David Kustoff’s roots run deep in West Tennessee. He was born and raised in Shelby County and is a graduate of the University of Memphis.
Appointed U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee by President Bush in 2006, Kustoff set his sights on cleaning up government and public corruption and fighting violent crime and drugs. He oversaw the majority of the Tennessee Waltz trials that sent Senator John Ford and 12 other defendants to federal prison.
In Congress, he will fight mandates and regulation that are crushing small businesses, and will stand up against wasteful government spending. He will continue to fight for the conservative principles that have defined his career; he stands ready to challenge the way things are done in Washington.
David and his wife, Roberta, have two children.
“I am a lifelong conservative who was born and raised in West Tennessee. Having served as our United States Attorney, I know just how important it is we work together to keep our community safe, secure, and prosperous. I look forward to earning your vote over the next few months.”
MAINTAINING LAW & ORDER
The safety of our country and community continues to be my top priority.
As the United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee under President Bush, I set my sights on cleaning up government and public corruption, and fighting violent crime and drugs. I oversaw the majority of the Tennessee Waltz trials that sent Senator John Ford and 12 other defendants to federal prison. I also advocated for the death penalty and sent criminals back home to their country of origin.
EDUCATION
When it comes to education:
- Local folks know best – our teachers don’t need any national mandates.
- I oppose Common Core.
- I graduated from a public school in Shelby County and support public schools.
FIGHTING TERROR
The first priority of our government is our nation’s security. I am proud to have voted to fully fund our military every single time I had the chance. While Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats tried to obstruct, Republicans gave our men and women in uniform their first pay raise in a decade.
With President Trump’s leadership, our armed forces in the Middle East took back almost all of the land that ISIS had seized. After 8 long years under the Obama Administration, our country is finally safer and stronger with President Trump in the White House.
Israel is THE democracy in the Middle East. If Israel fails, democracy in the Middle East fails. The Iran Deal is a threat to our interest and Israel’s interest. We must always support Israel.
ENDING ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION
Last year, President Trump asked Congress to fund 74 miles of the border wall. We gave the President 90 miles for the Wall AND bolstered law enforcement at the border. And we are not done. We must stop illegal immigration and put an end to drug trafficking and the spread of opioids.
As United States Attorney, I enforced the laws and sent criminals back to their country of origin.
Illegal immigration is also a national security issue. A secure country must have secure borders. Our fight against ISIS and other terrorists must include securing the border.
I am for legal immigration, but our system remains too broken. We must continue to fix our system and allow those who play by the rules to become productive members of our society.
STANDING FOR WEST TENNESSEE VALUES
I will always fight for the West Tennessee values we so strongly believe in. I believe life begins at conception, I believe marriage is between a man and a woman, and I believe we have an unequivocal constitutional right to keep and bear arms. I will continue to fight alongside President Trump and do what is best for the Eighth District, not Washington.
CREATING JOBS
As a small businessman, I understand the importance of having an environment that allows job creators to create and grow businesses. In December, with President Trump’s leadership, we passed historic tax cuts and put money back in the pockets of West Tennesseans, instead of Washington bureaucrats.
After tax reform, unemployment is down to 4.1%, which is a 17-year low. Small business optimism is at an all-time high. More than 4 million Americans have received a bonus or a pay raise from their employer after tax reform.
Last year, we eliminated more than 1,500 unnecessary regulations, because it was long past time to get government off your backs.
Our economy is rolling again, and West Tennessee is beginning to see the benefits.
STRENGTHENING OUR RURAL ECONOMY
The Eighth District is the largest ag-producing district in the entire state of Tennessee, so I am working to pass a strong Farm Bill with protections for America’s farmers.
When I recently welcomed President Trump’s Agriculture Secretary to West Tennessee – Sonny Perdue – he was very impressed with our farming operations. We are proud of our agriculture industry here in West Tennessee, and I will fight for policy that helps our farmers and ranchers.
“To be truly free, a country must be able to feed itself, fuel itself, and fight for itself.” – Gov. Mike Huckabee
HEALTHCARE
I am proud we repealed the Obamacare Individual Mandate Tax. This means you are no longer forced by the government to buy insurance you don’t want or need. I will continue to work to dismantle Obamacare once and for all so we can offer the best healthcare in the world.