After raising an impressive $100,000 in only six weeks, Santa Barbara Republican small-businessman Justin Fareed on Wednesday officially announced that he again would seek to represent California’s 24th Congressional District in 2016.
The competitive district is currently held by Democratic incumbent Rep. Lois Capps, who on Wednesday announced that she would not seek re-election in 2016.
Fareed is a fiscally conservative local businessman, third-generation rancher and former UCLA running back who gained national attention and the support of prominent district leaders during his first bid for Congress in 2014, before narrowly missing a spot in the general election by less than one half of a percent.
Fareed released the following statement:
“When I travel the district, I speak with Central Coast ranchers and small-business owners who wonder if they will make it through another year of this drought, government over-regulation and economic uncertainty. I meet college students who say they will graduate unsure of whether they will find a job. I hear from families who are concerned with the world they’re leaving to their children. We can and must do better, and we can start by changing who we send to Washington. It is my pledge to put America first and to secure the well-being of this and future generations, championing policies that will allow us to be free from debt, free to succeed economically and free from an intrusive government.
“I am committed to serving the people of the Central Coast in Congress. We are deeply concerned about the continued dysfunction in Washington that neglects the serious challenges facing future generations of Californians, our communities and our country.
“Too many politicians on both sides of the aisle are overly consumed by appeasing the demands of special interests and focusing only on their own political survival. Government has grown ever larger, more intrusive, complex and costly. Yet this same system is becoming less functional and far less effective in serving the needs of everyday people. Our freedoms and political influence are being eroded away. Mounting government debt threatens to crush the prosperity of future generations. We need a long-range vision for America and people who are committed to forging solutions that achieve fiscal sustainability and security for our nation. The real choice in this election will not be between a Democrat or a Republican, but rather the progress that will move us forward in a positive direction or the status quo that most certainly will sacrifice it.”
Fareed was born and raised in Santa Barbara, graduating from Santa Barbara High School, where he lettered in football before going on to play for UCLA. In 2011, Fareed graduated with a degree in political science and worked with the UCLA football coaching staff before he served as a legislative aide on Capitol Hill, focusing on foreign policy, agriculture, small business and commerce, manufacturing and trade.
Fareed serves as vice president of Pro Band Sports Industries, a family-run Santa Barbara company that manufactures innovative devices that help relieve pain and treat repetitive stress injuries. Additionally, he serves on the board of “Join-Up,” a California nonprofit organization assisting veterans who have returned to this country with physical, emotional and mental disabilities.
He also serves on the foundation board for Santa Barbara High School and is a member of the Santa Barbara Rotary, the Channel City Club and the American Committees on Foreign Relations. He is an active supporter of the Special Olympics and the Police Activities League.
Click here for more information about his campaign.