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Cameron Tennyson, CA-30 candidate, 2026 primary election questionnaire

May 5, 2026

Ahead of the June primary election, the Southern California News Group compiled a list of questions to pose to the candidates who wish to represent you. You can find the full questionnaire below. Questionnaires may have been edited for spelling, grammar, length and, in some instances, to remove hate speech and offensive language.

Name: Cameron Tennyson

Current job title: Flex Lead, WB Tour Operations

Age: 29

Political party affiliation: Democratic

Incumbent: No

Other political positions held: None

City where you reside: Burbank

Campaign website or social media: cameronforcongress.org

From voter ID to war powers and from immigration to tariffs, Congress has tackled many issues over the past year. What do you, though, see as the top three issues impacting Californians, and what specifically could you do as a lawmaker to address these issues? (Please answer in 250 words or less, and keep your response to future proposals.)

The presence of ICE in LA, the lack of generative AI regulation, and the need for universal, single-payer health insurance.

ICE needs to be abolished, and while that will be a difficult fight, Congress can vote to completely defund the agency.

For Gen AI, the moment I get into Congress, I’ll be working with other tech-minded individuals to create a bill that massively regulates generative AI in the US, with an initial focus on making it illegal for a company to replace a human worker with AI.

As for healthcare, studies have been done to show that single-payer healthcare will actually save the US $500 billion annually. Not only is that a good thing because people will now have health insurance and not have to pay ridiculous premiums out of pocket, but also because people will have more money to spend on other things, strengthening the economy for everyone.

Speaking of voter ID, the president has implored Congress to approve legislation that would require people to show proof of citizenship in order to vote. What role do you believe the federal government plays in telling states how to conduct their own elections, as dictated by the U.S. Constitution? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

Article 1, section 4 of the Constitution makes it very clear that while states have the rights: “The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations”. This means that while states have say over their election process, if Congress wants to make changes on a federal level, they are entitled to do so.

The Constitution is very cut and dry about laws like voter ID. The Fourteenth Amendment clearly states that, “No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States”.

One of the privileges of being a citizen of the United States is voting, and any sort of law that inhibits voting, including voter ID Law, is unconstitutional. This harkens back to the days when Black citizens were forced to take “literacy tests” , which were literally impossible, to see if they could vote. I see voter ID law as the same play, different name.

What, in your opinion, should the federal government focus on when it comes to immigration policy? For example, do you place a priority on border security, visas for high-skilled workers, refuge for asylum seekers, etc., and why? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

The government needs to work on efficiency. I’ve spoken to people who have tried to become citizens, and the current system is awful. It can take years to go through the process. There are so many unnecessary steps, like having to take a test that most Americans can’t even pass. Part of the reason why so many people are undocumented or overstaying their visas is because of the difficulty of actually going through the immigration process. If we make the process quicker and eliminate unnecessary steps, more people will be willing to go through legal process rather than coming here illegally.

Additionally, it is a good thing that people want to immigrate to the US. If we want to look at this from a purely economic standpoint, then without immigrants, the US would lose nearly $9 trillion in GDP a year. Immigration is good for everyone, which is why we need to make it easier to immigrate to the US.

It’s been over a year since Gov. Gavin Newsom asked the federal government for supplemental disaster aid to help Southern California communities rebuild after the devastating Palisades and Eaton wildfires, but neither President Donald Trump nor Congress has acted. What would you do to push for the funding, besides writing letters to the Trump administration or the leaders of Congress? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

The issue is that Congress is currently held by a Republican majority. The honest answer is that whoever wins this election will be in at least a House Majority, and there is a slight chance of a Democratic majority in the Senate as well. It will be much easier for Congress to push through funding to California with people in office who don’t hate California, as many non-California Republicans do.

The answer as to what I’d do besides write letters is the same answer I’d give for any issue that we aren’t able to solve due to pushback from Trump: make a ruckus. In this day and age, you can be everywhere talking to everyone through social media, news, podcasts, etc. If you make it a big enough deal, talk about the issue to Fox and CNN and MS NOW and NPR, host protests on the steps of the Capitol, etc., then you’re bringing the issue to the front of the public conversation. If we know anything about Trump, it’s that he doesn’t like it when he’s not the main focus of the public. Force him to do something about it because the public won’t stop bothering him about it.

Do you support a ban or restriction on congressional lawmakers and their families from buying or selling individual stocks? Why or why not? And what would you propose to ensure lawmakers aren’t using their positions to engage in insider trading? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

Yes. It’s disgusting that lawmakers are allowed to take private knowledge and turn that into dollars. I’m okay with a program that allows congresspeople to invest in index funds, but there needs to be a 45-day waiting period with both buying and selling the funds, just to make sure that there’s no insider trading. Any individual stocks, though? No way.

Do you support stronger regulations on pollution and carbon emissions? If so, how would you ensure those regulations aren’t overly burdensome on small businesses or lower-income families? And if not, how do you propose lawmakers protect the environment and curtail the impacts of climate change? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

Yes. Small businesses and lower-income families aren’t the ones who are causing mass pollution; it’s major corporations and the financial elites. None of the regulations I’d propose would even directly affect small businesses and families negatively; in fact, they would make the environment safer for them.

The Trump administration has continually pulled regulations that save money for corporations while actively making the environment more dangerous for everyone else. We need to reinstate those regulations, while adding new ones that will protect the environment, like limiting the distance that private jets can fly per month; requiring corporations to use clean, renewable energy; and improving tax credits for people who use electric vehicles.

President Donald Trump has significantly increased spending for the U.S. Department of Defense. Would you, as a member of Congress, approve additional dollars for the military if the president were to ask for more funding? How would you ensure that any military spending does not end up putting the American people or national security in harm’s way? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

No. The US spends too much on the military. If we had a leader who practiced peace instead of war, we wouldn’t even have to worry about military conflict. Donald Trump specifically creates conflict so that his CEO buddies who make the military equipment can earn millions while innocent children are murdered in other countries.

To be clear, I am saying that the large amount of money being spent on the military is actually what’s putting the American people in harm’s way. We didn’t have to worry about Iran bombing us until Trump started a war with them. We are safer when we practice peace, and when we practice peace, we spend less money on the military.

Under what specific circumstances do you believe the U.S. should engage in a war? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

Only under extreme circumstances, like the US being directly attacked. The US should never, ever, ever be the ones to start a war, like we just did with Iran.

Do you believe a president should seek congressional approval before engaging in military action overseas? Why, or why not? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

Constitutionally, Congress is the only branch that can declare war (which Trump didn’t do, so he has acted against the Constitution and must be removed from office as a result). Article 2 does state that the president has power to utilize the military how he seems fit, so he does not need congressional approval for overseas actions. So no, I do not think that a president should need approval. That said, we cannot treat Trump like he’s a normal president. The man is a menace to society and must be removed from office immediately. We need adults in the office, people who don’t treat the military like a toy.

Congress, in theory, is supposed to serve as a check on the president through budgetary, legislative and oversight powers. Do you believe Congress has fulfilled that obligation during the past two administrations, with one being a Democrat and the other a Republican? Why or why not? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

Biden didn’t attempt to do anything unconstitutional. Meanwhile, Trump has run this country as if he’s a king (and he’s actively bragged about that). Congress didn’t need to check on Biden, while clearly they have needed to, but have not kept Trump in check. And that’s because the Republicans hold a majority in both the House and Senate, and they’re spineless sheep who will let Trump do whatever he wants, even if it hurts US citizens. That’s going to change this next year, as the Democrats are going to own the House.

Governments around the world are increasingly considering an age ban or other restrictions on social media use among young people, citing mental health and other concerns. Should Congress adopt such restrictions? If so, what specific restrictions do you propose? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

No. That’s a blatant infringement on the First Amendment. Instead, I think Congress should hold companies like Meta, X, and TikTok accountable for the damage that they’ve caused to young people with their use of algorithms to inject material that kids shouldn’t be subjected to into their everyday lives.

Statistically, violent crime rates in California are on the decline, yet residents still don’t feel safe or at ease in their communities. How do you see your role in Congress in addressing the underlying issues that make Californians feel unsafe in their own neighborhoods? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

Some residents feel unsafe because news channels like Fox News, OAN, and Newsmax spread blatant propaganda to make people feel unsafe. The more people worry, the more people watch the news, the more money these channels make. Sensationalism is what sells, so of course, they’re going to show scary clips non-stop. I’d push back against the claim and say that a majority of people do feel safe; it’s the loud minority that says otherwise.

If I were to choose a specific issue that needs to be addressed the most, it would be the homelessness crisis. We live in the richest country in the world, and yet thousands of people have no place to lay their heads at night. To cope with the trauma of being on the streets, they end up using drugs, which is both unsafe for themselves and the people around them. If elected, I would first push for an independent audit of California’s homelessness funds (there was an audit in 2024 that showed how the California Interagency Council on Homelessness failed to track essentially any data on how and where money was being spent, in addition to not tracking the results of said funds). Next, we’d need to institute programs that are actually held accountable. Honestly, I believe that accountability will lead to results, meaning less homelessness.

There are term limits to serve in the California Legislature, but none to serve in Congress. Would you advocate for term limits for House members? Why or why not? If you support term limits, how many years maximum should a House member be allowed to serve? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

Yes. I think term limits are somewhat of a tricky thing because while it could be bad for the same members to be in Congress for decades, I also believe that if a district thinks their representative is doing a good job, they should be able to keep them in office.

That said, I think there are ways to approach term limits that allow new ideas to be tested while being able to go back to old representatives if the district so chooses. For the House, I think max four consecutive terms (eight years total). After those consecutive terms, they must be out of the House for at least two terms. They can then run for any type of office that isn’t within the House during this time. After two terms have passed, they may once again run for a House seat.

I think a total for eight terms (16 years) should be the max that someone spends in the House.

What’s a hidden talent you have? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

I’m really good at sharpening pencils by hand. I use a razor blade to sharpen pencils in a way that makes it nearly impossible for them to break, like they typically do after sharpening with a common pencil sharpener. I can even sharpen them into different types of tips, depending on the purpose of said pencil.

Orange County Register

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Cameron Tennyson, CA-30 candidate, 2026 primary election questionnaire

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