Patriot News Ticker

Igor Birman was born in the Soviet Union and learned at a young age what it means to live in a society that suppresses freedom. That experience has driven him to be an ardent and dedicated advocate for preserving freedom as the cornerstone of American public policy.

Igor Birman came to the United States as a refugee in 1994 and grew up in California. He refers to becoming a U.S. Citizen at the age of 19 as the proudest moment of his life. He is a graduate of UC Davis with a BA in Political Science and holds a Doctor of Law degree from Emory University. He is a member of the California Bar.

In 2009, he was asked by Congressman Tom McClintock to serve as his Chief of Staff. In that role, Igor served as Congressman McClintock's senior policy and strategy advisor, responsible for both Washington, DC and district offices, before recently taking a leave of absence to run for Congress.

Igor Birman resides in Rancho Cordova. In his spare time, he is an instrument-rated private pilot and avid skier.

Ben Sasse is a fifth-generation Nebraskan who fixes broken institutions.

When announced as president of the 130-year-old Midland University in 2009, Ben was 37, making him one of the youngest chief executives in American higher education. At the time, Midland was on the verge of closing. Since then, Ben's hometown college has been Nebraska's fastest-growing school four years in a row.

He began his business career with the Boston Consulting Group, and subsequently joined McKinsey and Company, advising leaders in times of crisis. He has helped turn around companies in industries ranging from airlines to manufacturers, and has challenged failed strategies in organizations from the FBI to the government of Iraq. An expert on healthcare delivery, he has spent much of the last decade advising hospital boards and healthcare providers on becoming more patient-focused.

Ben served as start-up chief of staff for Congressman Jeff Fortenberry, and was appointed to multiple posts by President George W. Bush. Most recently, he was Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which is unfortunately the federal government's largest agency. In that role, he crusaded tirelessly against the false promises and fiscal unsustainability of entitlement spending.

Steve Stockman was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives on November 6, 2012, with a vision of limited government and strong support for American families, a robust national defense budget. As a member of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, Rep. Stockman highlights the importance of a vigorous space exploration program and for keeping the U.S. at the forefront of space technology.

A fierce defender of constitutional liberties, Rep. Stockman is a leader in defending the Second Amendment. He introduced the very first pro-gun bill in the House in 2013 (H.R. 35, to repeal federal gun free zones). When the President threatened to bypass Congress and enact gun control through Executive Orders, Rep. Stockman introduced, along with Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky in the Senate, the "Restore the Constitution Act of 2013," which would nullify any anti-gun orders.

Rep. Stockman, who serves as Vice Chairman of the House Second Amendment Task Force, also authored legislation to strip funding to the UN should that body attempt to restrict American's gun rights. As a 100% pro-life supporter, Steve authored the 2013 Sanctity of Life Act, which declares that life begins at conception, and which also limits the federal courts' jurisdiction in cases dealing with the unborn. Congressman Stockman sits of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and plays an active role in uncovering the truth about what happened at the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi.

Katrina Pierson is best known across Texas and the nation as a passionate advocate for freedom. For five years, she has served as a Steering Committee member for the Dallas Tea Party. She is also the Founder of the Garland Tea Party and a member of the Texas Tea Party Caucus Advisory Committee. Her primary goal as an activist has been to provide citizens with the knowledge and skills they need to protect and advance liberty.

Katrina served on the Health Facilities Council and Economic Development boards appointed by the Garland City Council. She also served on the City of Garland on the Citizens Advisory Committee to DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit). Pierson was recognized by the 83rd Texas Legislature in Senate Resolution 1064 for her efforts raising political awareness across the state of Texas and the nation.

Katrina has spoken out for freedom on local news outlets, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, CNN, Fox Business Channel and The Blaze TV, among many others. She has spoken up on a wide range of issues, including local, state and federal budgets, civil liberties, privacy and health care. She has been honored to share the stage with top conservatives including Senator Jim DeMint, Senator Rand Paul, Senator Ted Cruz, Andrew Breitbart, Michelle Malkin, Ginni Thomas and many others.

Professionally, Katrina's background is in the health care industry. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Biology from the University of Texas at Dallas. Katrina and her son Christopher live in Garland, Texas.

In January 2011, Ted Cruz filed to run for U.S. Senate based on his proven record of fighting for conservative principles and winning on a national level. He is running for the Senate to stand up and fight to defend liberty, preserve the Constitution, and stop federal overreach.

 From 2003-08, Ted served as the Solicitor General of Texas, the chief lawyer for the State before the U.S. Supreme Court and all the state and federal appellate courts. Cruz was the youngest Solicitor General in the nation, the longest serving Solicitor General in Texas, and the first Hispanic Solicitor General in Texas.

Prior to serving as Solicitor General, Ted served as the Director of the Office of Policy Planning at the Federal Trade Commission, an Associate Deputy Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice, and Domestic Policy Advisor on the 2000 Bush-Cheney campaign. In addition, Ted clerked for Chief Justice William Rehnquist on the U.S. Supreme Court. He was the first Hispanic ever to have clerked for the Chief Justice of the United States.

Josh Mandel is the 48th Treasurer of the State of Ohio, having been elected as the top vote-getter of all statewide executive candidates, winning 80 of Ohio's 88 counties. Treasurer Mandel is a Marine Corps veteran who served two tours in Iraq and served as State Representative from the 17th Ohio House District. He was first elected State Representative in 2006, knocking on 19,679 doors and wearing out three pairs of shoes. In 2008 he was re-elected to a second term, representing a district with a 2:1 Democrat to Republican voter ratio. Treasurer Mandel has a record of advancing the free enterprise system, advocating for limited government, and standing up to bureaucrats who treat businesses as if they're "guilty until proven innocent".

As Treasurer of Ohio, Josh has earned the highest possible rating from Standard & Poor's for the $4 billion government investment fund he manages, and the highest possible rating from Fitch for the state's short-term General Obligation bonds. Applying the principles of fiscal conservatism and common sense decision-making, his liquidity portfolio is up $2.3 billion from the day he took office, and he has navigated the European sovereign debt crisis with a yield on behalf of the taxpayers. These accomplishments came in the wake of the United States credit rating being downgraded for the first time in American history, and at least 14 government funds throughout the country being downgraded.

A lifelong Nebraskan, Deb Fischer knows about hard work, strong communities, and the Nebraska way of life. Born and raised in Lincoln, Nebraska, Deb attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and graduated with a B.S. in Education. Deb and her husband Bruce have been married for over 39 years and own a ranching business near Valentine. On the ranch, they raised their three sons, all of whom have returned to live and work on the family ranch. The Fischer family has been recognized for their conservation and environmental stewardship, receiving honors from the Nebraska Natural Resources Districts, Nebraska Cattleman and the Society for Range Management.

Having a strong interest in education issues affecting our children, Deb got involved in leadership in local and statewide education associations. She was elected to the Valentine Rural High School Board of Education, became President of the Nebraska Association of School Boards and served as a commissioner on the Coordinating Commission for Post-Secondary Education. In 1999, Deb was honored with the Nebraska Association of School Boards Lifetime Achievement Award and the Nebraska Rural Community Schools Association Outstanding Board Member Award.

In 2004, Deb was elected to the Nebraska Unicameral to represent the 43rd Legislative District. She currently serves as Chair of the Transportation and Telecommunications Committee and is a member of the Revenue Committee and the Executive Board.

Richard Mourdock was elected Indiana’s State Treasurer in November 2006 and was re-elected in 2010, leading the Republican ticket with over 62% of the vote. As Treasurer, Richard has been an integral part of the state’s fiscal health. Richard’s leadership earned over $1 billion in investment income for taxpayers and successfully expanded the state’s college savings plan. At the same time, his office has returned an average of 10% of his budget back to the Treasury each year.

A solid conservative, Richard is a popular speaker at Republican events and Tea Party rallies alike. Richard’s conservative message of constitutionally limited government was heard by over one million people during the 9-12 March on Washington in 2009.

Prior to his election as State Treasurer, Richard had a successful 30 year career in the private sector, managing businesses in the energy, environmental and construction industries. He also served two terms as County Commissioner of Vanderburgh County.

In 1994, Dr. Weldon ran successfully for Congress, becoming part of the first Republican majority in the U.S. House in 40 years. He served seven terms in Congress, on committees and caucuses including the Science Committee, the Education and Workforce Committee, Banking and Financial Services, Government Reform and Oversight, and the Appropriations Committee. He was also a member of the conservative Republican Study Committee and served on the Speaker's Task Force on Healthcare Reform in his freshman term.

As a physician, Dr. Weldon became involved with many health care policy issues, including efforts to ban human cloning and vaccine safety. He helped lead the effort to remove toxic mercury containing preservatives from childhood vaccines. For his health care work in Congress, Dr. Weldon was awarded the status of Fellow of the American College of Physicians in 2005.

In 2008, Dr. Weldon left Congress and returned to MIMA, where he has been practicing for three and a half years. MIMA now comprises over 100 doctors in multiple locations.

Besides being a Navy Captain-Select in the U.S. Navy, Duane Sand is also an entrepreneur serving as President of a small company that builds hotels, restaurants and apartment buildings.

After returning from the Iraq War, he formed an alliance with Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and North Dakota Governor, Ed Shafer in 2006 and together they conducted town hall meetings to help educate and inform people about the out of control spending going on in North Dakota and in Washington. He also started the first North Dakota chapter of Americans for Prosperity, a national group dedicated to restoring individual freedom and self reliance to America. This all happened long before the national Tea Party movement began.

A tireless worker, with a “never give up” attitude, Duane Sand, the ultimate family man, is poised to lead America back to the greatness she once knew. He makes no apologies for wanting to serve America, after all, that’s what he’s spend the better part of his life doing.

Retired Top-Gun fighter pilot, Navy commander, accountability in government advocate, inventor and family man are only a few titles that encompass the character of Dan “Doc” Severson.

In 2002, he served four terms in the House of Representatives, the last term as Minority Whip. Doc relentlessly advocated for the people of Minnesota through reforming tort litigation, veteran education and employment benefits and judicial accountability through state statue. He also conducted an investigation into and scrutinized voter fraud allegations which lead to a state wide race in 2010.

In 2000, Doc contributed to society and helped develop a patent using light emitting diodes that deals with free space communication. Ten years later, he ran for the Secretary of State against an incumbent and narrowly lost the race. However, he has fought before on behalf of America and in the 2012 race he is once again ready to fight for the beliefs and values American’s hold so dear.

David Bellavia, 36, grew up in Western New York. He and his wife have been blessed with three children and they live in Batavia - the heart of the 27th Congressional District. David is a recognized authority on the Middle East, terrorism, foreign policy, and veterans' affairs. He has appeared as an expert commentator on Fox News, CNN and other major national news outlets. He is also the critically acclaimed author of the book "House to House," a personal account of his combat service in Iraq.

David enlisted in the United States Army in July 1999, served for six years and earned the rank of Staff Sergeant. He led a squad of men in combat.

David is a highly decorated veteran of the Iraq War and one of the most decorated veterans of his generation. He was awarded the Silver Star for his actions during the Second Battle of Fallujah and received the Bronze Star and the New York State Conspicuous Service Cross.

David was also nominated for the Medal of Honor and the Distinguished Service Cross. In 2005, he was inducted into the New York Veterans Hall of Fame. Since his active duty military service, David has served in non-profit organization management. He cofounded Vets for Freedom, a veterans service organization devoted to achieving bipartisan support of the United States' national security and the defense of its citizenry. Today, Vets for Freedom is one of the largest global war on terror veteran's organizations in America.

"I don't need to tell you why I'm running for Congress. One look at your own bank account tells you what you need to know. You know the terrible state we are in and the urgency of fresh conservative leadership to retake the house in November. You know I'm running to promote job creation and stimulate the economy by reducing government spending and taxes; you know I'll protect the homeland - I have the scars to prove that; and you know I'll preserve our conservative values - values that are under liberal attack every day."

Ilario G. Pantano is a former United States Marine Corps non-commissioned officer and second lieutenant and a best-selling author who has worked professionally in both global markets and small business. He has also been a television commentator and served as a deputy sheriff in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Pantano came to national prominence when, after months of insurgent violence triggered by the infamous ambush and grisly hanging of Americans in Fallujah, Iraq (2004), he was falsely accused in the killing two Iraqi insurgents during a unit mission near Fallujah on April 15. An article 32 hearing found no credible evidence or testimony for the accusation, and declined to prosecute Pantano, dropping all charges. Shortly thereafter, Pantano resigned his officer's commission and was honorably discharged. These events, and his other experiences as a combat Marine during the Persian Gulf War and in Iraq in 2004 are the subject of his successful memoir, Warlord: No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy.