Republican U.S. Senate hopeful Geoff Diehl pledged this week that he will oppose any policies that would raise Americans' taxes if sent to represent Massachusetts in Washington D.C. next fall.
Republican U.S. Senate hopeful Geoff Diehl pledged this week that he will oppose any policies that would raise Americans' taxes if sent to represent Massachusetts in Washington D.C. next fall.
Diehl, a state representative from Whitman, released a campaign video touting his signing of the "Taxpayer Protection Pledge," an Americans for Tax Reform-backed document in which candidates make a written commitment to oppose any and all tax increases.
Specifically, the Republican pledged to oppose any and all efforts to increase the marginal income tax rates for individuals and businesses, as well as any net reduction or elimination of deductions and credits unless matched by further reduced tax rates, his campaign said.
Diehl, who is among several Republicans looking to unseat U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, in 2018, stressed that his pledge to oppose tax increases is important given the incumbent's stance on overhauling the American tax code.
"Elizabeth Warren, my opponent, said that she is going to be the main opponent of all tax reform down in Washington D.C., so it's more important to me now than ever to make sure that I commit to the voters of Massachusetts to not raise taxes while I'm your senator down in Washington D.C.," he said in 30-second campaign video.
Diehl's campaign noted that the Republican has earned a 100 percent rating from Citizens for Limited Taxation for his work in the state legislature, including his opposition to increase gas and utility taxes, among others.
Despite Warren's opposition to President Donald Trump and Republican leaders' tax overhaul plans -- proposals which she's argued could raise taxes for middle class Americans -- the Democrat has repeatedly called for simplifying the tax system.
She has further urged Republicans to join Democrats in finding bipartisan solutions to fixing the U.S. tax code, adding that she's ready to work with Trump and GOP leaders on such policies.
Diehl's announcement came as fellow 2018 Republican U.S. Senate hopefuls Beth Lindstrom and John Kingston released their own campaign videos.
Lindstrom, a former aide to Mitt Romney and manager of Scott Brown's 2010 Senate bid, touted the "new tone" she would bring to congressional politics as she made her case to Massachusetts voters in a Wednesday campaign video.
2018 Republican Senate candidate Beth Lindstrom makes case to voters in new campaign video
Kingston, a businessman who has publicly weighed the idea of running for Senate since July, meanwhile, announced his entrance into the 2018 U.S. Senate race in a Wednesday morning email and video to supporters.
Aside from Lindstrom and Kingston, entrepreneur Shiva Ayyadurai, of Cambridge; Allen Rodney Waters, of Mashpee; Darius Mitchell, of Lowell; and Heidi Wellman, of Braintree, have also filed paperwork to run as Republicans in the 2018 U.S. Senate contest.
Businessman John Kingston announces 2018 Republican US Senate bid
