Serving the public in good faith

Faith, business, and politics often seem like three different worlds, or even at odds with each other. But in reality, faith done well can help both business and politics run well by forming virtuous, well-intentioned leaders.

A number of Legatus members around the country have run for and served in public office. True to their mission, they have sought to advance reason-based, faith-informed principles in public policy.

FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY

Experience as business leaders has taught some members who enter the political realm to promote good stewardship of taxpayer dollars.

Eugene “Gino” Bulso, a state representative in Tennessee and member of Legatus’ developing Nashville Chapter, ran for office for a very specific reason: to rein in federal spending.

Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution says, “Congress shall have Power … to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States.” According to Bulso, the phrase “general welfare” has been used to justify federal spending on many things that the Constitution framers never intended. 

“The federal government just continues to rack up trillion-dollar-a-year deficits. It’s not sustainable,” said Bulso. To combat this, he introduced legislation intended to trigger the Supreme Court to examine the constitutionality of federal spending. The bill has passed both chambers of the Tennessee legislature and has been signed by the governor.

John Cox of the San Diego Chapter has run for several public offices over the years, including governor of California, to combat the cronyism and inefficiency he experienced interacting with the government as a lawyer and CPA. 

Cox grew up a Democrat but was drawn to President Ronald Reagan’s fiscal policy. “Reagan spoke to me, because he talked about reducing the role of government, streamlining regulations, reducing the tax burden,” said Cox. 

SUBSIDIARITY IN PRACTICE

One of the main principles of Catholic social teaching is subsidiarity: that decisions should be made at the lowest or most local level that is competent to manage them.

Kelby Woodard, former state representative in Minnesota, says subsidiarity was one of the guiding factors in his governing style, leading him to listen closely to his constituents all over the district. 

“I went to the areas that weren’t the fun-and-easy areas to go to, areas of the district and state that didn’t agree with me,” said Woodward, a member of Legatus’ Twin Cities Chapter. “But I wanted to hear them out, because they had a point of view. And quite frankly, they helped shape some of my opinions.”

John Warford, who served 12 years as mayor of Bismarck, ND, and still works part time at his orthodontics practice and cattle ranch, agreed that someone can “really make a difference” in government at the local level. “You’re talking anything from the health and safety of your community, to economic development, to potholes in the roads,” said the Bismarck legate.

Bulso’s initiative to limit federal spending is also aligned with subsidiarity, as it could bring decisions on education, health care, and other areas not outlined in the Constitution back to the state level.

Cox is currently working on an initiative that would encourage more input from citizens at a hyper-local level by having states elect congressmen in a new way.

“Today’s politics is too much about money and media,” said Cox. “I want to bring it back down to person-to-person and get people who have character in public office.”

PROTECTING FAMILY LIFE

Of course, one of the most obvious areas where the Catholic faith can influence government for the better is the realm of life, sex, marriage, and the family.

In 2022, Peggy Dunn, longtime mayor of Leawood, KS, was asked to appear in a commercial to help explain a proposed amendment to the Kansas constitution, known as the “Value Them Both” Amendment. The amendment would have allowed Kansas to regulate abortions.

She participated as a layperson, but her position as mayor made her a particular target of criticism from those who disagreed with the proposed amendment. “I received incredibly hateful backlash from numerous individuals,” said Dunn, a member of the Kansas City Chapter.

But Dunn doesn’t regret her decision. “It may have been the ‘smart’ political move to remain silent, but I felt called to speak up and would honestly do so again if requested,” said Dunn. She also noted that despite the backlash, “there were actually many positive and supportive comments as well.”

Pennsylvania state senator Giovanni “John” DiSanto, a member of Legatus’ Harrisburg Chapter, ran for office primarily on an economic platform. However, he quickly found himself taking a stand against sex- and gender-related issues, such as homosexual pornographic materials being shown to children in schools.

In 2022, DiSanto requested that the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum commission remove a historical marker honoring Richard Schlegel, a LGBT activist. “This guy had a long, documented history of pedophilia, distributing child pornography, and breaking the law,” said DiSanto, basing his remarks on a 1993 interview with Schlegel.

But when DiSanto requested the removal of the statue, it became “a very ugly battle,” he said. “I was characterized as being a hater and everything.” But in the end, the commission voted unanimously to remove the marker, and DiSanto found common ground with unexpected people.

“Some members of the gay community did reach out to me and say… [Schlegel] probably wasn’t the guy they should be honoring as a trailblazer,” he said.

Similarly, in his first term, Bulso sponsored and co-sponsored several controversial bills related to gender and sexual morality. One forbids the use of cross-sex hormones and sex-change surgeries on minors; another prohibits public drag shows in the presence of children. 

Bulso says the legislators have experienced death threats for these bills, but he thinks it’s worthwhile to do the right thing. “It’s always going to be worth standing up for what’s right, even if somehow, someone were to follow through on a threat,” said Bulso.

VIRTUOUS SERVICE

Beyond specific issues and legislation, the Catholic faith can form leaders to govern virtuously and selflessly.

As mayor of Bismarck, Warford said he used the four cardinal virtues—prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance—as his basis for governance. “You make a lot of decisions that affect your elected taxpayers, [and] I’ve found that if you apply those four virtues, it really helps the decision making,” he said.

Warford now serves on the state board of higher education for North Dakota, where a primary focus is promoting free speech in universities so that virtuous perspectives can be shared. “I think that having both conservative and liberal, Christian and non-Christian views brought on campus is good, but they have to all be heard,” he explained. “And we have to make sure that Christian and Catholic views are allowed and are given their free space.” 

As mayor of Leawood, Dunn said she has been able to build consensus and focus on the common good. “I feel that I’ve become a better listener and problem solver and always strive to do what I believe is best for our community as a whole,” she said.

Her decision to run for office was prompted by a friend’s encouragement and solidified by a desire to give back. “It sounded like a good opportunity to serve my community,” said Dunn.

Similarly, DiSanto’s decision to run for office was propelled by a desire to give back to the nation. “I’ve always regretted not really serving the country sometime,” he said. “The country has been very good to me and my family, and I should get involved.” 

Bulso says patriotism aligns with faith: “Having a love of country is something that’s very Catholic.”

He encourages Legatus members who feel a calling to public service to consider it seriously. “It’s definitely worth discerning,” he asserted. “There’s a lot of good work to be done in public life. And Lord knows we need folks in government who actually understand natural law and the moral order.”

TIME TO STEP DOWN?

Catholic business leaders must discern carefully whether to run for office — and when to stop running. 

Former Minnesota legislator Kelby Woodard has moved into Catholic education. As of July 2023, he is the CEO of the Cristo Rey Network of Catholic high schools. He realized that much of the change he wanted to make through government could be brought about through education. “That experience in the legislature was really just a foundation,” said Woodard.

Peggy Dunn has made the “difficult decision” not to seek re-election in 2024 after serving as mayor of Leawood, KS, for 26 years. “Making this choice was a prayerful discernment, as I’ve truly enjoyed serving in this role,” said Dunn. She plans to serve her community in other ways. 

Perennial candidate John Cox of San Diego won’t run anymore either. 

“I’ve put my wife through enough campaigns at this juncture,” he quipped. But he will continue lobbying for his hyper-local government initiative as a layperson.