Challenging the Status Quo: Gubernatorial Candidate Aspires to Return Power to the People

 

St. Paul, MN.— Protecting the environment, governing with the goal of happiness, an opposition to lockdowns and his innovative proposal called Jury Democracy form the four pillars of Hugh McTavish’s campaign for Minnesota governor.

The biochemist and patent attorney (with 21 inventions under his belt) admits that he doesn’t fit neatly within the democratic or republican party.

“My views aren’t a good fit anymore for either party, really,” McTavish said in a recent interview. “I disagree with both of the two parties on a lot of issues, and I want to be above the fray.”

He is running for governor of Minnesota with the Independence-Alliance, the successor to the Independence Party that elected Jesse Ventura in 1998.

In his bid to return power to the people, he is emphasizing his Jury Democracy proposal, which involves having large, statistically valid juries of 500 to 2,000 randomly selected voters come to the capitol, hear arguments for and against a particular bill or proposal, deliberate on it, and then vote on that one bill or proposal.

According to McTavish, Jury Democracy would impact public debate and transform political power and how the government makes decisions.

“As governor, before I sign any important or controversial bill into law, I will submit it to a citizen jury of at least 500 people,” he added.  “If the jury approves the bill, I will sign it into law; if it rejects the bill, I will veto it. Effectively, I will not be governor—WE ALL WILL BE! I will give the power to you!”

A Ph.D. biochemist and immunologist, patent attorney, entrepreneur and author, McTavish has authored 18 refereed scientific journal articles and is the inventor of 21 U.S. patents. He has also written three books: Ending War in Our Lifetime, COVID Lockdown Insanity and Wild Plants of the Minneapolis/St. Paul Area. He has started two pharmaceutical companies off his own inventions. He lives near St. Paul, Minnesota. Now he is running for governor of Minnesota, primarily to bring the innovation of Jury Democracy to Minnesota and the world.

Besides hoping to positively impact government, McTavish entered the governor’s race because, in his words, “Everyone’s life matters.” McTavish has been outspoken about the harms of the lockdown response to COVID and how those harms vastly exceeded the benefits, sharing the science behind his claims in his thought-provoking book, COVID Lockdown Insanity (West Fork Press; ISBN-13: ‎978-1737327110).