This is episode 172 with Democratic candidate of the 25th Congressional District, Quaye Quartey

John Quaye Quartey lives in Valencia. He is a husband and father and the son of an immigrant. I find Quaye to be incredibly interesting. His resume reads like the one of an action hero for the latest Bruckheimer film. He attended the Naval Academy where he played football and ran track. Afterwards he served in combat in both Kosovo and Iraq as well as fighting terrorism and cyberwarfare operations all around the globe. He led intelligence operations on five continents and then served as a military diplomat in France. He also commanded special forces combatting ISIS inspired terrorists in Central Africa.

After 20 years in the service, Quaye retired from active duty at the rank of Commander. He enrolled in Stanford University's Graduate School of Business where he obtained a Master's degree in Business Management. He now runs a small business with a mission to grow other small businesses serving the community.

As I said, an impressive resume. One thing that sticks in my head though is that he has done intelligence operations on five continents. Just five continents, Quaye? That means you still have two to go. Next time lets' not be such an underacheiver. OK?

In all seriousness, Quaye is running for Congress as a Democrat with hopes of unseating incumbent Mike Garcia. It's still very early and it's going to be a tough race. As of right now, there are four Democratic candidates running and the filing deadline is nowhere close. And although Quaye lives in Valencia now, some have criticized him for not having grown up in this district. Still, he's off to a strong start as he was one of the top fundraisers among the candidates. Quaye really knows his international politics and the way the US government works. He was incredibly charming and had a good sense of humor. I enjoyed talking to him a great deal. As a veteran, he already fits the a major requirement for some in this district and with his strength in fundraising, he shows he could be a formidable contender for the role of Congressman for the 25th District.