A Greenbank resident is challenging U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen for Washington state’s 2nd Congressional District seat.

Leif Johnson, a Republican originally from Illinois, moved with his family from Texas to Greenbank about 14 years ago, where he particularly enjoys Whidbey’s climate. He works as an engineer for Genie, a company that produces industrial lifts, running the tooling department. He also runs a small tool shop and a chicken feeder business in Greenbank.

Johnson is one of eight people running for the seat in Congress. The candidates will be whittled to two in the Aug. 6 primary election.

For Johnson, increasing control at the border and reducing government spending would be among his top priorities if he is elected in November.

Driving around Washington, Johnson saw many unhoused individuals and concluded that the homelessness crisis is both a mental health and addiction issue.

By increasing control at the U.S. and Mexico border, he believes it would be more difficult for drugs like fentanyl to be smuggled into the country. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration — also known as the DEA — illicit fentanyl is primarily manufactured in foreign countries.

Yet Johnson is in favor of immigration, which he sees as a solution to the country’s falling birth rates. To him, it’s important to make sure the immigrants who do come in want to conform to the local culture, follow the law and are not part of terrorist organizations.

“We need people that want to be here, to come for the American dream,” he said.

Inflation is another issue on his radar, and he expects it will continue to get worse.

“We’re getting into a really bad shape with the economy,” he said, blaming the issue on irresponsible spending.

Currently, he pointed out, the federal government has over $34 trillion in debt, as confirmed by the U.S. Treasury Fiscal Data website.

When asked about his stance on abortion, Johnson said he is pro life. Abortion, he said, is not supported nor banned by the constitution, hence it should be up to the individual states to decide how to regulate this procedure. The Constitution, he added, was created with the intent to limit the power of the federal government.

“If I’m put into office, I am bound strictly by the Constitution,” he said. “It’s the only way you can do it.”

When it comes to education, Johnson said parents should have more rights over their children’s education, norms and cultural noise. Schools should focus on reading, writing and math, he said, rather than “socially engineering” students.

In 2023, Gov. Jay Inslee signed Senate Bill 5599 into law. According to the Washington Senate Democrats, the bill removes barriers for minors who seek gender-affirming or reproductive health care. To Johnson, this is an overreach as parents should have the right to decide whether they want to allow certain procedures.

Johnson said the United States should not be as involved in international conflicts. He is in favor of sending aid and no troops to Israel, but finds that Ukraine is a much different and larger issue.

“I think we need to stay out of it because it is a European issue,” he said.

When it comes to climate change, Johnson believes the data available is incomplete and that the issue has become more of a political matter.

Washington plans to phase out gas vehicles by 2035, requiring all new cars and trucks to meet zero-emission standards. To Johnson, the United States has plenty of natural resources that could be used.

Fossil fuels, he said, could be used in a “sustainable and non-polluting way” because they are more energy efficient. He isn’t against electric vehicles, but they are ineffective for long-distance commutes and there aren’t enough charging stations in place.

“I’m not against it, I just don’t want to be forced in that direction,” he said.

Food independence is also important to Johnson, who sees dams as a reliable source of water for the agriculture sector in the state.

Johnson will turn 56 in August, and said there should be age and term limits for elected and appointed officials. In 2021, he pledged to support term limits in congress. His opponent and incumbent Rick Larsen, he pointed out, is in his twelfth term.

He worries older officials may not understand the “nuances of technology” and may not be the right people to regulate artificial intelligence or social media.

The government also should not be censoring social media, he said, unless it’s used for terroristic or other criminal purposes.

If elected, Johnson plans to have three offices in the district with liaisons that can help him connect with his constituents. When he’s not busy in Washington D.C., he said, he will make himself available at one of those offices.