Technology, Privacy and AI

High-speed internet access

130 public statements from 2026 candidates

§1The range of views

Why this matters: Work, school, doctor visits and government services increasingly happen online, so internet access affects whether rural and low-income families can take part.

Drafted by AI, then checked for neutral wording in a separate AI review. It describes the question and the main positions, not any candidate's view. Facts link to their sources.

How much government should spend to bring high-speed internet to homes and businesses that lack it, and to help people afford monthly service.

  1. Pay to build networks where service is lacking, and help low-income households with monthly bills
  2. Pay to build networks where service is lacking, but not to help with monthly bills
  3. Cut government broadband spending and leave expansion mainly to private companies

These options describe policies, not people. The order is not a ranking.

§2What candidates have said

Why this matters: Statements candidates made publicly, summarized in plain words with a link to where they said it. Candidates who haven't spoken publicly on this issue aren't listed.

Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.

Pay to build networks where service is lacking, and help low-income households with monthly bills (5)

  • Mike McGuire CA-1
    His campaign website calls for expanded rural broadband, and his rural plan says he would protect committed federal broadband funding, deliver high-speed internet to unserved and underserved rural communities, streamline permitting for broadband and cell projects, and protect programs that help low-income families afford internet service.1,2,3
  • Doris Matsui CA-7
    Her campaign website says she is working to protect the federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program and to restore the Affordable Connectivity Program, which gave low-income families monthly internet discounts.4
  • Brad A. Meyer IN-9
    His campaign website says he would complete the expansion of rural broadband and restore the Affordable Connectivity Program to keep internet service affordable.5
  • Lauren Jewett LA-1
    Her campaign website says she will expand broadband infrastructure funding for unserved rural parishes and push for subsidies that make existing broadband affordable for working families.6
  • Ilhan Omar MN-5
    Her campaign website's infrastructure page says she wants reliable high-speed internet available nationwide, including fully funding the Affordable Connectivity Program, which it says once subsidized internet service for low-income households, and investing in rural broadband.7

Statements that don't match one option (125)

  • Rhett Marques AL-2
    His campaign website says he would invest in broadband and other infrastructure to support health care, education and economic opportunity in rural areas.8
  • Amanda N. Pusczek AL-4
    Her campaign website says high-speed broadband should be treated as a public utility and that local utility boards and electric cooperatives should get federal grants to build fiber-to-the-home networks in rural areas.9
  • Robert B. Aderholt AL-4
    His campaign website says he supports expanding broadband to rural areas and that he created the ReConnect programs that funded rural broadband.10
  • Maurice Mercer AL-6
    His campaign website says he would push for broadband expansion along with investments in roads, bridges, rail crossings and water systems.11
  • Terri Sewell AL-7
    Her campaign website says she has worked to make high-speed internet available to every Alabamian and secured more than $1.4 billion to expand it in the state.12
  • Chris Jones AR-2
    His campaign website says he would expand access to reliable high-speed internet, especially in underserved and rural areas.13
  • Jared Huffman CA-2
    His campaign website lists securing millions of dollars for clean energy and broadband service in tribal communities among the things he has fought for in Congress.14
  • Robb Tucker CA-3
    His campaign website says federal broadband money should go first to unserved and underserved rural communities, based on accurate mapping.15
  • Michael Masuda CA-5
    His campaign website says he would expand reliable broadband in rural areas and bring it to every household in the Sierra foothills.16,17
  • Scott Wiener CA-11
    His campaign website says he would expand affordable broadband access to every American household and pass a federal net neutrality law.18
  • Lateefah Simon CA-12
    Her campaign website says she would expand affordable internet access.19
  • Aisha Wahab CA-14
    Her campaign website says she would provide high-speed internet nationwide and treat broadband as basic infrastructure.20,21
  • Zoe Lofgren CA-18
    Her official biography says she fought to start the E-Rate program, which provides affordable internet access for schools, libraries and rural health centers.22
  • Jim Costa CA-21
    His campaign website lists 88,444 households saving $30 a month on internet bills among results of laws he championed, and an older results page still on the site credits him with $46.6 million to expand broadband access in the Valley.23,24
  • Randy Villegas CA-22
    His campaign website says infrastructure investment should include broadband internet for rural and underserved areas.25
  • Salud Carbajal CA-24
    His campaign website says he fought for the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which it says is expanding high-speed internet to communities that lack broadband.26,27
  • Melat Kiros CO-1
    Her platform supports building public broadband in underserved communities as part of expanding publicly owned utilities.28
  • Jason Crow CO-6
    His campaign website names access to high-speed internet for all Coloradans as one of his two infrastructure priorities.29
  • Brittany Pettersen CO-7
    Her campaign website says she would invest in broadband access across rural Colorado.30
  • Victor Marx CO Governor
    His campaign website says he would speed up rural broadband through more grants, fewer permitting barriers and public-private partnerships.31
  • Phil Weiser CO Governor
    His campaign website says he would finish building out broadband so every home and business has reliable internet.32
  • Tyler L. Davis FL-1
    Davis's campaign website lists infrastructure, including broadband, among the platform's focus areas and supports investing in broadband and other infrastructure around military bases.33,34
  • Amanda Marie Green FL-2
    Her campaign website says she would seek a seat on the House Agriculture Committee to bring federal rural development money to the district for rural housing, broadband, health care and other infrastructure.35
  • Kat Cammack FL-3
    Her campaign website lists among her accomplishments the DIGITAL Applications Act, which it says passed the House and would speed up broadband construction on federal lands by moving permit applications online.36
  • Seth Harp FL-3
    His campaign website proposes a plan it calls the FAIR Plan to treat broadband as critical infrastructure and work toward affordable internet service nationwide, with a target cost of $10 a month.37
  • Mike Klein FL-3
    His campaign website calls for investing in local infrastructure, including housing, rural health clinics, clean water systems and broadband.38
  • Mike Sell FL-4
    His campaign's platform calls for fixing the FCC's broadband map, which it says leaves millions of households out of federal broadband funding.39
  • Victor Arias FL-19
    A separate Victor Arias Explains guide says his platform prioritizes federal investment in broadband, along with roads, bridges and flood protection.40
  • Dean Ocean Abrams FL Governor
    His campaign website says Florida should accept federal broadband money that comes without conditions limiting state authority and spend it on reaching addresses without service.41
  • Jon Ossoff GA Senate
    His campaign website says he has worked to expand high-speed internet access across Georgia.42
  • James "Jim" Kingston GA-1
    His campaign website says he will fight for policies that bring broadband to every home in rural Southeast Georgia.43
  • Sanford Bishop GA-2
    His campaign website lists extending broadband and wireless services to rural communities among his priorities, and says he supported and helped pass the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which it says provided $7.2 billion for extending broadband and wireless services to underserved communities across the country.44
  • Lucy McBath GA-6
    Her campaign website says communities deserve access to high-speed internet, and that she has been a supporter of President Biden’s investment in the nation’s infrastructure.45
  • Austin Scott GA-8
    His official House website says extending the nation’s broadband network to rural areas would significantly increase productivity and efficiency.46
  • Kelly Esti GA-8
    His campaign website says some parts of the district still lack strong broadband and that as congressman his job would be to secure federal funding for broadband projects.47
  • Chris Harden GA-11
    His campaign website says he supports expanding broadband access.48
  • Ceretta Smith GA-12
    Her campaign website says she would invest in housing, broadband and transportation in every part of the district.49
  • Jonathan Chavez GA-13
    His platform says he would make sure Georgia’s federal BEAD broadband dollars reach unserved homes and businesses, with a goal of full high-speed coverage across the district within one congressional term.50
  • Shawn Harris GA-14
    His campaign website says he would fight for Northwest Georgia’s fair share of Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) funding and bring reliable fiber-optic access to unserved rural valleys.51
  • Keisha Lance Bottoms GA Governor
    Her campaign's health plan says she would invest in broadband, telehealth and mobile care so rural families do not have to drive hours for routine care.52
  • Sarah Trone Garriott IA-3
    Her campaign website says she will support policies that build out broadband access in rural areas.53
  • Dave Dawson IA-4
    His campaign website says he supports federal investment in high-speed broadband so every Iowa town has the same access as cities.54
  • Rob Sand IA Governor
    His campaign website says Iowa should use whatever technology reaches homes fastest, whether fiber, satellite or wireless, to expand high-speed internet, and his health plan calls for helping people pay for satellite internet rather than laying more fiber.55,56
  • Ellie Gilbreath ID-2
    Her policies page says federal funding for rural broadband internet access should be increased, not cut.57
  • Terri Pickens ID Governor
    Her campaign website says all schools and students should have access to broadband.58
  • Brad Little ID Governor
    His campaign website lists investments in broadband and other areas, made without raising taxes, among his accomplishments.59
  • Mike Bost IL-12
    His campaign website says he voted to make major investments in rural broadband that would benefit under-served areas like Southern Illinois.60
  • Nikki Budzinski IL-13
    Her campaign website says she chaired the Broadband Advisory Board to expand internet access to rural communities.61
  • Lauren Underwood IL-14
    Her campaign website lists strategic infrastructure investments like rural broadband, improved public transit and clean energy among the proposals she has advanced.62
  • Jennifer Todd IL-15
    Her campaign website says she will strengthen rural infrastructure, from roads and broadband to grain transport.63
  • Mary E. Miller IL-15
    Her campaign website says she worked with both parties to pass rural broadband legislation.64
  • JB Pritzker IL Governor
    His campaign website lists launching Connect Illinois to bring broadband internet access to the whole state, including rural Illinois, among his accomplishments.65,66
  • Frank J. Mrvan IN-1
    His campaign website says he supported the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which it says made investments in ports, airports, waterways, roads, bridges, railways and broadband internet.67
  • Lauren Reinhold KS-1
    Her campaign website says she would establish a high-speed internet mandate and create a public option for broadband where private providers refuse to build.68
  • Charles Booker KY Senate
    His campaign website says he would finish expanding rural broadband so every home, farm and small business can get online.69
  • John "Drew" Williams KY-1
    His campaign website says broadband and cell coverage should be treated as essential utilities, with public utility service expanded where it is unprofitable for private companies and open access to publicly funded lines.70
  • Hal Rogers KY-5
    His campaign website's record timeline lists a continued focus on broadband affordability, access and reliability in Appalachian communities, and says he helped ensure that federal infrastructure-law funding became broadband expansion in Eastern Kentucky.71
  • Mikel Wein KY-5
    His campaign website says it is time to increase funding for broadband internet, and says eliminating funding for broadband makes it harder to work or learn from home.72
  • Jay J Bowman KY-6
    His campaign website lists expanding rural broadband to support smarter farming among its agriculture priorities.73,74
  • Pete Lynch KY-6
    His campaign website says he supports guaranteeing every Kentuckian access to fast, reliable and affordable internet.75
  • Julia Letlow LA Senate
    Her campaign website says she would expand access to rural broadband.76
  • Conrad Cable LA-4
    His campaign website says fiber networks need to be built in rural areas so that fast, reliable internet is the standard across Louisiana.77
  • Stewart Cathey Jr. LA-5
    His campaign website's Results page, which describes his work as a state senator, lists among the things he will continue to do investing in roads and bridges and increasing broadband access.78
  • Misti Cordell LA-5
    Her campaign website lists expanding broadband access among the things she will focus on in Congress.79
  • Antonio Wilson LA-5
    His campaign website says he will advocate for improvements to water and sewer systems, roads, bridges, drainage, housing and broadband in the district, with a focus on neglected rural areas.80,81
  • Larry Davis III LA-6
    His campaign website's Policies page lists expanding rural broadband among his agriculture and rural goals.82
  • Lindsay "Rubia" Garcia LA-6
    Her campaign website lists affordable broadband among the things she will fight for as a member of Congress, and its Issues page says she will push to speed up the deployment of BEAD program funding and to require providers to offer affordable low-cost plans in underserved areas.83,84
  • Stephen Wagley LA-6
    His campaign website says he will make sure the district is not left behind on broadband expansion so rural small businesses can compete.85
  • Stephen F. Lynch MA-8
    His campaign website says he has consistently supported federal efforts to increase broadband access, particularly in rural and underserved areas.86
  • Bill Keating MA-9
    His campaign website lists passing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law among his accomplishments and says the law expands broadband so that every American can get reliable high-speed internet.87
  • Dan Schwartz MD-1
    His campaign website says he would support efforts to expand broadband access across rural parts of the 1st District.88
  • April McClain Delaney MD-6
    Her campaign website says that at the Commerce Department she oversaw plans to widen broadband access nationwide and led the rollout of rural broadband grants.89,90
  • Rick Bennett ME Governor
    His campaign website says he has championed efforts to bring high-speed internet to all parts of Maine.91
  • Callie Barr MI-1
    Her campaign website says she supports expanding reliable internet access across the district.92,93
  • Jack Bergman MI-1
    His campaign website lists among his accomplishments support for federal rural broadband programs such as the USDA ReConnect Program and Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grants, and support for emergency broadband funding in 2020. It also says he introduced bills to have the FCC give priority to some broadband applications in areas with short construction seasons and to require large technology companies to contribute to the Universal Service Fund.94
  • John Moolenaar MI-2
    His campaign website calls expanding rural broadband one of his top priorities. It says he has voted for bills providing hundreds of millions of dollars for rural broadband, introduced the BOOST Act for a 300 dollar tax credit toward mobile hotspot or signal booster equipment in eligible areas, and supported farm bill funding for rural internet access.95
  • Christian Vukasovich MI-5
    His campaign website says he supports expanding affordable high-speed internet to every community, with strong consumer protections on pricing, speed, data and service quality.96
  • Tim Walberg MI-5
    His campaign website says he will continue to support expanding broadband access to rural areas and has backed efforts to find underserved areas and improve their access.97
  • Christina Bertrand Hines MI-10
    Her education topic page says she will fight to bring broadband access to every classroom.98
  • Lydia Christensen MI Senate
    Her campaign website says she supports federal investment in fiber-optic broadband for everyone.99
  • Matt Little MN-2
    His campaign website says every community in Minnesota and the country should have access to the Internet and modern farming technology.100
  • Trina Swanson MN-8
    The voter concerns page says she supports the Rural Broadband Modernization Act and ongoing funding to bring fast internet to places that private companies have not served.101
  • Amy Klobuchar MN Governor
    Her campaign website says she would finish building universal broadband, including by fully funding the state's Border-to-Border Broadband program and directing state matching money to the roughly 120,000 households still without fast service.102,103
  • Fred Wellman MO-2
    His campaign website says he would bring back the $30 internet discount, which it says 23 million households had before Congress let it end.104
  • Bethany E Mann MO-3
    Her campaign website says rural areas need high-quality broadband and that farmers need funding and access to reliable broadband internet.105,106
  • Jordan Herrera MO-4
    His campaign website says expanding rural broadband is basic infrastructure and that public dollars should create affordable service.107
  • Josh Smead MO-6
    His campaign website lists fully funding broadband expansion, especially in rural areas, getting high-speed internet into neglected areas, prioritizing unserved areas and regulating major telecom companies' profit and control.108
  • Alani Bankhead MT Senate
    Her campaign website says she would fund rural broadband.109
  • Brian J Miller MT-2
    His campaign website's farm page lists increasing and fully funding the ReConnect Rural Broadband Program among things he would like to see done.110
  • Don Davis NC-1
    His campaign website's priorities page says he is working to bring dependable high-speed internet to more of eastern North Carolina so families, students and businesses throughout the region can succeed.111
  • Raymond Smith NC-3
    His campaign platform page lists broadband internet access, along with investments in floodwater resilience and prevention, among the infrastructure investments Eastern North Carolina needs.112
  • Chuck Hubbard NC-5
    His campaign website says people should have access to high-speed broadband, with modern infrastructure extended to rural communities.113
  • Cyril Jefferson NC-6
    His campaign website says he would bring federal tax dollars home to expand broadband, fix roads and improve rail service, and support farmers with rural broadband.114
  • Kimberly Hardy NC-7
    Her campaign website's Priorities page says she would support infrastructure projects that include rail, internet connectivity and port logistics.115
  • Jamie Ager NC-11
    His campaign website says he will work to extend rural broadband and cell service so that small farms and shops can reach customers.116
  • Alma S. Adams NC-12
    Her campaign website lists, under a Helping Charlotte heading, securing $3 billion to bring high-speed internet to over 300,000 homes and businesses.117
  • Lakesha Womack NC-14
    Her issues page says she supports expanding rural broadband access.118
  • Trygve Hammer ND-AL
    His campaign website's tribal sovereignty page says he supports including tribal nations in the federal BEAD broadband program to help close the digital divide.119
  • Helene Neville ND-AL
    Her campaign website says North Dakota's remaining broadband needs are mostly about closing coverage gaps and improving affordability and reliability, and says broadband supports telehealth, agriculture and business.120
  • Dan Osborn NE Senate
    His campaign website says he would promote rural broadband.121
  • Chris Backemeyer NE-1
    His campaign website lists expanding rural broadband among his agriculture and rural community priorities.122
  • Macey Budke NE-3
    Her campaign website lists rural broadband expansion among the infrastructure investments she supports, and her plans describe treating broadband as health care and education infrastructure.123,124
  • Mark Cohen NE-3
    His campaign website lists fighting to make sure federal BEAD broadband funds reach the most underserved rural areas, and supporting enforceable buildout requirements, among his broadband commitments.125
  • Brett Lindstrom NE Governor
    His campaign's policy framework treats broadband as essential infrastructure and calls for finishing the job on rural internet.126,127
  • LaMonica R. McIver NJ-10
    Her campaign page on infrastructure says she wants better broadband so that every resident has dependable, faster internet access.128
  • Alan B. Bond NJ-11
    His campaign story on broadband says reliable internet is basic infrastructure, that projects built with public money should come with firm deadlines, service standards and measurable results, and that policy should encourage competition among providers and keep service affordable.129
  • Winston Jordan NJ-12
    His policy platform website lists expanding broadband access in underserved neighborhoods, digital equity grants for low-income families and municipal broadband options, and his campaign website says high-speed internet should be treated as a utility like water and electricity, with large technology companies paying access fees to fund it.130,131
  • Ben R Lujan NM Senate
    His campaign website says he supports infrastructure investment so that rural and Tribal communities have access to quality, affordable internet service.132
  • Melanie Ann Stansbury NM-1
    Her campaign website lists broadband among the infrastructure investments she champions in Congress, along with drinking water systems and road paving.133
  • Teresa Leger Fernandez NM-3
    Her campaign website says the country must build broadband, and that a $65 billion broadband investment will soon reach every rural part of her district. It lists helping pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law among her accomplishments.134,135
  • Martin Zamora NM-3
    His campaign website lists extending broadband and other infrastructure to rural towns, to connect them with today’s markets, among its jobs priorities.136
  • Greggory D Hull NM Governor
    His campaign website supports state investment to expand broadband access on Tribal lands and faster delivery of infrastructure projects, including broadband.137,138
  • Deb Haaland NM Governor
    Her affordability plan says she would have road projects install fiber-optic lines while the ground is open and expand internet access in rural communities.139
  • David Flippo NV-2
    His campaign website says he would improve rural roads, broadband and energy access.140
  • Amy Acton OH Governor
    Her campaign website says she would work to bring high-speed internet to every rural and underserved community in Ohio.141
  • Jeff Merkley OR Senate
    His campaign website calls for putting high-speed broadband in every rural community in America.142
  • Darline Graham SC Senate
    Her campaign website says she will work to expand rural broadband.143
  • Jermaine Johnson SC Governor
    His campaign website says that in his first term in the state House he expanded broadband access.144
  • Dan Ahlers SD Governor
    His campaign website says he would modernize roads, bridges and broadband to keep rural communities connected.145
  • Marquita Bradshaw TN Senate
    Her campaign website says she supports affordable, reliable high-speed internet for every Tennessean, including investment in broadband infrastructure and greater affordability.146
  • Marsha Blackburn TN Governor
    Her campaign website says that as governor she is committed to closing the digital divide by bringing broadband to rural communities.147
  • James Talarico TX Senate
    His campaign website says he would increase federal funding to expand high-speed internet access in Texas.148,149
  • Mark R. Warner VA Senate
    His campaign website says he secured funding through the bipartisan infrastructure bill to expand high-speed internet in rural Virginia.150
  • David Crowley WI Governor
    His campaign website says he would close Wisconsin's broadband gap.151
  • Shelley Moore Capito WV Senate
    Her campaign website says her committee work helps West Virginia expand broadband access.152