Erik Gerhardt is running with the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania against Mehmet Oz and John Fetterman for the U.S. Senate.  A recent poll by the Trafalgar Group had Gerhardt with 3.5%.  He is currently a master carpenter; he has lived in Montgomery County his whole life.  

Q: How did you get involved in politics?

I got into politics as a promise to myself as a young kid in Boy Scouts. The promise was that I would run for president of the United States on my 35 birthday. I knew I had no chance to win, [and] I know one of my greatest weaknesses is speaking in public. Social anxiety has plagued me my whole life. I just plainly overthink things. Running for the greatest position our country had to offer was to test me and help me grow out of my anxiety. Long story short, it worked and since then I have not looked back.

Q: You’re running as a Libertarian, what does libertarianism mean?

Libertarianism means to me that freedom is not free and its defense is not always pretty. But the morals of self-ownership and not being the first to act in violence stand true to our current situations. The government has moved against our freedom in a mad grab for control of the psyche and livelihoods of all Americans. If we are not free to live as we feel without harming others, is it freedom at all? The answer is no and that should never be true in a country that is deemed to be the land of the free.

Q: What’s the most important issue to your campaign, and why do you feel that way?

The economy is the most important issue to me. It’s a sad thing [that] we need to rely on money for our everyday lives, but money offers freedom to all those who can obtain it. The control and purposeful collapse of the economy is a brutish tool used by tyrants to control the people. It is my goal to put more in the pockets of all Americans and those who dream of a better life.

Q: With college students facing skyrocketing tuition, what should the federal government do about it?

The Federal government being involved in the issue is the issue. If they were not handing out breaks to big corporations and to the colleges themselves, the free market would lower costs. Even in this last round of student loan forgiveness colleges just raised their price the amount of the loan, and in bad business practice, those borrowers will now be taxed that money. In the end, they now will owe more than the money they make while receiving education, hurting the student who is well off more and making the financial divide wider.

Q: What problems do you see with the policing system in America, and what would you do about it in the Senate if elected?

A: The police have many issues first of which is internal affairs. This should be private and outsourced. As senator, I would suggest these changes with the platform provided to voice this and many other ideas to the police for their consideration.

Q: What role does the US have in getting involved in foreign conflicts, like in Yemen or Ukraine?

A: The US should pull out of these conflicts as we are making the next round of terrorists with every new bomb we drop. To end the killing is to start the path to peace.

Q: What do you think about the war on drugs, especially the Federal government’s decision to raise the drinking and smoking ages to 21?

A: The war on drugs is yet another failed war. The drugs have won and will not be leaving ever. We should follow other countries’ examples and build a system that treats drug abusers to be productive members of society. The continued prohibition in some places and free roam of other states allows the black market to thrive.

Q: What’s your stance on abortion and the recent overturning of Roe v Wade?

A: The issue of abortions should not be decided by the Senate, one man or woman at any position in government. It is a personal decision that should be made by the woman herself and those she confides in. The [Supreme] Court’s decision was the right one, and the states and their people should have a constitutional question added to the ballot to have the people decide on the issue.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Comenian requested interviews with candidates for higher office in Pennsylvania. Only Tim McMaster and Erik Gerhardt responded.