Lydia Christensen is running for U.S. Senate as the Libertarian Party of Michigan's nominee in the Nov. 3 general election.
Christensen, who lives in Ironwood in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, told Surround Sound News in a candidate questionnaire that she is running as "an independent voice grounded in constitutional liberty, tribal sovereignty, environmental stewardship, and real economic security for Michigan's working families." She said she takes no corporate PAC money.
Candidate information
- Party: Libertarian
- Office sought: U.S. Senate, Michigan
- Residence: Ironwood, Michigan
- Education: Christensen told Surround Sound News she has the equivalent of two college degrees, with studies in computer science at UW Oshkosh and computer programming at Fox Valley Technical College.
- Background: Christensen described herself as Kiowa and Sioux Native American and said she was raised in foster care with family roots in Ironwood.
- Campaign: "Unchaining Michigan"
Experience and public service
Christensen said in her Surround Sound questionnaire that she is CEO of Iron Fortress LLC and has worked as a software engineer for the UW System and as a factory machine operator at Bemis. She reported no previous elected or appointed office.
In the questionnaire, Christensen pointed to her educational videos about federal legislation as evidence of her preparation. She described founding "a revolutionarily eco-friendly system for tech infrastructure management, allowing for a full American transition to ethically sourced data usage."
On the issues
Digital privacy and civil liberties
Christensen named digital privacy as her top Senate priority. She called for a "Digital Bill of Rights" that would treat personal data as private property, ban federal use of facial recognition for mass surveillance and prohibit the sale of personal information without explicit consent. She said she would vote against reauthorizing FISA Section 702 without a strict warrant requirement and would push to ban internet service providers from throttling or creating paid prioritization lanes.
Economy and cost of living
Christensen said she would eliminate federal income tax on earnings under $150,000, raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour and repeal tariffs she described as regressive. On housing, she supports a rapid rehousing program through the Department of Health and Human Services. She also called for repealing $35 billion in oil and gas tax subsidies and streamlining renewable energy permitting.
Health care
Christensen supports what she calls an opt-in Medicaid for All system with zero deductibles and no surprise bills. Under her proposal, workers could keep employer plans or opt into government coverage with premiums capped as a percentage of income. She said Congress must negotiate drug prices directly, a step she estimated would save $113 billion annually.
Immigration
Christensen advocates abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), citing what she called "systemic human rights violations," and replacing it with a new enforcement system. She supports a permanent pathway to citizenship for recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and would repeal the 100-mile inland border enforcement zone so Fourth Amendment protections apply across all of Michigan.
Federal spending and debt
To reduce the national debt, Christensen said she would cut taxes for workers earning under $150,000, end $35 billion in annual fossil fuel subsidies and close corporate tax loopholes including offshore profit breaks and accelerated depreciation.
Candidate responses have been condensed for clarity. Positions reflect the candidate's own statements from her questionnaire and campaign website.
