Merissa Hamilton, Political Advocate and one-time candidate for Governor and US Senator from Arizona

Let’s say you have an issue you believe is important and needs to get a bit more media coverage and understanding and help from the public but it’s just not happening; what’s a person to do? Well, if you live in Arizona and you are Merissa Hamilton (A September Group, LLC, consultant.) you in 2016 file as a Libertarian write-in candidate to run for the United States Senate, against incumbent Sen. John McCain, getting 1,584 votes to Sen. McCain’s 1,359,267 votes, but most importantly Hamilton got media time for her issue of a dysfunctional foster care system in her state

Candidates.vote – Merissa can you explain how a nice Republican girl like you showed up in a place like that? An Independent write in candidate running against Senator John McCain?

Merissa – When I ran I didn’t really run to win. I ran because it gave me a platform to talk about foster kids and broken system in the state of Arizona and nationally. With foster care there were and are some real tragedies in our system in Arizona. And now I plan on running and I plan to win.

Candidates.vote – You are very impassioned about the foster care system, but seem to have some very strong feelings about homelessness, criminal justice, mental illness and reforms needing to take place in those areas.

Merissa – Having been able to work one year for Phoenix City Councilman Sal DiCiccio I helped on a project in all of those areas. In fact, I’m still helping with one having to do with criminal justice reform; but yes, all of those things make up areas I have an interest in improving for people around me.

Candidates.vote – For a person who is dedicated to seeing improvements made in as many of those aspects of society as one can, I’d like to know what book we might find you at the present time?

Merissa – Actually, I’m listening to Daniel Hatcher’s, “The Poverty Industry — The Exploitation of America’s Most Vulnerable Citizens.” It shows how governments operate the foster care systems, criminal justice, homelessness, and mental illness programs – the most vulnerable people in the population and this modern day crisis is a problem being created by government programs.

We are watching the perfect storm in all of this so to speak. The left created it with the programs and the GOP won’t speak up about it.

Candidates.vote – No doubt you have seen the worst of the worst there is in all of this; some, actually most might have pulled back out of revulsion of fear of not being able to do anything about it. Yet you, you have embraced it. What has kept you from finding a corner and just hiding in it and crying?

Merissa – Actually, the first three months I was in shock. In fact, I was so depressed about it and that government had created the problem I felt unpatriotic. I mean, how can you make good policy in what is just a state of emotion?

Candidates.vote – What brought about the change in your feelings and kept you from staying in the corner?

Merissa – Realizing I could be a voice; one with rightfully righteous anger. Knowing nothing gets solved on its own and knowing it firsthand. I grew up for a time in poverty… and for a time my dad was somewhat abusive. I read about these things. I see these things… and I wonder what would have happened if government had intervened – what would have happened to me.

That’s usually when I look around and realize how much peace I can; we all can bring to these people’s lives if we do it in the right way.

Candidates.vote – What is your background in where you are from and have grown up developing these feelings?

Merissa – I was born in Connecticut and raised in New Jersey, spending my summers in Chino Valley, Arizona with my grandparents. And it was about in high school I made the move to Arizona and have grown up here with Arizona values and beliefs.

Candidates.vote – Along with running for the United States Senate and Governor of Arizona and trying to change the world, what else might we find Merissa Hamilton doing?

Merissa – I was a journalist for two years and then moved to Phoenix and went to work for a trucking company just about the time GPS first started and I’m now in the private data integrity sector. And right now I’m in the food product industry.

Working on a system where things are determined to be Gluten Free and if there is a change to a product within a matter of seconds the whole industry right down the line knows.

Candidates.vote – For the person or people who might just be looking at what is happening politically right now and wanting to give up on it; what would you say to them?

Merissa – I get it. I left the GOP for one and one-half years. In fact, I called myself an anarchist for a while. When the voice of the people is manufacture it has become an industry. Yet, at the city council level I saw the power of the people. Don’t ignore local government and the involvement and good you can do there.

All politicians are not corrupt. You’ll see it, but there aren’t enough activists – come and let me show you how it can be done. Just one law and issue at a time and we can restore our country.