Open letters

Why we’re building this

A small collection of founder letters explaining why The Candidate exists, who we’re trying to reach, and how this fits with the broader effort to broaden the candidate pipeline beyond the two-party default.

  • FeaturedAugust 25, 202512 min read

    Open Letter to Americans

    Why We Need to Change How We Choose Our Leaders

    We think that if we were to poll Americans and the entire world, the number one thing people would say about the American political system would be, '350 million people and these are the two choices?!' We are confident that everyone reading this has heard this and/or said it, perhaps with more colorful language. This is our plan to change that and, in the process, change everything.

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  • August 25, 20258 min read

    Open Letter to Elon Musk

    An Invitation to Help Transform American Democracy

    Dear Mr. Musk, I hope this message finds you well. We are writing from The Candidate, a long-held vision and platform—today embodied at thecandidate.com—that shares your mission of breaking free from the two-party stranglehold on American politics.

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  • August 25, 20256 min read

    Open Letter to the World

    How America's Experiment Could Change Global Democracy

    We know that politics is a deeply local matter—and that every country has its own systems, history, and laws. But the truth is, the leadership of the United States affects not only Americans, but the entire world.

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