Published November 30, 2005
Minuteman brings immigration to fore
Though he says he's not running on one topic, Jim Gilchrist says immigration is 'the major issue.'
By Alicia Robinson, Daily Pilot
It's never certain that credentials will translate into votes, but when it comes to fighting illegal immigration on the ground, American Independent Party congressional candidate Jim Gilchrist has more credentials than most.
Illegal immigration is shaping up to be one of the biggest issues in 2006 political campaigns. As the founder of the Minuteman Project, a group of volunteers who patrol the U.S.-Mexico border, Gilchrist has put the issue in focus with his own bid for a U.S. House seat.
One of five candidates in Tuesday's election for the 48th Congressional District seat, Gilchrist is hoping to wrest votes from Republican state Sen. John Campbell, who many see as having the race in the bag. Also on the ballot are Libertarian Bruce Cohen, Green Party candidate Béa Tiritilli and Democrat Steve Young.
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He calls himself an independent Republican. He also says he's not a one-issue candidate; he says it's just that stopping illegal immigration will solve many of the other big problems facing the nation -- bankrupt hospitals, failing schools, oppressive taxation, the drain on the Social Security system... If elected, Gilchrist said he would support President Bush staying the course in Iraq, but he'd vote against any spending increases, even if they are proposed by Republicans.
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http://www.dailypilot.com/politics/story/31293p-45688c.html