The political career of Darlene Hazelton Nicholas began when she ran for State Rep in New London, Connecticut in 1998 (1.44%), where she fought alongside Suzette Kelo and the Institute for Justice in the dispute over taking citizens' homes by eminent domain for the benefit of a powerful pharmaceutical company.

Ms. Nicholas also ran for Secretary of State in Connecticut where she garnered 13,000 votes. Her campaign centered on the three B's: Business barriers, Ballot Access, and Bureaucracy. She believes in removing barriers to business, getting government out of the boardrooms and bedrooms, and taking steps toward freeing a highly regulated marketplace from government interference.

Her campaign to win the 5^th Congressional District seat will focus on:

1. Eliminating the intrusive Patriot Act
2. Bringing our sons and daughters home from Iraq
3. Protecting our civil liberties

Whenever bills are introduced that increase government powers over our lives, she will speak out against them. She will protect our privacy from an increasingly intrusive "Big Brother" government.

"Bringing our sons, daughters, husbands, and wives home from Iraq and other hotspots around the world makes sense to me," says Ms. Nicholas. "We can no longer be the world's policemen. In fact, sticking our noses into other countries' business is, in large measure, responsible for the increase in animosity American citizens have experienced around the globe."

"But fighting terrorism with terrorism is counterproductive. If we continue to let our government spy on us, its citizens, the terrorists have won! We have given up our freedom for a false security. I'm not saying that we do not play an important role in global issues. I believe that problems can best be resolved through sincere and heartfelt dialogue among world leaders and nongovernmental organizations. If each and every person took personal responsibility for improving the human condition on this planet before leaving it, imagine what a peaceful world we could create."

Ms. Nicholas has earned degrees in chemistry and technical writing plus an MBA. She and her husband Allen, who was a Special Forces "Green Beret" and Vietnam Veteran, are active Veteran's advocates for Veterans issues and are life members of the VFW. She has been speaking out for liberty ever since she spoke to her high school graduating class on personal responsibility and freedom. After reading Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand at the behest of her husband who was a co-founder of the American Libertarian Society, she realized just how intrusive big government was getting and deciding to work for freedom and liberty, changed her affiliation from Republican to Independent. She found her political home in the Libertarian Party in the early nineties and has been registered Libertarian as long as allowed by law.

Darlene Hazelton Nicholas, born in Hartford, CT and raised in West Paris, ME has been living in Congressional District 5 for the last three years. She has been married for 31 years to Allen Nicholas. They moved to Maryland on the strength of Allen's software engineering career in the area. Ms. Nicholas now works for General Dynamics as a Principle Project Management Analyst.

Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas have two sons. David, 26, is a baker in Connecticut. Daniel, 22, is studying 3-D animation in Boston.

VIP Wine & Cheese Reception and Candidate Forum - September 6, 2008

Darlene Nicholas at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City.