I’m running with no party affiliation. Not because I think I’m above it, but because I don’t want to owe anyone a vote before I’ve read the bill. Independents don’t get a primary, a donor list, or a team telling them how to vote. That’s the point. If I get this wrong, it’s on me. If I get it right, it’s also on me. Either way, you’ll know exactly who to hold responsible.
And I’ll be straight with you about the odds: write-in candidates don’t usually win. I’m not doing this because I think I’m going to. I’m doing it because somebody should show that you still can — that a person can put their own name down, say what they actually think, and not need a party or a donor’s permission to do it. If that talks one other person into running for something, anything, that’s the whole return.
Winning is frosting. Inspiring is the cake.
Write-ins never appear on the printed ballot list — that’s just how it works. But Arizona publishes an official list of registered write-in candidates for this election, and I’m on it. You can also see the actual state documents from my filing. Don’t take my word for either.
Compare everyone on your ballot: Ballotpedia Sample Ballot · Vote411 (League of Women Voters) · AZ Secretary of State
Who else is running in AZ-6? The incumbent is Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R). The Democrat in the race is Joanna Mendoza. Jereme Lance Peters is the Libertarian candidate. Gary Swing is another write-in candidate for the Green Party. Read all of us, compare us, and pick whoever you honestly think is least likely to make things worse. (I’m hoping that’s me. Read first anyway.)
District 6 runs from the foothills out to Sierra Vista, Safford, Clifton, Duncan, and Casa Grande — and I’m running for all of it. We have several domains pointing to our VoteDorland site because still for sale, and they were cheap. If you’re in District 6, I’m running for you.
We’re not wealthy, and we’re not sentimental about a web address. We own plenty of domains and could move this whole site in an hour. So if anyone wants any of these web addresses, make an offer.
Good, so are we. Before you get worked up and start yelling about us being hypocrites because we use AI tools and don’t work in a data center: we run most of our own AI work locally, on our own hardware, largely on solar. And it’s also a policy position, not just a personal habit — I’m pushing for mandatory public reporting of data-center water and energy use, and an end to sweetheart utility deals that make Arizona families subsidize grid upgrades for trillion-dollar companies. If you want to build in the desert, the desert gets to see the bill. Read the full AI plank →
I will tell you the truth, even when a comfortable lie would be easier for me. That doesn't mean cruelty; you lead with kindness, then you tell the truth. But you don't get a representative who lies (even by omission; I hate those types of lies the worst) because the honest answer polls badly.
Things are hard, and the last decade proves they can always get worse. The first job of anyone handed power is to not accelerate the slide. I'm not promising to fix everything. I'm promising not to "make it worse," and you'd be surprised how rare that promise is.
Critical thinking and common sense aren't two separate things; they're the same thing from both ends. Logical reasoning with no common sense argues its way into nonsense; common sense with no thinking is just "everybody knows" and ignores years of dedicated investigation. You need both to have a functioning society. Example: a ceasefire that doesn't stop the bombing isn't a ceasefire.
I'll think things through using both.
Being human is hard enough as it is. Going out of your way to make other people's lives worse is just petty, and it's one thing nearly every ethical and religious tradition on earth pretty much agrees isn't cool. Decency isn't a policy position. It's the floor.
Here are the dedicated individuals behind “Dorland for Congress.” We are committed to transparency and community engagement.
Someone asked me what makes me uniquely qualified for this job. Here's my honest answer: I'm not. I think I'm at least qualified — but not uniquely. I'm certain there are people all over District 6 who are just as qualified as me, and plenty who are more. They just aren't running. And honestly? I hope a platform of honesty, common sense, and critical thinking isn't unique. Because if caring about those things makes me stand out — that just makes the whole thing a little sadder. So no, I won't tell you I'm the only one who can do this. I'll just tell you I'm willing to, I'll be honest about it, and I'll own it when I get it wrong."
We’re not taking donations. On purpose.
Federal rules say the moment a campaign raises or spends more than $5000, it has to register with the FEC and start filing paperwork. We’d rather spend that energy talking to you than talking to accountants. So this campaign runs on roughly nothing — a website, some streams, a few park benches, and a penguin.
If you want to help, it’s free: tell one person how to write me in. That’s worth more than money to a campaign like this anyway.
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