David Niederkorn has filed to run for U.S. representative, District 3. He is running as a Republican against state Sen. Van Taylor and Alex Donkervoet in the March 6 primary election.

Community Impact Newspaper sent Niederkorn a list of questions about his candidacy. Below are his answers, edited for publication style.

Q: Why did you decide to run for this office?

A: I teach the Constitution to my federal government students as if it were still 1787, meaning that we seek to understand the document as it was written. Then, in the second half of my course, we study political ideologies and current politics. It is disheartening to see how far away Washington has drifted from what our founders gave us. I am running for U.S. Congress because it is broken—and I know how to fix it. Congress is broken at the institutional level, which is to say it no longer functions as the deliberative body the American founders gave us.

There are two ways to fix Congress. First, federalism. Washington must send power back to the states. Second, Congress must strengthen the committee system—it is how we wrote the Constitution. A few leaders have taken power from the members by destroying the committee system.

Q: What experience—professionally or politically—do you have that would prepare you for this position?

A: I know the legislative process better than any of my opponents, yet I’ve never run for political office. I’m a rare opportunity to elect someone who knows how Congress works, but is not a career politician. I am writing my Ph.D. in politics dissertation on congressional term limits at the University of Dallas, and I teach politics at Arlington Baptist University. My study of the American founding, the U.S. Constitution and the legislative process has prepared me to be a productive member of Congress.

Q: If elected, what would be your top priorities?

A: My four-policy platform is Congress is broke, Social Security—which fails in 2034—is almost broke, the Department of Veterans Affairs is beyond broke and the federal tax code is breaking us all. A Congress that works would fix these things. I offer extensive plans for each of these priorities on my website.

Q: What else do you want constituents to know about you and your background?

A: I’m not new to politics—but I am new to campaigning. I’m not a career politician—but I do know politics. My Ph.D. in politics is from the very conservative University of Dallas and I am a conservative professor of politics at Arlington Baptist University. My specialties are the legislative process, the philosophy and principles of the American founders and the U.S. Constitution.

Most members of Congress are lawyers, business people and former military personnel. But only four current members of Congress hold a Ph.D. in politics. We clearly need a greater variety of expertise. I want voters to consider my rare capacity for success in Congress, combined with the very different perspective I will bring to the legislative process.

Can you imagine a Congress that works? I can.