Liam Madden

Add links
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Liam Madden
Sergeant
Unit31st Marine Expeditionary Unit
Battles/warsIraq War

Liam Madden (born 1983/1984)[1] is an American Marine veteran, entrepreneur, and anti-war activist. Although a political independent, he was the Republican Party nominee in the 2022 United States House of Representatives election in Vermont. A critic of the two-party system, he stated that if elected, he would not caucus with House Republicans.

Madden served in the United States Marine Corps from 2003 to 2007. Shortly before leaving the military, he founded

Iraq Veterans Against the War, including chair of the board of directors.[2]

Early life

In 1989, when he was four years old, Madden's family moved to Stowe, Vermont. In 1996, they moved to Bellows Falls, Vermont.[3]

Military service

Madden served in the Marine Corps Communications Electronics Specialist from January 2003 to January 2007 and attained the rank of Sergeant. During this time, he deployed to Kuwait, Thailand, Okinawa, Japan, and Korea,[2] and spent seven months in Iraq.[4]

After the end of his term of service, but while still a member of the Individual Ready Reserve, Madden was investigated by the Marines for his anti-war activities. He was charged with making disloyal statements and with wearing his uniform at a political event, and he was threatened with having his honorable discharge status revised to "Other Than Honorable", which would prevent him from receiving benefits. The Marine Corps dropped its case.[5]

Anti-war activism

Appeal for Redress

While still in the military, Madden worked with sailor Jonathan Wesley Hutto to write and begin circulation of the Appeal for Redress, taking advantage of a legal right for U.S. military personnel to petition their Congressional representatives. The Appeal, which had been signed by over 2000 active-duty military personnel as of January, 2008,[6] states:

As a patriotic American proud to serve the nation in uniform, I respectfully urge my political leaders in Congress to support the prompt withdrawal of all American military forces and bases from Iraq. Staying in Iraq will not work and is not worth the price. It is time for U.S. troops to come home.

The Appeal attracted media coverage from

Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, The Nation, and the Army Times, among others.[7]

Madden's leadership and activism against the Iraq war was praised by Vermont's

U.S. senator Patrick Leahy:[8]

Sgt. Madden is an American patriot. I wish officials in the White House and the Pentagon who got us into this fiasco had a fraction of his honesty and courage.

Business career

Madden was co-founder of Green Gas Movement, a

greentech start-up that won the 2018 MIT Solve contest.[9][10] He currently works as Director of Solar Energy at a Vermont-based home energy company.[11][12]

2022 U.S. House of Representatives campaign

Main article: 2022 United States House of Representatives election in Vermont

Madden, an

Independent and critic of the two-party system, ran in the Republican primary. His victory was considered an upset.[13]

The Vermont Republican Party state committee disavowed Madden's campaign following a meeting with him on August 15, less than a week after his victory in the primary, citing his refusal to commit to caucusing with the Republican Party if he won the election.[13] He would ultimately lose the general election to Becca Balint.

2022 Vermont's at-large congressional district Republican primary[14]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Liam Madden 10,688 41.4
Republican
 Ericka Bundy Redic 8,229 31.9
Republican Anya Tynio 6,902 26.7
Total votes 25,819 100.0
2022 Vermont's at-large congressional district election[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Becca Balint 176,494 60.45% –6.86%
Republican Liam Madden 78,297 26.85% –0.16%
Libertarian Ericka Redic 12,590 4.31% N/A
Independent
 Matt Druzba 5,737 1.97% N/A
Independent
 Luke Talbot 4,428 1.52% N/A
Independent
 Adam Ortiz 3,376 1.16% N/A
Write-in 1,004 0.34% +0.19%
Total votes 291,955 100.00%

Political positions

Democracy reform

Madden is a critic

national ballot initiatives.[17] Madden calls for public funding of electoral campaigns, stating that "[w]inning an election under the current system requires hundreds of thousands of dollars. This excludes most working class people from participating, and gives inherent advantage to the kinds of representatives with access to, and perhaps disproportionate sympathies for the economically elite."[17] He also advocates for using technology to "bypass politicians" as much as possible and create a direct democracy.[16][17]

Economy and finance

Madden supports raising taxes for billionaires and large corporations to "invest this revenue into regenerative agriculture, sustainable infrastructure, healthcare, family leave, and education."

Modern Monetary Theory.[18]

Infrastructure

Madden favors

public transportation and wants it to be the "backbone of our infrastructure and transportation needs."[19] He calls for "a trillion-dollar public transportation infrastructure and smart development, meaning creating housing and business land use patterns that are inherently more efficient."[19]

Awards

In 2007 Madden received the Institute for Policy Studies' Letelier-Moffitt Human Rights Award.[20][21]

Personal life

As of 2022, Madden lives in Bellows Falls. He and his wife, Lauren, have two children.[22][12]

See also

  • Adam Kokesh, Marine who faced a similar discharge hearing

References

  1. ^ Edgar, Chelsea (August 31, 2022). "Veteran, Anti-War Activist and GOP Congressional Candidate Liam Madden Defies Labels". Seven Days. Retrieved September 21, 2022.
  2. ^ a b Iraq Veterans Against the War
  3. ^ "Outspoken war critic, solar specialist runs for Congress". 11 April 2022.
  4. ^ World Can't Wait | Drive Out the Bush Regime - About Liam Madden Archived 2007-10-09 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ Antiwar to the Corps - washingtonpost.com
  6. ^ An Appeal for Redress
  7. ^ Appeal for Redress from the War in Iraq Archived 2007-01-02 at archive.today
  8. ^ Lehmann, E. (October 26, 2006). Vt. Marine leads protest. Brattleboro Reformer, 3.
  9. ^ "At MIT Solve Contest, Startups — from Kittens to Green Gas — Talk Innovation". 9 July 2018.
  10. ^ "Liam Madden".
  11. ^ "Outspoken war critic, solar specialist runs for Congress". 11 April 2022.
  12. ^ a b "Liam Madden".
  13. ^ a b Cutler, Calvin (15 August 2022). "Vermont GOP will not support Liam Madden for US House". WCAX. Retrieved 2022-08-17.
  14. ^ "Vermont At-Large Congressional District Primary Election Results". The New York Times. 9 August 2022.
  15. ^ "Election Results". Vermont Secretary of State.
  16. ^ a b "Community forum: Tech can help end two-party era". 12 May 2022.
  17. ^ a b c d "Initiate Our Democracy".
  18. ^ a b c d e f "Uplift Our Livelihoods".
  19. ^ a b c "Liam Madden runs for Congress". 5 June 2022.
  20. ^ "Letelier-Moffitt Human Rights Awards".
  21. ^ "Q&A: Candidates for Representative to Congress".
  22. ^ "Outspoken war critic, solar specialist runs for Congress". 11 April 2022.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Liam_Madden&oldid=1218859212"