About the Candidate
Hello there and thanks for checking out my campaign,
My name is Derek Fleming. I am a 37-year-old business owner who is simply fed up with Washington and the lack of serious, lasting progress that the American people deserve. I was raised in Western Massachusetts in the city of Northampton and come from a family of construction workers, teachers, tradesmen, veterans, and farmers. When I was a kid, there was no one I admired more than my Grandfather Bern or "big B" a WWII veteran who told me countless times of the horrors he faced and the brave men who fought beside him to rid the world of the Nazi regime. WWII was said to be the war to end all wars, but sadly, they were wrong about that. Even now, with all the knowledge we’ve gained through history, innovation and scientific discovery, we still live in a world governed by those who prefer to lead with force and fear instead of compassion and peace.
I am a college educated entrepreneur, a husband, a father, a grandson, a son, and a brother. Meeting my amazing wife Michelle is the best thing that has ever happened to me, and she has been the most incredible mother to our two daughters, Addy and Emmie. I love my family dearly, and I want to do whatever I can to help my girls grow up with more opportunities and more freedoms than my generation had.
Professionally, I’ve worked in higher education and corporate sales, and for the last eight years, I’ve owned and operated a small restaurant in the heart of District 5 on Mass Ave in Arlington. Owning a small business was a childhood dream of mine, and with the help of my family, we made it happen. Running a small business has given me a unique and raw look into the lives of thousands of everyday people here in our district. I’ve seen and felt firsthand the hardships many face every day: the rising cost of housing, healthcare, education, and basic necessities like groceries, and the toll this takes on families and individuals just looking to make ends meet.
Beyond the day-to-day struggles of our district, I am running because I believe the two-party system is fundamentally broken. It has become a closed loop where corporations and Super PACs effectively buy and hold seats for career politicians, turning what should be public service into something that looks more like a lifetime appointment, much like the very seat I am running for. Some of the worst offenders in this system are the massive corporations in the defense and military technology sectors. They spend hundreds of millions of dollars every year to ensure the status quo remains profitable, effectively buying influence over our foreign policy. When Congress is more focused on their own stock trades and keeping their biggest donors happy than they are on the needs of their constituents, the American people lose. This pay-to-play culture is exactly why we see such a disconnect between the reality on Mass Ave and the decisions made in Washington.
A lot of people might assume I’m jumping into this race because of the headlines surrounding Donald Trump, but I’m here to say that isn’t the whole picture. What I am challenging is the very structure of our government and the deceptive method of governance that has become the norm in Washington. It has become a system of "listen to what I say, but don’t watch what I do." Politicians from both parties want you focused on their speeches while they distract you from their actual actions, especially when it comes to where their campaign money is coming from and who is really influencing their votes. I've always believed that actions speak louder than words. We deserve a representative who is fully transparent, honest, and accountable, but right now, we aren’t getting much of that from either side.
Since my early years, our country has been in a perpetual state of war. Trillions have been spent across the globe on death and destruction, and I cannot sit idly by as the powers that be do nothing to prevent my daughters' generation from facing that same fate. It is time we listen to the American people, stop funding endless wars and reign in our reckless spending. As the Pentagon budget continues to rise decade after decade, with members of both parties voting for these increases, it is time we had a non-partisan representative to stand up on the House floor and say: enough is enough!