Q&A with Congressional Candidate Ken Timmerman

Ken Timmerman is a nationally recognized investigative reporter who was nominated for a Nobel Peace prize in 2006 for his work exposing Iran’s nuclear weapons program. For the past seven years, the Kensington, MD, resident has been the lead investigator for families of 9/11 victims in a civil lawsuit against Iran.

Patch: What is unique about Carroll County from a representative’s perspective?

Timmerman: I had a wonderful time over the past nine months learning about the parts of Carroll County that are in the new district [district 8]. I’ve made about 40 campaign stops in Carroll County since April and it's a unique place.

Baltimore and DC are a commute away, you’ve got a changing county that was rural, a lot of delveopment, there's a fight between the county and state -- it’s a changing county. You’ve still got lots of farms but you can feel the proximity of Baltimore here in Westminster.

Patch: What are three issues you believe to be important to Carroll County residents and what is your position on them?

Timmerman: First this election is about jobs and the economy for people who live in Carroll County, Frederick County and most in Montgomery County [areas that comprise district 8]. We have to get government off the backs of private business and farmers so private sectors can create jobs. There's been a massive increase in government regulation, in the size of government and we’ve got to scale that back. Jobs are important.

We’ve got to reduce the deficit. We now have a deficit as large as the gross national product, we’re going to go bankrupt like Greece.

Patch: Why start a political career now?

Timmerman: The future of our country is at stake. I feel very strongly that 2012 is a crossroads election--if we do not stand up for the values that made this country great, this year, this time, this election, then we could lose our country. If we have four more years of Barack Obama, I feel it will fundamentally change the future of this country.

This election is all about our freedom, it’s about preserving the American dream for our children and grandchildren. As a new grandfather it’s very personal for me.

Patch: What is your opponent Chris Van Hollen’s biggest challenge?

Timmerman: He doesn’t understand the district. He is a left-wing Nancy Pelosi protégé, a Nancy Pelosi clone. He believes we’re one government program away from utopia. I believe we have to shrink government back to its constitutional size and functions. 

My opponent believes we should raise taxes. He’s a career politician, his entire adult life has been spent as a politician. He doesn’t understand the economy, has no clue of the hard work that people in the private sector go through, he doesn’t understand small business and doesn’t understand that government doesn’t create jobs, people and small businesses do. He thinks we can take more money from tax payers and grow the economy. He flunks economoics 101.

And a few less important, but still interesting, details about Ken Timmerman.

Favorite movie: Total Recall

Coolest place ever travelled: Kimelos Island in the Greek Isles where I discovered a sunken 3500-year-old city

What is something most voters probably don't know about you: Voters don’t know a lot about me because I'm not a politician. I’m an investigative reporter, a father of five, I now have two grandchildren, I was nominated for a Nobel Peace prize in 2006.

Learn more about Ken Timmerman at www.timmermanforcongress.com.