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Candidates › LA-04 race › 2025–2026
Matt Gromlich
D Democratic nominee for U.S. House, LA-04
Has not served in Congress
- On the ballot
- Lost the general electionNov 3, 2026 · 3,511 votes (1.4%) · 3 of 5
- Where to vote
- Find your polling place (opens in a new tab) · More ways to vote
- Top priorities
- Affordability
- Safety
- Freedom
- Economy, Jobs & Cost of Living
- Education and Childcare
- Money
- $452.2K raised, $435.3K spent, $16.8K cash on hand (through Oct 14, 2026). Where it comes from
- Who gives
- 63% of individual money from donors at $200 or less · 52% from Louisiana
14 priorities from mattgromlichforcongress.com, in the order they are listed there. Every heading and the text under it is copied exactly, as one passage for each page it is from, and links to that place on the page; hover a source to see which passage it opens.
We must make living affordable again. This means lowering housing costs, lowering the cost of groceries, bringing down gas prices, lowering utility costs, and reducing the cost of childcare.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · mattgromlichforcongress.com/priorities
Every child deserves a strong START. The average cost of childcare in America is over $13,000 per year - per child! But instead of putting that financial burden on families, what if we invested that money right here at home?
High-quality childhood education is one of the strongest economic investments we can make. Research shows that every $1 invested in early learning returns $7 to $10 through reduced government spending on education and criminal justice, increased tax revenue, and a more productive workforce.
Through the START program, we can invest in our children and young families. That means $13,000 per year stays in your pocket, your children receive instruction from licensed educators, and you can go back into the workforce sooner.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · mattgromlichforcongress.com/priorities
Give workers what they are owed.
Louisiana is one of only 5 states that does not have a state minimum wage. The minimum wage in the United States has been $7.25 an hour since 2009.Mike Johnson has opposed raising the minimum wage both in 2019 and 2021 – while he makes $223,500 a year.
Through the Small Business Wage Bridge Act, the federal minimum wage is increased to $15 per hour, but small businesses are protected. Instead of subsidizing billion-dollar corporations, those subsidies are transferred to small business owner. That way, the small business owners do not suffer from the increase in minimum wages.
This has been done before in 2007, when Congress increased the minimum wage and paired it with the Small Business Tax Relief Act of 2007. This Act would build on the structure of the 2007 Act.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · mattgromlichforcongress.com/priorities
There are serious issues with our education system. Teachers are overworked and underpaid, Parents are locked out and ignored. Students have lost all hope that their schooling will help them.
If we want this country to thrive we must change how we fund our schools and teachers AND we must give more power to the community and ensure equal education. Students in Shreveport should have all the same access and opportunities as students in NYC or LA have. Our schools must be funded, our teachers must be paid, and our communities must have a say if we want to save education in this country.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · mattgromlichforcongress.com/priorities
There are 989 billionaires in America. 989!
In a country with so much wealth, students should not have to go to school hungry. By strengthening and expanding existing school meal programs, this policy supports student performance, improves long-term outcomes, and provides immediate cost of living relief for working parents. Research shows that students who have consistent access to school meals perform better academically, attend school more regularly, and are more likely to succeed long term.
Through working with churches, schools, and community groups, our government can ensure that all students get three meals a day with dignity no matter the time of year without having to worry about debt at the age of 8 years old. Programs like this help to keep kids in school and off the streets, while ensuring they are set up to get a proper education just like everyone else.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · mattgromlichforcongress.com/priorities
Our country has a paradox: we have the largest military budget on the planet, yet our service men and women live in some of the worst conditions on and off their bases here in the states, why is that?
Unfortunately, our government uses that budget to line the pockets of the contractors. It is time we end exorbitant spending. We must take away these enormous military contractor budgets, and use the money to support our troops. Our military should not be ruled by private companies.
We must ensure that families who serve our country are provided or can afford safe housing, access essential services or resources, and maintain financial stability, because military readiness starts at home.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · mattgromlichforcongress.com/priorities
For far too long, the people of Louisiana have been forced to accept that we aren’t owed safety, that for some reason our voices mean less that big companies and their dollars.
We live in the state that is home to cancer alley. In Shreveport, Louisiana’s third-largest city, the level of dangerous chemical run off in the river is some of the highest in the country. I refuse to stand by while our people live in these unsafe conditions.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · mattgromlichforcongress.com/priorities
Invest in modernizing water systems, strengthening oversight, and ensuring consistent access to safe reliable drinking water, without shifting the cost onto residents through rising utility bills.
In Northwest Louisiana, water infrastructure failures are not theoretical. Shreveport’s systems have received failing grades, while residents face rising fees to maintain basic services. Since 2017, the state’s Safe Drinking Water fee has nearly quadrupled, yet many communities are still dealing with aging and failing systems, reliability issues, and ongoing public health concern due to constant water boil advisories.
Now, with Data Centers and Carbon Capture coming to Louisiana, our water and utilities are in even more danger. We must fund basic infrastructure at the federal level by balancing the budge and closing the funding gap. We also must regulate these utility companies who hold monopolies on our water, gas, and electricity.
Finally, we must call for moratoriums on data centers and carbon capture companies until we can guarantee that they will not cause additional harm to our families, our children, our seniors, our land, and our wildlife.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · mattgromlichforcongress.com/priorities
Our healthcare system makes no sense. We have some of the worst coverage on the planet, while we pay more per person than any other country. Our elders are having to pick between life-saving medicine and groceries. Parents are having to choose between eating or getting an inhaler for their kids. We must put a stop to this and create a healthcare system that makes sense.
What does that look like? It looks like healthcare that is free at the point of service that anyone in this country, no matter how rural, can access without worry. It looks like the state taking over these big pharma companies to stop them from bleeding us dry. If we did that, not only would more people have full healthcare access than they do now, we would all be paying less while seeing the doctor more.
We need a healthcare system that protects everyone, but especially our most vulnerable populations (children, seniors, veterans, people with disabilities). We must address disability support and elderly facility costs, while ensuring healthcare is never tied to employment. Additionally, bodily autonomy and gender-affirming care must be protected as fundamental rights.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · mattgromlichforcongress.com/priorities
Over the past several decades, hospital closures, staffing shortages, and financial pressures have led to the loss of labor-and-delivery units across rural America. In Louisiana, more than a quarter of parishes lack adequate maternity care, forcing women, especially in rural areas and around military installations, like Fort Polk, to travel long distances for basic prenatal and delivery services.
We must expand access to OB-GYN and birthing care in rural and underserved areas by increasing provider availability, supporting mobile prenatal services, and creating targeted incentives for healthcare professionals to serve high-need communities. This ensures that every mother, regardless of location, income, or background has access to safe, timely care before, during, and after childbirth.
When we provide safe birth access, we allow for all families in Louisiana to flourish.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · mattgromlichforcongress.com/priorities
In the land of the free, far too many are ignored. Our government no longer listens to the working class. Instead, large companies rule our day-to-day lives.
From data centers to big pharma, we are ignored and little by little our freedom is taken away. It is time we fought back.
We can no longer allow hand shake deals and insider trading in our halls of government. We can no longer allow rich executives paying us as little as they can. We can no longer allow the will of the people to be taken away.
This is our government and its high time we took it back from these elites.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · mattgromlichforcongress.com/priorities
Money has taken over politics. The 2026 Texas Senate race is projected to cost $446 MILLION in total advertising spending alone! That is an insane amount of money. Imagine what else we could do with the money that currently is used in political races.
It doesn’t have to be like this. In fact, it wasn’t like this before Citizens United Supreme Court decision in 2010 (Citizens United v. FEC).
We must overturn Citizens United if we want to get dark money out of politics and have politics start working for the people again, as intended.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · mattgromlichforcongress.com/priorities
Serving in Congress was never meant to be a career. People serving in Congress should do so to help their communities. But by having no term limits, we have seen that members of Congress stay in their roles for decades. Not having term limits allows these party insiders (on both sides) to get into office, build up enough power to stay there, the use the office as a career. This must stop.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · mattgromlichforcongress.com/priorities
It should not be possible for members of Congress to get rich off their position. In addition to overturning Citizens United and establishing term limits, we must also ban member of Congress from trading individual stocks while in office.
Additionally, we need to implement fines and punishments for those who are caught breaking finance laws.
My vision is simple: government should work for the people — not the other way around. By putting families, children, and communities first, we can build a stronger Louisiana and a stronger America.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · mattgromlichforcongress.com/priorities
How do you think our tax dollars should be used?
Our tax dollars should come back to our communities, and not disappear into wasteful spending, corporate giveaways, or broken systems that leave working people behind. I will fight to make sure public dollars are used to strengthen healthcare, infrastructure, education, jobs, and services that directly improve people’s lives.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · mattgromlichforcongress.com/priorities
Families should not have to choose between groceries, rent, medicine, childcare, and basic needs. In Congress, I will fight to lower everyday costs, protect consumers from price gouging, and support policies that help working families keep more of what they earn.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · mattgromlichforcongress.com/priorities
Small businesses are the backbone of Louisiana communities. In Congress, I will fight for policies that support local entrepreneurs, create good-paying jobs, invest in rural and underserved areas, and help communities grow from the ground up.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · mattgromlichforcongress.com/priorities
The cost of living is one of the biggest challenges families are facing right now. My focus is on strengthening the foundations people rely on; making sure families have access to affordable healthcare, stable housing, a living wage, and reliable childcare. When people have stability in these areas, it strengthens the workforce, improves quality of life, and creates a more resilient economy overall. Addressing cost of living isn’t about one quick fix, it’s about building systems that allow people to thrive, not just get by.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · mattgromlichforcongress.com/priorities
Yes. I support eliminating the payroll tax cap so that high-income earners contribute to Social Security on all of their wages, just as working families do.
Social Security is a promise Americans have paid into throughout their working lives. We must protect that promise, strengthen the Social Security trust fund, and prevent cuts to the benefits that seniors and people with disabilities depend on. Eliminating the cap would provide substantial additional funding to help secure Social Security for current recipients and future generations.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · mattgromlichforcongress.com/priorities
How will you make childcare more affordable and accessible?
Childcare should not cost more than a family’s rent or mortgage, and parents should not have to leave the workforce because they cannot find safe, reliable care.
I support expanding access to high-quality early childhood education, increasing assistance for working families, and investing in childcare providers so they can pay their employees fairly without passing the full cost on to parents. We must also address childcare deserts in rural communities, where families may have few options or none at all.
My START Plan would treat early childhood education as an investment in Louisiana’s children, families, and workforce. When parents have dependable childcare and children have a strong start, the entire community benefits.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · mattgromlichforcongress.com/priorities
We cannot solve the teacher shortage without addressing why educators are leaving. Teachers are underpaid, overworked, and too often expected to purchase classroom supplies with their own money.
I support increasing teacher pay, expanding tax relief for classroom expenses, reducing unnecessary administrative burdens, and providing educators with the support and resources they need to do their jobs. I also support Congressman Cleo Fields’ proposal to forgive undergraduate student loans for public-school teachers who complete eight consecutive years in the classroom. In Congress, I would work to advance this type of legislation because it rewards experienced educators while encouraging more people to enter and remain in the profession.
Recruiting new teachers is important, but retention matters just as much. We must make teaching a profession where people can build a stable career, support their families, and focus on helping students succeed.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · mattgromlichforcongress.com/priorities
Every student deserves an education that recognizes their abilities, supports their individual needs, and gives them the opportunity to succeed.
I will fight for the federal government to fulfill its responsibility to fund special education, reduce delays in evaluations and services, and ensure schools have enough qualified special-education teachers, aides, therapists, counselors, and support staff. Families should not have to fight the system to receive services their children are legally entitled to receive.
I also support stronger transition programs that help students with disabilities prepare for employment, continued education, and independent living. Supporting students with disabilities means supporting their families, educators, and caregivers as well.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · mattgromlichforcongress.com/priorities
A four-year college degree should not be treated as the only path to a successful life. Louisiana needs skilled workers, and our students deserve access to training that leads to stable, well-paying careers.
I support expanding career and technical education in middle schools, high schools, community colleges, and technical campuses. Programs should be developed with local employers, unions, and industry partners so students can earn recognized credentials and gain hands-on experience through apprenticeships, internships, and paid training.
We should connect education to the jobs Louisiana needs, including skilled trades, healthcare, advanced manufacturing, technology, infrastructure, aviation, and emerging industries. Students should be able to graduate with more than a diploma. They should graduate with a real path forward.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · mattgromlichforcongress.com/priorities
What is your approach to healthcare access and affordability?
Healthcare is something all people should have access to, and can actually use. Not something they lose when they change jobs or can’t afford when they need it most. I support creating a system where everyone has access to reliable healthcare, prioritizing preventative services, rural healthcare, and mental health support. My focus is on expanding access, stabilizing rural care systems, and making sure individuals can make their own medical decisions in consultation with their doctors.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · mattgromlichforcongress.com/priorities
I support a woman’s right to make her own healthcare decisions. Medical decisions should be made by individuals in consultation with their doctors, not politicians. That includes decisions around pregnancy, reproductive healthcare, and family planning. At the same time, I believe that we can reduce the need for difficult decisions by expanding preventative care, maternal health services, and support for families.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · mattgromlichforcongress.com/priorities
How can we balance economic development with protecting local communities from large industrial projects like data centers?
Economic development should be a fair deal for local communities. Residents should have a voice in major decisions. Public officials should be fully accountable to the people they serve.
That means transparency, environmental and infrastructure impact studies, making sure projects don’t place undue strain on local water, power, or public health, no backroom deals, and no non-disclosure agreements that keep communities in the dark.
Louisiana is rich in natural resources, but for too long, outside companies have extracted wealth from our communities without reinvesting enough back into them. If companies benefit from our resources, they should also contribute to the infrastructure, services, and long-term stability of the communities they rely on.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · mattgromlichforcongress.com/priorities
The way CCS is being implemented in Louisiana is detrimental in so many ways. There are issues with health, safety, security, the environment, property rights, mineral rights, and land use. We need to stop our current CCS and only use it if all of these concerns are addressed.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · mattgromlichforcongress.com/priorities
Do you support continued U.S. involvement in foreign wars?
I am against endless wars with unclear missions. Our service members should never be put in harm’s way without a clear mission, a defined objective, and a plan to bring them home.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · mattgromlichforcongress.com/priorities
The best way to support our military is to use it responsibly.
We have worked diligently to build strong alliances through diplomacy, and that matters. We should be prioritizing those relationships, along with smart national defense, so that military force is truly a last resort, used only when it is necessary to protect American lives and security.
Military strength matters, but so does how and when we use it. Supporting our troops means being thoughtful about when we send them into conflict in the first place.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · mattgromlichforcongress.com/priorities
The Israeli government is committing a genocide against the Palestinian people. I do not support the actions of the Israeli government, do not take AIPAC money, and do not agree with sending money to any country that acts as the aggressor. I will not send any additional funding to Israel while they are committing atrocities.
I stand with the Palestinian people.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · mattgromlichforcongress.com/priorities
What is your stance on outside influence in U.S. elections and policymaking, such as AIPAC?
Our elections and our policies should be decided by the American people. Period. Outside organizations, foreign or domestic, should not have undue influence over our government or our elections. That means greater transparency in political spending, stronger limits on outside influence, and making sure elected officials are accountable to their constituents, not to any special interest group. This isn’t about one organization; it’s about a principle: our government should reflect the will of the people who live here. No question. I am against AIPAC and Citizens’ United.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · mattgromlichforcongress.com/priorities
The U.S. House of Representatives no longer adequately represents Americans. There are too many constituents per representative. We need to uncap the house so that representatives are truly able to meet with their constituents and understand the needs of the community.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · mattgromlichforcongress.com/priorities
Do you support the rights and safety of LGBTQ+ and transgender individuals?
Members of the LGBTQ+ community deserve the same rights, protections, and access to care as everyone else. That includes access to medically necessary healthcare, including gender-affirming care, based on the needs of the individual and guidance from their doctor. Everyone should be able to live safely and with dignity, without fear of discrimination.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · mattgromlichforcongress.com/priorities
What is your stance on the 2nd Amendment?
In Louisiana, gun ownership is a way of life. I believe in the second amendment, and also believe in personal responsibility. We can protect our 2nd Amendment rights while supporting common-sense measures that keep our communities safe. This isn’t about taking rights away; it’s about responsibility and common sense safeguards that help prevent violence while still protecting law-abiding citizens’ rights.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · mattgromlichforcongress.com/priorities
We need both secure borders and a functional immigration system. One that respects the dignity of the people coming here and recognizes their desire to contribute and be productive members of our society. I support maintaining strong border security while also fixing a system that is currently slow, complicated, and often inaccessible. Immigration policy should be fair, timely, and affordable, so people can follow the legal process without unnecessary barriers. My goal is a system that is secure, humane, and actually works for families, for the workforce, and for the country as a whole.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · mattgromlichforcongress.com/priorities