A Working-Class Independent for Congress
I’m Dalton J. Franklin, and I’m running for U.S. Congress in Ohio’s 5th District because our democracy has been sold to the highest bidder.
Both major parties take enormous sums of money from wealthy donors and corporate interests, then turn around and pass laws that benefit those donors — not the people who actually do the work in this country.
That’s not representation. That’s corruption.
I’m not running to become part of that system. I’m running to challenge it.
This campaign is powered by regular people, not corporations or lobbyists. If you believe working people deserve real representation, I’m asking you to chip in today and help us take this fight to Washington..
If you believe in creating a government that works for all rather than the few, I’m asking you to help us get there.
The System is Rigged — On Purpose
Our government doesn’t work for most people anymore.
It works for big donors, corporate lobbyists, and a political class that answers to money instead of communities.
That’s why:
Wages fall behind while profits soar
Healthcare bankrupts families
Young people are buried in debt
And nothing ever seems to change, no matter who wins
This isn’t an accident. It’s the result of a corrupt campaign finance system that rewards politicians for serving donors instead of voters.
We can’t fix healthcare.
We can’t fix wages.
We can’t fix education, housing, or the cost of living.
Until we fix corruption first.
I’m Not a Career Politician. I’m a Working-Class Ohioan.
I’m a young, blue-collar progressive from rural Ohio. I’ve lived the reality of the widening wealth gap.
I’ve watched people work themselves to the bone believing they might finally get ahead — only to have the rug pulled out from under them again and again.
I’ve buried loved ones lost to overdose, gun violence, mental health struggles, and terminal illness. I’ve seen communities torn apart by despair, division, and a political system that keeps failing them.
These aren’t abstract issues to me. They’re the realities of my life.
That’s why I refuse to accept that this is “just the way things are.”
I’m running to bring people back into the political process. To talk about real solutions with real, everyday people. And to prove that working-class people don’t have to wait their turn to be represented.
This Is How We Win
We’re taking on a political system that runs on big money.
That means we don’t have corporate donors. We don’t have dark money. And we don’t have party machines writing checks behind closed doors.
What we do have is people like you.
Running a real campaign costs money: organizing, printing, travel, outreach, and reaching voters where they are. Every dollar you give goes directly toward building a campaign that answers to voters — not donors.
If you can afford to chip in today, it will make a real difference in this fight.
What I Stand For
I believe:
• Our representatives should answer to voters, not donors.
• Healthcare is a human right — and we need a single-payer, national healthcare system that recognizes this.
• If technology and AI increase productivity, everyone should benefit — not just a handful of executives.
• We must protect our planet and move toward clean, sustainable energy.
• The best investment we can make is in our people: education, workers, and communities.
• We need a living wage that keeps up with the real cost of living.
• And justice and dignity belong to everyone — without exception.
These aren’t radical ideas. They’re the basics of a fair society.
Help Us Take Our Fight to Washington
We’re running a different kind of campaign.
No corporate PACs. No dark money. No backroom donors buying influence.
That means every piece of this campaign — organizing, traveling, printing, reaching voters, and building real momentum — is powered by regular people.
People like you.
We’re up against a political system that runs on big money and protects itself with it. The only way we win is by building something stronger: a people-powered campaign that answers to voters and no one else.
If you believe working people deserve real representation, if you believe corruption has gone on long enough, and if you believe this country can do better — I’m asking you to chip in today.
Your contribution isn’t just a donation.
It’s a declaration of what kind of country you want to live in.