I am writing this to you because I am absolutely furious.

I’m furious that our country just endured 40 days of needless pain during the longest shutdown in history, only to end up right back where we started. What was all that agony for?

The Republican Party was willing to take SNAP benefits, air travel safety, and government workers like Park Rangers' paychecks hostage to get what they wanted. And then the Democrats spent 40 days in gridlock, caused immense harm to working families, and agreed to a deal that offered nothing of substance in return.

The pain was seemingly for nothing.

This entire disaster proves what I’ve been saying: The problem isn't just one party; it's the leadership of both parties that have failed (in very different ways) the basic test of governance.

As your Senator, I would never vote for Chuck Schumer as Senate Leader. And I would never vote for John Thune either. Both men are symptoms of the same disease: a broken D.C. system that rewards extremism, fealty to the Executive Branch, and dysfunction over common sense.

We need a Senate that answers to the American people, not the corporate lobbyists and party bosses. We need a new Independent caucus—with the integrity and discipline of people like Dan Osborn in Nebraska and Todd Achilles in Idaho—to put working families first. If we are elected to the Senate, I will vote for Dan Osborn for Leader.

Like most Americans, I understand how Washington should work, and I’m disgusted by how it actually does. I am running to stop the madness.

If you agree that Schumer and Thune must be held accountable for this failure, please chip in $25 right now. Every dollar funds the only campaign that can deliver real independence.

Thank you for standing with me against the political establishment. It’s time South Dakota sent a leader, not a hostage-taker.

Thank you for standing with me,
Brian Bengs
Pro-Choice, Pro-Union, Independent Candidate for U.S. Senate

DONATE »