The Mississippi Free Press sent the following questionnaire to U.S. House candidate Ryan Grover, who is running as a Democrat to represent Mississippi’s 4th congressional district in the March 10 Democratic primary election.
We present his responses unedited. Candidate responses do not reflect the views of the Mississippi Free Press or its staff.
Tell us about yourself, your background and past political or professional experience.
I believe choosing to run for office should reflect real experience with the people you represent. Working with Mississippi businesses and organizations is what led me to this decision. Since 2018, I’ve worked as a business consultant across Mississippi, going into businesses, sitting down with owners, and helping them reach their fullest potential.
Running a business has changed dramatically over the past few decades with the internet, and now AI, reshaping competition. Local businesses can get left behind while larger corporations benefit from rules that smaller operators can’t realistically absorb. I want to bring my experience into public service to protect small businesses from unfair laws and put them in a position to compete in a true capitalist way.
I want businesses to not only survive, but thrive, in this new environment. We see it often: out-of-state or large entities propose laws they can follow, but that force costly requirements on a small mom-and-pop shop. Businesses and farms that have been in families for decades can face bankruptcy or hardship that should be prevented through thoughtful regulation and proper governance. I will emphasize the prosperity of South Mississippi businesses over outside special interests.
This is personal for me. My father is a small business owner. I’ve seen how hard it is to compete against national companies and online platforms and I’ve also seen how resilient small business owners are when they’re given a fair shot. The worst thing a politician can do is neglect the people who keep our communities thriving.
I also believe the modern economy often requires more than one income stream. For many families, a primary paycheck may not cover all bills, and a second job or side hustle can be the difference between stability and living paycheck to paycheck. I’d like to create legislation that makes it simpler for people to start something on the side and build toward a better life. Pursuing what makes you happy is a core American value.
My experience comes from working with others. Not every business owner is easy to work with, but I’ve still delivered real results by listening, adapting, and helping them move forward. That is how I would serve in Washington. I don’t want to apply only my ideas (I acknowledge I am not always right); I want my votes to reflect the needs of the people of District 4.
Other relevant experiences include: lifelong Mississippian from Hattiesburg; Eagle Scout; two years of missionary work in South Korea; studied Integrated Marketing Communications at Ole Miss; founded Tryangle LLC; and served as the 2023 Lieutenant Governor nominee for the Democratic Party.
What does Mississippi need most from Congress? What are our most pressing issues for Congress to solve?
Mississippi needs an investment from Washington. Not just cost coverage, but real economic development. If the goal is to expand American industry, there is no better place than South Mississippi. With tariffs high, we should be courting manufacturers to invest here while also investing in our infrastructure and workforce training.
District 4 is robust with opportunity. We have access to ports and rail and business-friendly practices. We are positioned between major metros like New Orleans, Mobile, and Jackson, and we should be leveraging that geography to boost output. I would like to designate much of our district as a special development zone so our cities can pool incentives instead of competing against each other. I will push for a Gulf Coast infrastructure package that prioritizes ports and rail upgrades, economic development, and workforce training tied directly to employers in District 4. This is where Washington should place its eggs.
What are your views on immigration and ICE, particularly in light of the Trump administration’s nationwide immigration enforcement actions and the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti?
The immigration problem is not what Washington is making it out to be. I don’t believe in amnesty; I believe in documents. The answer to immigration is more lawyers and paperwork; not military-grade weaponization in our cities. Now that the borders have been mostly secured (and should remain that way), we can address the realities inside the country. No one should be here illegally; it can become a more dangerous situation for everyone. But it is also a systemic failure of government to adapt to real-life immigration patterns.
Never should federal immigration officers be killing American citizens. There is no scenario where this is justified without investigation. If the killings weren’t gross enough, the federal government’s response was disgusting: “The citizens were TERRORISTS,” “There will be NO investigation,” “The officers have PLENARY authority.” This is not American justice. Thank you, President Donald Trump, for finding the criminals, now let’s focus on them and not make everyone out to be a bad guy. ICE has gone too far and is now too far gone. It is tragic when a government agency becomes so detached from humanity, especially one tasked with dealing directly with people. We must train officers properly in crisis and temperament management so that life is always prioritized; for example, teaching them to step out of the way of a moving vehicle rather than putting yourself in front of it, shooting the driver in the head, and allowing the vehicle to swerve uncontrolled into traffic and pedestrians. We can remain humane and level-headed while carrying out efficient immigration enforcement.
I also believe we need to address birthright citizenship. It has worked for a time, but in a modern society we should be clearer about who can be here versus who can become a citizen. At the same time, as Ronald Reagan quoted: “You can go to live in France, but you can’t become a Frenchman… but anyone, from any corner of the world, can come to live in the United States and become an American.” Some people come here seeking refuge; others come for opportunity. The United States was founded on those principles, and our laws and officials should be welcoming and open to lawful immigrants. You don’t have to go far up your family tree to find an immigrant.
Washington must ensure everyone is documented, and non-criminal immigrants should be offered paperwork so we know who they are, where they are, and, so long as they are contributing to our country, they can work here. This protects citizens, allows business owners to hire immigrants legally, and prevents immigrants from entering a form of slavery. Our laws can be modernized to address these realities.
I would be remiss not to mention Charlie Kirk in this conversation. He was a bastion of the First Amendment and showed people it is okay to discuss and debate. The terrorist who took his life was anti-American; he couldn’t tolerate someone using free speech and shot him in the throat. We have witnessed atrocities in just the past months. To celebrate his death is to celebrate the end of free speech. Now juxtapose that with the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, and we can spot similarities and differences. In each case, victims were participating in their lawful rights until someone chose to take a life; the difference is in who committed the killings, one by a fellow citizen, two by federal forces funded by taxpayers. Everyone is entitled to First Amendment protections; the federal government has no right to kill its citizens without investigation. ICE is not judge, jury, and executioner.
What are your views on abortion, IVF, birth control and reproductive care?
The idea of being in a situation where I would have to abort a child makes me shudder even trying to imagine, and I feel fortunate I will never have to experience that. Men should not be the ones driving these laws. A woman’s healthcare is between two people: her and her doctor. Pregnancy isn’t something men deal with; at minimum, we should ensure safe, stress-free pregnancies.
Mothers deserve the utmost care, and if they face a health or other situation, the woman’s life and her liberty over her body should be the priority. Children deserve to be born healthy into families that will love them. Right now it is too expensive to raise a family in America, we must make parenthood affordable and give people a chance to start families.
What are your views on transgender issues and bans or restrictions on gender-affirming care, bathroom use, sports participation and military service?
We need to modernize how we “gender” people and provide a structure that reduces confusion. Transgender people exist; they are real and have the right to pursue personal happiness. This is difficult for me to fully imagine, even knowing people who have gone through it, but I’ve seen that those who transition often become more confident and settled in themselves.
There should be age restrictions guided by medical research, and no one should be pressured to change themselves too soon; it should involve counseling and competent doctors. If the government insists on legislating it, then policies should be rooted in medical approval rather than political impulse, especially regarding facilities and sports.
A surprising statistic I encountered suggested that over 95% of gender-affirming care for minors involved young men receiving breast reduction surgery, and only a small percentage was connected to transgender youth. That’s why I don’t think it’s smart to legislate based on feelings or assumed biases. I do not believe minors should be allowed to transition, but the broader data suggests this issue is often misunderstood in public debate. In primary education, transgender participation in sports is almost non-existent. At higher levels like college athletics, more considerations are needed, including clear intent to transition and medical consultation.
Ultimately, I support evidence-based standards: adult access to care, strong medical oversight for minors, and sports rules set by independent medical and scientific panels rather than politicians.
What are your policy views on improving health-care access?
If we continue with the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance, then we should expand the ACA to make coverage as affordable as possible. At this moment, I believe healthcare.gov is the best option and everyone should be on it. A monthly premium is far cheaper than risking your health without coverage. We also must get insurance costs under control: every time the government subsidizes health care, insurers find ways to raise rates. Washington is letting us be robbed.
Affordability is one issue; access is another. Mississippi’s rural hospitals have struggled for years. I have worked in health care and insurance, including helping bring millions of dollars to rural hospitals through government grants. My mother is also a nurse. I care deeply about health care workers, and understand that they need support.
It is unfortunate that Trump has made nursing not qualify as a “professional degree” that helps them pay for college. That is counterintuitive to what we need. We need more nurses and easier paths to degrees, not fewer workers under more stress. The pace and ability of people to learn has surpassed many of our education tracks; we need to train more doctors and nurses with better tools and better practical experience so Mississippians can receive first-class care.
In one sentence: I will support expanding coverage while stabilizing rural hospitals through targeted grants, telehealth expansion, and health-related loan-repayment options so no one goes bankrupt from being sick.
What are your views on artificial intelligence and AI regulation?
I haven’t looked it up, but I don’t believe there are many representatives who can claim to have built their own AI. AI fascinates me, and I have learned how to use it as a tool to build and create, including developing a functioning AI for measuring physics that can be downloaded. I’m currently working on another for my campaign website to help break down laws and codes so people can better understand the system we live under.
Few candidates understand AI as thoroughly as I do; if you are worried about the consequences of untamed AI, then you should most definitely vote for me. AI is not being used properly, and it will not be as long as politicians use it to create fake news and grotesque videos of politicians defecating on citizens.
The problem with AI is more than job replacement, it can steal intellectual property and even replicate someone’s identity. We do not yet have real regulations that protect individuals against this kind of automated identity theft. AI should make life and work easier, not erase salaries. It is too easy for companies to replace people with AI, and we are seeing that trend accelerate. We must ensure people are protected, respected, and act responsibly in this new environment.
What are your views on climate change and the role the government should play?
For those who think everyone was cultish around Obama: I attended several protests during his presidency, and I felt like my voice, and the voices of others around me, actually made a difference in how decisions were made. It was a time when you could at least feel like the president had your best interests at heart. One protest I attended was against the Keystone Pipeline.
Our shared resources are exactly that: shared. If pollution is dumped in a creek, not only is everyone downstream is affected but the wildlife and ecology as well. We have not done enough to protect our natural resources, and Washington shows less and less willingness to act.
The environment deserves representation and protection. Air is a shared resource; if you pollute too much of it, there should be consequences. Environmental issues have been ignored or covered up to the point that I had my air conditioner on in January. It’s not only climate change; corruption and negligence affect people’s daily lives. Again, we must prioritize life: life of nature, life of animals, life of humanity.
We now have renewable and zero-emission options; we should invest in upgrading high-pollution plants and infrastructure to go greener. We live in a closed system: without sustainability, the environment can turn for the worse. South Mississippi is prone to severe weather; coastal communities must be built to resist storms. I will support investments in coastal resilience, build living shorelines, and upgrade critical infrastructure, while maintaining enforcement against illegal dumping and major air and water polluters. Now is the time to build the future at scale.
What are your views on foreign aid to Ukraine and Israel?
These are two different wars. One is being attacked; one appears to be on the attack. At this point, I don’t believe the war on Gaza can be justified as “fighting terrorism.” Gazans who are not terrorists should never be targeted, yet the number of dead with no ties to terrorism is higher than the number of dead terrorists. This destruction should not be tolerated, yet it is enabled and even executed with our tax dollars. It seems the president is giddy to put his name on this newly available beachfront property. What about the people who have lived there for generations? America must stand up for life in all cases. Even terrorists deserve a day in court; that’s how society maintains civility.
While Israel plows over Gaza, Russia remains relentless in Ukraine. It has been more than a few days since Trump was inaugurated, and the war continues. He seems to have backtracked on his promise to end it on Day One. Have any of the negotiations actually benefited Ukraine? I will side with democracy and the people of Ukraine every time. Russia needs to get back to its corner.
Wars should be prevented through communication and regulation. Trump is attempting that, but it often appears the other side is unwilling to engage. When Trump offers protection to Iranians or Ukrainians, the other side is ready to attack. There is little reprieve for ordinary people in these regions. America should be a light in the world and show what it means to respect and hold sacred every life.
We may also face future conflicts. The impending war over Taiwan would affect us directly. We must make provisions to ensure Taiwan’s sovereignty and protect our technological dominance. The way the world is set up, the two go hand in hand.
What are your views on President Trump’s military actions in Venezuela?
Congress, who funds the military, should be part of the conversation. This was another shock-and-awe tactic from the administration that keeps Americans distracted and mentally stressed. Constantly testing the Constitution is tiring and wears the public down. We can’t let that happen. Everyone needs to stay sharp and uphold constitutional values.
I don’t necessarily disagree with the United States working with Venezuela to modernize its oil industry; it may even help keep our dollar solvent. But the way this was carried out was another test of our constitutional limits. For someone who despises border crossings, Trump loves walking the line. I can be the politician who works with this administration while ensuring everything remains constitutional. I love the Constitution and will gladly swear an oath to abide by and defend it.
Are there any other domestic or foreign policy views you’d like to highlight?
What I’ve been hinting at throughout is discussion is the inalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The Declaration of Independence says all men are created equal, yet the founders did not fully carry those principles through. When the Constitution was assembled, these precepts were missing; some men were counted as 3/5, and “all men” meant only men. After 250 years, I believe it is time to codify these rights into our Constitution in a way that is legally defensible. Even now, slavery can be constitutionally legal. We must change this.
Issues like AI, transgender rights, government killings, and reproductive care all connect to these basic rights. I will soon release three constitutional amendments that I believe have been missing for the past 250 years, clarifying that the government must never infringe on the life and rights of its citizens. People first, always.
I hope Democrats, Republicans, and everyone in between can tell that I feel a duty toward them. Let my life experience work for you. We are missing real representation: a representative who meets with South Mississippians and acts according to their needs. All that stands between us and tyranny is your vote; let democracy prevail! Go vote March 10 for D. Ryan Grover. Visit www.DRyanGrover.com for more information and to get involved. We win together, y’all.