Jack Codiga

The Election Hub Questionnaire

Please share demographic information to help voters (your age, education, and where you live in NC now).

I’m 29 and originally from Santa Cruz, a beach town in California. I graduated from Santa Clara University with a degree in Finance and Real Estate.

I moved to Charlotte in 2021 after traveling while working during COVID. Charlotte was one of the places I visited, and I loved it. When my employer implemented a return-to-office policy, I quit and decided to make Charlotte home.

After moving here, I met my wife, who is from the area, and we now have a young daughter. I work in commercial real estate mortgage banking.

Why are you running for this role, and why should voters pick you over your competitors? Please tell us about any previous experience in elected office that you have.

I am running to make the system more accountable to the people.

Americans can’t afford the basics while Washington overspends and devalues the money we work hard for. And too many people don’t feel represented by the politicians they elect.

We need systemic change. We need accountability for government spending, including a dollar backed by something that constrains spending (such as silver/gold). We don’t have that today, and I believe it is the root cause of why people can’t afford the basics: housing, food, you name it. It’s wrong that the money you work for loses value, making it harder to afford what people used to be able to afford.

But after winning the Republican primary and spending months on the campaign trail, one thing has become 100% clear to me: before we can really solve the problems we face, we have to address the fact that we aren’t represented by the people elected to serve us.

The biggest solution I see is fixing our electoral system and limiting the power of party gatekeepers. We need election reforms that give voters more choice, an end to gerrymandering, and majority-runoff federal elections so voters choose their politicians, not the other way around.

And we need representatives who put their constituents first, not just toe the party line, even when that means standing against wars Congress never authorized, like the Iran war.

That’s what I’m running to represent for Charlotteans in Washington.

I’m running to change the system, while the 12-year incumbent embodies the system, the biggest thing I take issue with is taking questionable money that may or may not influence her voting.

Namely, a $55k trip to Israel in 2023 paid for by an Israel interest group. Then, in 2024, Alma Adams voted in favor of $26 billion in foreign aid to Israel. In July, she voted against pulling our funding of Israel’s military, while instead pushing the “Block the Bombs Act,” which would prohibit the President from selling, transferring, or exporting certain defense articles or services to Israel, except in specified circumstances (which doesn’t really block the bombs).

So, in typical politician fashion, her stated support to “block the bombs” to Israel isn’t really reflected in her voting record.

If you are looking for a change from a system that doesn’t represent you, I hope that I can earn your vote.

Tell us about 1-2 professional accomplishments that gives voters a sense of your leadership style or skills.

In my work, people trust me with multi-million-dollar decisions on how their commercial real estate deals are structured. I interface with capital providers for my clients and make a point to be clear, direct, and honest with everyone involved.

A campaign example of my leadership style is standing up to local GOP leaders who tried to undermine my campaign. On September 28, I exposed their actions and called for the resignation of four officers. I will call for accountability where it is needed. You can see that here: https://x.com/codiga/status/2104748424457302157

What endorsements from any notable NC organizations or individuals have you received?

I will be endorsed by Ron Paul, a former Congressman who ran for president twice, in 2008 and 2012. It’s a real honor given how he served with honesty, consistency, and a willingness to challenge the political establishment.

How long have you lived in the region you are looking to represent in office?

Five years

Please tell us something unexpected about you that voters may be interested in knowing.

I think it’s a good thing that more North Carolinians are registered independent than Republican or Democrat. I hope that opens the door to more conversations about solutions that actually benefit people, not just the party establishment.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is an area of concern for many voters (e.g. government-run chatbots; AI-generated videos, text and images; data centers; license-plate readers; AI to hire and evaluate employees or teach students).

How should elected officials in your role regulate AI, if you believe they should?  How should elected officials in your role use AI?

AI is a tool that can help us be more productive, but there are plenty of downsides that we must mitigate.

Unlike President Trump, I do believe AI should be regulated. At the federal level, the focus should be on protecting our civil liberties, which we already don’t do a good job of protecting in the digital realm.

We already live in a surveillance state, and AI pours gasoline on the fire. It makes it easier for us to be tracked, for speech to be controlled, and for people to increasingly be controlled as we become more reliant on digital technology. AI makes it possible for all of us to be controlled from a central location.

Federal legislation that codifies our rights in the digital world is important. I don’t believe we really need new legislation. We just have to look at the Bill of Rights to know what we allow today is wrong. But since our current politicians haven’t done that, I’m in favor of a “Digital Bill of Rights” that establishes some basic protections:

• Users of technology platforms should be able to opt out of sharing their personal information in order to access digital services.

• Protect free speech too. While the First Amendment protects Americans from government censorship, much of our public discourse now takes place on digital platforms. I support legislation requiring transparency in algorithms, including the ability for users to view content chronologically, as well as criminalizing collusion between government and private companies that share information with the government without a warrant.

It’s a shame that conversations about invasive technology, like AI-powered cameras such as Flock, are being handled at the city level rather than through better rules that prevent technology from turning society into a control grid.

Being pro-AI and pro-data centers is an incredibly unpopular position, and that shows why we need election reform that better represents the people’s voice. We shouldn’t have technology and policies forced on us at every level of government when the people clearly have concerns about them.

As for how an elected U.S. Congressman should use AI, it should be a secured local application on a secured device. It should be used as a glorified spell check and for general research. If AI is used, it’s important not to feed it confidential information or become reliant on it. It should be a tool that helps us, not something that controls us.