Meet the Team: Andy Roth

Friends,

The State Freedom Caucus Network has grown rapidly over the last three years, so we thought it would be a good idea to introduce ourselves to all the new supporters and followers. Up first is a short Q&A with the Network’s President, Andy Roth.

Where are you from originally? Where do you live now?

I’m originally from Salina, KS.  It’s a small town in the middle of the state.  It’s usually the place where people stop to get gas if they are driving West to Denver or East to Kansas City. 

I tell people that I currently live in DC, because like most people who live in this area, it’s the easiest way to explain it.  But in reality, I live in “Real America” across the river in the Virginia suburbs just outside the swampy beltway.

Tell us about your family! And pets!

I’ve been married to my beautiful wife, Kortney, for over 13 years, and I have two wonderful girls, Abbie (11) and Ava (9).  We have a cat, Lloyd, whom the girls adore, and my wife and I respectfully tolerate.

What's the best part of your job?

This is easy.  It’s an absolute thrill to watch state freedom caucus members succeed.  When we started the Network, we knew that conservative lawmakers across the country have the deck stacked against them.  They’ve been marginalized and treated with deep hostility by both parties in the Swamp.  Helping freedom caucus members win is an overwhelming joy that is hard to describe.  And it’s all because of their hard work (since they are on the front lines) and that of our state directors who are on the ground with them.

How did you come to SFCN? What did you do before?

Coming out of college, I was a stock trader for almost 7 years.  But shortly after the dot com bubble burst in 2001, I moved to DC to get my master’s in economics at George Mason University – one of the very few schools in the country that taught free market economics.  From there, I spent 18 years at the Club for Growth, most recently as their VP of Government Affairs and then running their new foundation.  In that capacity, I had been working extensively with the amazing members of the House Freedom Caucus and our friends at the Conservative Partnership Institute.  For years, we had been discussing the idea of helping state lawmakers form their own state freedom caucuses, and we finally did it in December 2021 when we launched the State Freedom Caucus Network.

Who or what most shaped your political philosophy/ideology?

As a Gen Xer, it should come as no surprise that I was heavily influenced by Ronald Reagan and Milton Friedman.  But as I got older and dug a little deeper, my views on the world were more heavily influenced by men like Frederic Bastiat, Jude Wanniski, and Ludwig von Mises.  However, everything I’ve learned from them is merely foundational.  I have gained FAR more knowledge and understanding about policy and politics from the interactions I’ve had with others in the conservative movement.  When you’re in the trenches fighting for freedom, the best way to strengthen your grasp on policy and test your resolve is through endless conversations with people in the movement.  I’m a big believer in Proverbs 27:17 – “iron sharpens iron”. 

What’s Your Favorite Quote?

I have three of them and they all describe the same thing – the forces of evil don’t immediately take hold of someone.  It’s done in a very quiet, subtle manner.  It’s a good reminder considering the fact that I see evil slowly stick its hooks into people in my line of work.

·      "The safest road to hell is the gradual one - the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts." - C.S. Lewis

·      "We cannot expect the Americans to jump from capitalism to communism, but we can assist their elected leaders in giving Americans small doses of socialism, until they suddenly awake to find they have communism.” - Nikita Khrushchev (probably)

·      "I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power, than by violent and sudden usurpations” - James Madison

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Keep fighting,
 
Dana Parish
VP of Development
State Freedom Caucus Network 

P.S. Your help is critical in building out a network of patriots and freedom fighters throughout our nation’s state capitols and in your home state. Please consider a contribution and join us as we work to advance the cause of liberty.