Learner Limbach Explores Run to Serve in U.S. Congress as WA’s 2nd District Representative

— by Margie Doyle —

Learner Limbach is considering embarking on a new venture in his young career serving the public. He is “seriously considering a run to represent Washington’s 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.” 

Limbach emphasizes that one of the most important aspects of this campaign is that it will be 100% people-powered.”Politics should be of, by and for the people, and for that to be the case we can’t have corporate PACs and lobbyists corrupting the process. “

In a message to the community Limbach has asked for Orcas community support in “an exploratory campaign to test the waters and see if there is adequate public support. Please read my campaign overview below and if you support this idea please make a pledge and endorsement to this campaign to help reach the funding goal by January 15th.”

An Orcas Island resident since 2001 Limbach has an impressive resume of community efforts, including:

“Co-founder and General Manager of the Orcas Food Co-op. “In a very real way, cooperation is part of my DNA as I am a fourth generation Cooperator. My grandmother had a career working at a Credit Union and my great grandparents co-founded the Albany Food Co-op in New York during the depression era. “

“From 2006-2013 I managed a small off-grid homestead where people came to learn land-based skills including raising dairy goats, growing vegetables and herbs, seed-saving, wild-crafting, utilizing renewable energy, and much more. I also served as the director for two programs, Food Masters (2010-2013) and Farm Education and Sustainability for Teens (2011-2013).

“In 2012 I helped with a successful initiative to ban to growing of GMOs in San Juan County, making us one of only a handful of counties in the country to pass such a ban.

“The Orcas Food Co-op opened in June of 2014. Over the past five years I’ve built a strong leadership team and helped grow the co-op from a $2 million business in its first year to a $3 million business serving over 1300 member-owner households (40% of the Orcas population) and providing over 30 year round jobs. The Co-op has become a thriving community hub and a driver in our local economy. 

 “I have served on the Agricultural Resources Committee (ARC) of San Juan County since 2013 (and as its Chairman since 2015).

“In 2016 I was appointed to the Democratic National Convention Platform Committee, where I contributed to sections related to Climate and Agriculture, and helped pass the most progressive platform in the history of the Democratic Party. This transformative experience launched me into state and national politics. I also became more involved in local politics in 2016 and, following the General Election, I was elected to represent San Juan County as one of our two members on the Washington State Democratic Central Committee.

“During my time on the WSDCC I have also been on boards of two constituency caucuses of the state party, serving as the Western Washington LVice Chair for the Ag and Rural Caucus and also as an At-large board member for the Environment and Climate Caucus.

Limbach’s involvement on other community efforts include Farm Education and Sustainability for Teens (FEAST), Director (2011-2013); and Orcas Island Food Masters, Founder and Director (2010-2013)

He foresees his campaign for U.S. Congress as “one big listening tour. I believe that those elected to serve in government should act as conduits, elevating the diverse voices of their constituents, especially those that are most often left out or underrepresented. We must ask, “Who have we not heard from? What we learn from constituents will influence the platform and policy positions as we go.

“I pledge to listen first, to be willing to self-reflect, to seek truth and to lead from my heart. “

Limbach’s platform is essentially:

Equality for All: If collective liberation is our shared goal, then it must be the lens through which we view all policy decisions. It is the duty of those of us with privilege to first acknowledge the advantages we receive from the current system, and then to acknowledge and amplify marginalized voices while working to create the conditions for equality to happen. 

Climate Justice: Climate Change is the single greatest threat facing our nation and the world. We have until 2030 at most before we reach a tipping point for irreversible climate catastrophe. We can no longer ignore the science. We need bold climate legislation that transforms our energy system away from fossil fuels and restores ocean, forest, and soil health while providing good paying jobs and ensuring that no one is left behind in the process. 

A Humane Economy: In the wealthiest country in the history of the world, no one should have to go hungry or struggle to put a roof over their head. Wages for average Americans have been stagnant for decades and the top 0.1% of families now control more wealth than the bottom 90%. This is immoral and unsustainable.

A Sustainable Food System: Food can be a vehicle for greater social, environmental, and economic transformation. By creating a sustainable food system, we can tip the scales toward equity and access, mitigate climate change through carbon sequestration, and build resilient local and regional economies.

“We can create the future we want, but only if we stick together and take back our power from the political and corporate elite. Make a pledge now to let me know you are ready to fight for a better future.”

Limbach says his political ambitions stem from his core desire to be of service to the community: “to go where I’m needed is part of my constitution.”

“I don’t really think just of what I want for myself – owning a home for instance —  but of what the community needs from me. Through the FEAST program, or as General Manager of the Orcas Food Co-op, I felt that in those roles my challenge was to stretch myself to learn what I needed to learn.”

With Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign of 2016, Limbach extended his role in public service to work in government and politics. “Once involved, I ended up serving in the offices of Democratic Precinct Committee Officer and as a  delegate for the 2016 Bernie Sanders primary campaign.

“After the 2016 Democratic Primary I thought it would stop there, probably until the next presidential cycle. I was fortunate in that the Sanders campaign appointed me to be a  delegate on the DNC Platform Committee – that was  a quantum leap, and exposed me to the national network of politicians in the progressive movement.

“With this experience– and with my work through the Orcas Food Co-op and National Co-op Grocers– I’ve met with representatives in Washington DC engaging in national networks in food and agriculture.” He resonated with elements of political savvy such as policy formation, seeing both sides of a conversation, and taking it in in policy considerations and listening and being solution-oriented.

Inspired by new energy popping up in political representation, notably in young people and people of color being elected in 2018. This was probably represented most dramatically through NY Representative from the Bronx, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, she presented a wake-up call to a lot of people like me when she won the primary last spring. I started thinking, ‘hmm, that could be me’– not beholden to corporate power and standing up for what I believe in, for what is right.

“And she needs support from people like me.”

As a candidate I think it’s important to bring a clear platform of solutions to the table; and it’s important also to solicit feedback and be willing to have my mind changed for the best interest of people in our district. It’s possible to bring people toward our issues as well, but we have to be willing to listen to their concerns first and keep an open mind.

“Corporate America wants to keep us divided, but there are many issues that have broad support across the political spectrum that still haven’t been passed into law. For example most Americans want free college and Medicare for All –we’ll find a lot of support for that across the political spectrum.

The initial campaign is exploratory to see if we can get $20,000 in pledges and 300 individual contributions, mostly concentrating here in San Juan County. As of January 8, we are on track to reach the goal by January 11^th.

“If we meet that goal and decide to file for candidacy later in January, then we will form an official exploratory campaign committee to broaden the outreach to the rest of the district.

 They have the money, but we have the people.

“I would like to serve as our district’s next representative in the U.S. House of Representatives, bringing the same drive, integrity, and collaborative spirit that I have brought to a decade of other community endeavors. I know what the stakes are and my conscience won’t allow me to give less than all that I have to this effort. I’ve put in the needed preparation.

“I can do it. But I cannot do it alone. We will be taking on the fossil fuel industry, the corporate elite, health insurance and drug companies, biotech industry, Wall Street and the military industrial complex. It will be an uphill battle from the start, which is why we need to get started right away. 

“We don’t need millions upon millions of dollars, but we do need enough money and enough volunteers to run a competitive race in a spread out district. This will be a 100% people-powered campaign, and that means no money whatsoever from corporate PACs or lobbyists. This campaign is not about one person, it’s about all of us, and your participation is absolutely essential. They have the money, but we have the people.”

( If you would like to join me in taking back our power and creating a better future for all of us, please make a pledge and endorsement to this campaign to help reach the funding goal ).