Former poker pro James Hinton of Napa, California has ambitions to switch his bluffing skills to a new game – politics, going all-in in a challenge to unseat the incumbent, Democratic U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson, in the heavily Democratic 5th Congressional District.
The publication Times Herald reports that the 39-year-old underdog has described himself as a fiercely independent social libertarian. Unencumbered by a political party, Hinton’s views are a mix of libertarianism and liberalism: He favours legalising marijuana, taxing Wall Street and replacing the Affordable Care Act with a one-size-fits-all, single-payer health care system.
“I’m running for U.S. Congress … in order to work with and for the people to protect our beautiful God-given environment, strengthen our economy and improve our health,” his campaign leaflet says.
The candidate has an interesting background as a poker professional (until Black Friday) and a wine expert. He’s running a social media election campaign and is prepared to take on big business.
“We are losing the battle against cronyism, but I promise to fight against this travesty and truly represent my community, not special interests,” he says. “I beat the toughest (online) poker games in the world. Now I want a shot at beating the lobbyists.
“I think people are fed up with the idea of career politicians. Most people I talk to say they want term limits on politicians. I feel the community is ready for a fresh new perspective.”