Pickett goes door-to-door, talking democracy, healthcare, military issues

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During election season, people have become accustomed to hearing knocks on their doors. Candidates canvas neighborhoods, talking to voters and handing out literature in hopes of a victory on Election Day.

But those voters rarely expect to find a candidate for national office on their doorsteps. Last week, Deborah Pickett, a candidate running for the 5th District Congressional seat as a Democrat, went door-to-door with District 30 State Representative candidate Mike Katcher, hoping to find support.

Those who spoke with Pickett quickly discovered that the candidate has a depth of experience on issues currently at the national forefront.

Pickett served in the U.S Army Reserve as a non-commissioned officer. She was a behavioral science specialist with the 55th Medical Detachment, and later she served as an intelligence analyst with the 21st Support Command.

“My interest in national security, defense, and military issues goes back to that experience,” said Pickett. “I also grew up in a military family. My grandfather was a Major General who served under Gen. (George S.) Patton, and my father was a Brigadier General who served in the reserves in psychological operations, and in the active Army with an armored division.

“And I have a great commitment to and a love for our country. I love the ideals that this country represents: freedom and democracy. These are really principles that are near and dear to me.”

In her private career, Pickett worked with the Hudson Institute, a public policy research organization. Her specialties there were international trade and economic studies. That experience gave her a deep understanding of trade issues, such as tariffs, and that is one point where she believes the nation under the guidance of Presidents Donald Trump and Joe Biden went seriously wrong.

“The tariffs were terrible under the Trump administration, and they have not been good under the Biden administration,” said Pickett. “They are very inflationary, and Donald Trump is talking about imposing even broader tariffs and more severe tariffs.

“This is incredibly terrible for our supply chains, and for the consumer. The cost is going to be passed down to the consumer. It’s absolutely terrible for our farmers who have had their markets taken away from them. As soon as he imposed those tariffs, the Chinese decided that they no longer wanted our grains and our hog products.”

If elected, Pickett has identified three issues she most wants to address: preserving democracy, preserving reproductive rights, and ensuring that government – particularly Congress – operates more efficiently and with less polarization.

“I'm deeply concerned about the attacks on our democracy,” said Pickett. “Democratic institutions are freedoms. We should conduct ourselves with decorum in Congress and follow the rules. We must ensure that Congress is running efficiently and following the protocols put in place to bring bipartisan agreement on issues.

“Also, the restoration of our reproductive rights is absolutely a top priority of mine. I would work with Kamala Harris and my counterparts to codify Roe v Wade. We need to deliver on our promises to fund government without gamesmanship. How many times has government been shut down or brought to the brink under Republican ineptitude in Congress? That puts everything in a precarious situation.”

Pickett also cited preserving Social Security and Medicare, improving the Affordable Care Act, strengthening U.S. military and trade alliances around the world, and supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia.

“It's interesting that the Democrats have taken over the agenda that used to belong to the Republicans,” said Pickett. “These were principles and priorities that the Republicans used to embrace. And now it's really the Democrats who picked up that mantle.”