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Bruce Lou

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Bruce Lou
Image of Bruce Lou

Candidate, U.S. House California District 11

Elections and appointments
Next election

November 5, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

University of California, Berkeley, 2018

Personal
Profession
Business owner
Contact

Bruce Lou (Republican Party) is running for election to the U.S. House to represent California's 11th Congressional District. He is on the ballot in the general election on November 5, 2024. He advanced from the primary on March 5, 2024.

Lou completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Bruce Lou earned a bachelor's degree from the University of California, Berkeley in 2018. His career experience includes working as a business owner.[1]

Elections

2024

See also: California's 11th Congressional District election, 2024

California's 11th Congressional District election, 2024 (March 5 top-two primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House California District 11

Incumbent Nancy Pelosi and Bruce Lou are running in the general election for U.S. House California District 11 on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Nancy-Pelosi.PNG
Nancy Pelosi (D)
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/BruceLou2024.jpg
Bruce Lou (R) Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for U.S. House California District 11

The following candidates ran in the primary for U.S. House California District 11 on March 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Nancy-Pelosi.PNG
Nancy Pelosi (D)
 
73.3
 
138,285
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/BruceLou2024.jpg
Bruce Lou (R) Candidate Connection
 
8.6
 
16,285
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/MarjorieMikels2024.jpg
Marjorie Mikels (D) Candidate Connection
 
5.0
 
9,363
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/BiancaVonKrieg2.jpg
Bianca Von Krieg (D)
 
4.0
 
7,634
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Jason_Zeng2022.jpg
Jason Zeng (R)
 
3.5
 
6,607
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Jason Boyce (D)
 
2.3
 
4,325
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Larry Nichelson (R)
 
1.8
 
3,482
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Eve Del Castello (R)
 
1.5
 
2,751

Total votes: 188,732
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Endorsements

Lou received the following endorsements. To send us additional endorsements, click here.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

Bruce Lou completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Lou's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

My name is Bruce Lou. I was born and raised in the Bay Area to immigrant parents. I believe in hard work, family values, and the American dream. I am a business owner, UC Berkeley graduate, and Jeopardy! champion.


I’ve watched as the United States has declined in the past two decades. We have failed to guarantee the American dream for ordinary people, yet we have devolved into a society hyper-focused on pushing certain ideologies rather than finding real solutions. We as a country are more divided than ever and our elected leaders seem to fuel division and hostility towards each other for politics sake.


I am a young, passionate leader who represents the generation that will one day inherit this country. As a political newcomer, I am a fresh voice as opposed to Washington insiders who only have their own interests at heart. I am running as your common-sense candidate who will find sensible, practical solutions to the problems that we face. I put people above politics.


My goal is to restore to America the values that I grew up with, and let people believe in the promise of this country that my parents came here for once again.

  • Protect our fundamental freedoms. I believe in limited government that interferes as little as possible in our lives while maintaining peace and safety. I believe that the primary job of the government should be to preserve the freedoms enshrined in the Constitution, not be an all-encompassing nanny state. I support free speech, property rights, and lower government spending and taxation. While the government must provide certain basic services, I believe that people should be given as many choices as possible on how to live their lives as they see fit with as little government interference as possible.
  • All citizens must be treated equally under the law. When some groups are privileged over others, giving some more rights than others based on their identity, that violates the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause. Whether this manifests itself in additional aid, unfair admissions and hiring practices, or unequal enforcement of the law, this is unconstitutional and morally repugnant. Certain groups do not get a free pass due to either historical injustices or because of existing socioeconomic inequality.
  • Politicians need to be held accountable for their actions. We now have a permanent class of politicians who are both unaware of the daily realities of life that common people face and indifferent to the fate of this country and its citizens. They live in a bubble and suffer no consequences for the decisions they make that impact millions. I propose term limits on Congress, voter-decided salaries, and a ban on insider trading. Additionally, politicians can be held accountable via consequences such as pay reductions when the economy goes into lockdown or crashes, stricter public disclosures on financial or business ties, and jail time for corruption or other betrayals of trust of the people.

I care deeply about public safety. Especially here in San Francisco, crime is rampant, homelessness is omnipresent, and the drug crisis is out of control. A safe environment for people to live in is a prerequisite for a productive society.

The federal government can play a big role in solving these problems. We can fund police departments so they are equipped to deal with incidents that endanger public safety. Federal courts can prosecute criminal leaders and destroy organized crime rings at the top level. We can fight drug cartels poisoning our citizens through increased border security and federal agencies that stop the flow of drugs at the source.

I am also passionate about education for its role in shaping the values and ideals that the next generation will carry forward, thus shaping the future of our society.

In particular, I believe that education needs to be practical, instead of ideological. I believe that education should teach facts and critical thinking skills so that students can reach their own independent conclusions after evaluating the facts, and synthesize information to create their own theories. Students should not only be allowed to question their conclusions, but encouraged to.

Regrettably, schools nowadays teach students conclusions, and those who question the underlying processes or reasoning encounter repercussions. This has led to a generation of students who can’t think for themselves and rely on other people telling them the answer.

Integrity—means that representatives should have strong moral principles. Representatives will inevitably come under pressure, both from the opposition as well as from temptations like bribes. Representatives need to stand strong for their constituents' needs as well as against corruption.

Competence—representatives need to be able to get things done. Representatives need to be intelligent and of good judgment. We should not elect people who are unskilled and unknowledgeable.

Courage—inevitably, representatives will need to make a decision that is hard and requires sacrifice. The ability to withstand that pressure and make the right choice, even if it may result in criticism or setback, is crucial.

I would like to be remembered as someone who positively changed the lives of people. I would like the history books to remember me kindly. If I was known as the man who reformed the education system, or eliminated homelessness, I would think that would be an incredible legacy.

“What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.” -Pericles

My first job was a history coach. I was a fresh high school graduate, but since I had won the National History Bowl earlier that year, I taught high schoolers the study of history and coached them to their own title in history competition.
I still have this job—it’s evolved into an elite history competition consulting service. I’ve evolved this humble venture into a business, have coached many students who’ve won a combined ten national titles, and it’s been going strong for almost a decade now.

A man is stranded on a desert island at sea. He prays to God for help.

“God, I’ve been a faithful worshiper for years. Please save me as I have honored you well for my whole life.”

God answers affirmatively with a thunderclap from the heavens.

After an hour, a speedboat passes by. There’s a man holding out a life buoy on it.

“Hey man, you look like you need some help! Jump on, I’m heading to shore!”

The man replies that he appreciates it but he will put his faith in God to save him.

The boat leaves, but a helicopter spots him soon after and throws down a ladder.

The man uses sign language to signal to the helicopter that he appreciates it but will continue to put his faith in God.

After the helicopter leaves, improbably, a pack of dolphins swims up to the island, and offers its back to the man, as if to say, “Get on. I will take you to safety.”

The man shakes his head once again and points skyward.

The island has no water, so the man perishes soon after.

When he gets to heaven he is furious.

“Why didn’t you save me, God? I trusted you, and you betrayed my faith!”

God answers, “What do you mean? I sent you the boat, the helicopter, the dolphins, but you didn’t take any of them, and here you are…”

Moral of the story: Even though we can put our faith in God and fate, the opportunities that are offered to us are the help that is sent to us. We need to make the most of those opportunities.

Abraham Lincoln once said, “America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.” Lincoln knew a thing or two about internal division destroying the country, as he faced a country tearing itself apart during the Civil War.

The hostility that continues to worsen as people refuse to even have civil discourse with each other will be what ultimately destroys this country. If we are unable to see each other as fellow Americans and peacefully compromise to find solutions, we will be left without a nation at all.

America is a nation blessed with great natural and human resources. The only existential threat that we face is ourselves.

Without term limits, we have created a class of career politicians separated from the reality of how Americans live. They live in a bubble and only seek to further their own interests, and put their petty rivalries ahead of the welfare of the people. The ancient Romans had term limits because they understood this reality. We should enact term limits to make sure that politicians represent the people, and then once again become ordinary citizens. In short, term limits are a necessity for the protection of the people.

The only government without compromise is a dictatorship. Compromise is not only necessary, but desirable. Compromise is how we can achieve solutions that help the most number of people. With compromise, we can find the middle ground that works with this huge, diverse country.

California Republican Party
San Francisco Republican Party
Log Cabin Republicans of San Francisco
California Republican Assembly (CRA), San Francisco Peninsula Chapter
Equal Rights for All PAC (ERFA PAC)
Business and Housing Network (BAHN)
Silicon Valley Chinese Association (SVCA)

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.



Campaign website

Lou’s campaign website stated the following:

Protecting Constitutional Freedoms
Our fundamental freedoms have been constantly encroached on—the government has the power to spy on us, detain us, search us, all in violation of the Constitution.

Bruce advocates for a smaller, more limited government that preserves and respects our fundamental Constitutional rights, rather than violating them.

Reduce Government Spending and Taxation
Government is way too bloated, and our tax dollars seemingly go into a black hole of spending. We are spending more and more every year, for a government that does everything except protect our freedoms.

Bruce would slash government spending and attempt to reduce the tax burden as much as possible to create a more limited, restrained federal government.

Law and Order
Society must be made safe for citizens, and criminals must face consequences for their actions.

Bruce supports funding police departments and a fair justice system that assigns appropriate punishments for crimes.

Stop Hate Crimes
Hate crimes, particularly against Asians, are a nationwide problem that seems to go frustratingly ignored and unchecked. Bruce will back bills that apply hate crime enhancements to hate crimes against Asians consistently and that the perpetrators are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Stop Discriminatory Admissions and Hiring
Bruce believes that people should be judged by their accomplishments rather than by the color of their skin. Admissions that prioritize applicants based on their race are fundamentally unfair and un-American.

Bruce proposes that all universities that take federal funding must allow their admissions processes to be observable and auditable by third-party media outlets.

Fight the Drug Epidemic
Bruce believes that the drug epidemic is a matter of national security. We need to crack down on drug distribution networks and go after the high-level individuals responsible for distributing drugs. Bruce would utilize the RICO act to arrest kingpins to get rid of the problem at the source.

Secure the Border
The border crisis brings millions of illegal immigrants into the United States that bring gang violence, drugs, and human trafficking within our borders. A porous border is not a border. We have a duty to all citizens and legal immigrants to stem the tide of illegal immigrants.

Bruce Lou would advocate for a strong border and the end of sanctuary cities.

Education
Education is the bedrock of democracy. A good education system is an investment into the next generation of voters and citizens.

Bruce wants to reform the education system to promote practical education, and promote school choice to allow parents to choose how and where their children are taught.

Defend Property Rights
Bruce supports property rights and the rights of homeowners. Bruce does not support rent control and supports laws such as California Prop 13. He believes that the Death Tax portion of Prop 19 ought to be repealed.

Bruce would fight against all federal bills that would restrict the rights of property owners.[2]

—Bruce Lou’s campaign website (2024)[3]

Campaign finance summary


Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.


Bruce Lou campaign contribution history
YearOfficeStatusContributionsExpenditures
2024* U.S. House California District 11On the Ballot general$118,354 $109,439
Grand total$118,354 $109,439
Sources: OpenSecretsFederal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete

See also


External links

Footnotes

  1. Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on January 20, 2024
  2. Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  3. Bruce Lou for Congress, “Issues,” accessed February 12, 2024


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Ami Bera (D)
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Ro Khanna (D)
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Jim Costa (D)
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Raul Ruiz (D)
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Judy Chu (D)
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Ted Lieu (D)
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Young Kim (R)
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