John Hughs
RepublicanQ1 America has a growing artificial intelligence (AI) industry, supporting cutting edge innovation and reshaping businesses, but raising concerns about education, ownership, and security. Application of AI technology has increased the demand placed on data centers, controversial for their resource use (such as water and land) and raising utility costs. What are your policy positions in regards to data centers and AI? What sources of evidence informed these policies?
AI is extremely dangerous. It can grow itself and empower those who control/own it to become god-like. It must be carefully watched, monitored and heavily regulated, more so than atomic power. Notice the blood-lust in the way the data centers have been rushed in like animals in heat. They have been constructed in mass, making the gold-rush look mild, without regard to the damage to the environment, power drain or water glut. And all humans had better think of where the ROI is planned to be derived from. We need immediate federal legislation to protect our civil liberties from AI, a legislative fire wall that also keeps AI out of our justice system. Then we need to limit AI to foreign military operations and protect citizens from losing privacy to that system. Most AI centers in the west need to be shut down due to lack of water supply that does not exist, excepting only AK, LA, and south-east TX.
KEYWORDS: The information is all over the internet. “The Technological Republic” by Alex Karp, 2025.
Q2 What are your top funding priorities for environmental projects and research in our state? If you do not have specific priorities, how would you approach setting those priorities to ensure effective environmental stewardship?
I run for a federal office; congressman. Absent federal EPA superfund sites this is a question for the state of Washington. So the federal environmental attention must be focused on Hanford and such federal facilities.
KEYWORDS: Nuclear waste is a top priority, the vit plant seems to be working well.
Q3 What are your opinions on the current state of science literacy, and how could K-12 education standards be adapted to improve the public understanding of and relationship building in science?
In 1963 we lowered the basal text reading levels in schools, nationwide. The ACT/SAT scores went down then from 63 to 76. Return the pre-63 basal text reading level immediately. Schools have been focused on chasing the ball. Schools must be refocused on academic achievement and extra-cocurricular activities must be low priority. I believe in a bifurcated system. The bright students with high IQ’s should be separated and given superior academic challenges and a path leading to the higher sciences and higher demanding academics. If separate schools are necessary then provide them.
Q4 The Bear Gulch Fire, one of 2000 recorded fires in 2025, was the biggest on the Olympic Peninsula in 70 years, burning over 20,000 hectares and causing $42 million in damages. What are your policies around fire risk management for the state?
State to manage state lands. The federal lands are poorly managed. Half the federal lands could be used for homestead, excepting national parks and delicate land such as tundra. All areas of forest near roads, or towns of any size must be logged to a mile of the city limits. Prevent the fire damage. Fires that do not burn the property or the towns, let it burn. Mother nature allowed fires throughout history before the federal government took over to waste money.
Q6 In 2021, the WA legislature passed the Climate Commitment Act, which has helped to reduce carbon pollution, but puts extra economic burden on farmers and agricultural distributors in the state. What policies would you support, if any, for helping farmers and distributors balance these costs while maintaining Washington’s commitment to environmental sustainability?
State issue not federal. We MUST switch to burn hydrogen to save the planet. The first hydrogen car was built in 1800. Burning petroleum products is environmentally harmful and jeopardizes national security, ego the current war with Iran. We need trains, speed train. The interstate highway system was obsolete when build; makes no sense but to make the oil industry richer and destroy our economy and the planet.