead, Eric chose to defend his Senate seat, fending off a primary challenge and dominating the general election. 51% of Alaskans sent Falconer back to the Senate, despite his refusal to endorse a Republican presidential candidate for the third consecutive election. Eric saw Arnold Wolf as little more than bombast and showmanship, and broke with Wolf more than any other Republican in Congress over the next few years, notably opposing Wolf's proposed border wall. In the 2020 Republican presidential primary, Eric endorsed Dianne Paulson, expressing contempt for Bernard Porter and apathy toward the other candidates.

Other Info: Eric remains happily married. His two fully grown daughters are also married, and he has three grandchildren by them. He continues to reside in Cordova when not on congressional business, although he no longer practices medicine. One of the most active members of Congress, he is a regular at the annual Congressional soccer match, and frequently jogs across D.C. to blow off steam. Another hobby he has recently taken to is drone piloting, which has led him into several alterations with the Capitol Police.

In 2017, Eric released his first book, Carrying the Torch: Preserving Freedom in the Modern Era, documenting the battle for the direction of the GOP and offering a Libertarian path for the Party. It sold modestly, and heightened his acclaim among the [not-Ron Paul]/Dianne Paulson wing of the GOP.

Political Positions

Abortion
Falconer is personally pro-life, and supports a repeal of Roe v. Wade, arguing that abortion law should be left to individual states. He has stated that his time as an obstetrician led him to believe life begins at conception.
Immigration
Falconer opposes a border wall and has proposed a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants over a five-year period as part of the yearly immigrant quota.
LGBTQ+
Although he initially believed that gay marriage law should be devolved to the states, he supported the Supreme Court's decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, stating that the government should not have any part in regulating marriage. However, he has denounced gender reassignment surgery as "genital mutilation" and advised that such procedures be illegal for minors.
Foreign Policy
Falconer is a prominent non-interventionist, calling for a large-scale reduction in military spending and a complete suspension of foreign aid. He has stated that he considers Israel to be America's "greatest friend" but that the United States should not interfere in Middle Eastern affairs.
Criminal Justice
Falconer supports criminal justice reform, including restoring voting rights to non-violent felons, ending mandatory minimum sentencing, and abolishing the war on drugs.
Cannabis
Falconer believes cannabis should be legalized, though he would prefer it to be a states' rights issue rather than a federal law.
Government Surveillance
Falconer has made defense of Americans' right to privacy a key plank in his platform, opposing the PATRIOT Act and praising "whistleblowers" like [not-Edward Snowden] and WikiLeaks.
Climate Change
Falconer has not embraced the scientific consensus on climate change, but believes measures should be taken to reduce pollution.
Vaccinations
Falconer has stated that vaccinations should never be mandatory, but has encouraged their use.

I have read and accept the rules of the roleplay: Capile

Do Not Remove: 84721

Good application, fixes the Senate timeline!

[New Cobastheia]

Might try this out then. Is Texas gov open?

Typically speaking we don't let new players have their first character be a Governor of a major state, usually it's suggested that new players first app a Representative so they can get a lay of the land and all that

[Kargintinia]

Might try this out then. Is Texas gov open?

You should app for a Texas representative and run for governor in 2022.

[Erbaile]

Might try this out then. Is Texas gov open?

You should app for a Texas representative and run for governor in 2022.

I'll probably go for this then. Thanks!

[Democratic Peoples republic of Kelvinsi]

Republican: Nate Richardson, former Governor of North Carolina. Very moderate, Mitt Romney like.

Democrat: Jillian Dayton, Senator for Virginia, younger Hillary Clinton

How did a Mitt Romney win in the party of Trump???

Also Richardson did not run on "I am Mitt Romney". He portrayed himself as a loyal supporter for Not-Trump.

So more Haley/Rubio than Romney.