LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — John Wesley Tyler has officially announced his candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives in California’s Fourth Congressional District. 

The Fourth District was created after the 2020 Census and now includes all of Lake and Napa County and parts of Solano, Sonoma and Yolo County. 

Tyler said his campaign presents “a fresh, bold alternative to the nearly 30-year incumbent Mike Thompson, whose voting record on health care and other issues that affect regular people, as well as his deep corporate ties to the Insurance Industry and the medical industrial complex have left many voters in the district yearning for new leadership at the highest levels.”

Originally from Wheatland in Yuba County, Tyler has been a public school teacher in Lake County for the last 12 years and is currently the auto technologies instructor at Lower Lake High School, where he’s built a premier high school automotive program for Lake County students. 

Before moving to Lake County, Tyler was a government analyst in the Central Valley for a city of over 30,000 people. In this role, he provided his constituents with over seven years of dedicated civic leadership from inside the City Manager’s Office, bringing in millions of dollars in grant funding and overseeing large project development and construction throughout the city that greatly benefitted the local residents. 

As human resources manager, he was in charge of recruiting and retaining all city employees, including police officers and firefighters. As political analyst, he was tasked with providing research and reporting to the Lemoore City Council on a weekly basis as well as drafting and implementing important legislation for adoption and codification.

Tyler does not hide his passion for public service. “I’ve spent my life and career working for the people building and fixing things — whether that’s constructing complicated local infrastructure like roads, parks and power plants or teaching young people how to repair and paint cars, I’m all about it; it’s what drives me. I’ve done it for 30 years and now I’m ready to help rebuild Congress and this nation,” he said.

Tyler said he brings “an unmatched breadth of real-world experience to the race” that he believes will connect with everyday voters. His background in municipal government is clear and
wide-ranging.

His experience as a teacher includes acting as the forensics coach for the Fresno State Debate Team where he taught for two years as a graduate student and traveled the country competing in political debate at the collegiate level. He also taught public speaking and communication at West Hills Community College for five years. 

Starting in 2013, he was the sixth grade math and science teacher at Burns Valley Elementary in Clearlake and in 2017, he moved into his role as auto shop teacher at Lower Lake High.

“I’ve lived through poverty, injury, bankruptcy, and the grind of rebuilding from nothing," Tyler said. "My story is the story of millions of Americans who’ve felt neglected or left behind by an economic system rigged for the wealthy few. We deserve better—and I intend to fight for it. I intend to make it a reality for all of us.”

Tyler’s Independent campaign will focus on rooting out corruption in Congress and restoring working-class power, all while rejecting corporate donations in favor of small-dollar grassroots support. 

A self-described “anti-establishment, free-thinking, independent progressive,” he is running on a platform that focuses on economic justice, environmental stewardship, local empowerment, universal health care, education reform and an uncompromising stand against Project 2025 and the broader rise of authoritarian politics.

“There is a powerful resistance rising in America,” Tyler said. “From every political stripe — Democrats, Republicans, Independents and Libertarians — people are waking up dissatisfied with their representatives in Washington. They are insisting on change. They’re tired of corporate politicians like Thompson who talk up the middle class while cashing checks from their millionaire friends in the insurance industry, the fossil fuel industry, and the billionaire
tech industry. Mike Thompson may say he looks out for the little guy, but his record and his priorities speak otherwise — when push comes to shove, he’s going to back his corporate Handlers.”

Tyler’s roots run deep in the greater Fourth District region. His family has lived in Northern California for generations, working in agriculture, education and small business. 

As a child, he picked peaches, worked the fields, and learned the value of hard labor under the guidance of his father, a Vietnam veteran, and his fiercely dedicated mother. His personal narrative echoes the values of independence, grit, and community — a sharp contrast to what he calls the “good-old-boy political aristocracy” that currently controls Washington DC.

Tyler believes that the time is right to elect someone who truly reflects the values of the district's diverse cities, rural communities, towns, and working-class families. And he’s calling on all citizens — conservatives, independents and liberals — to unite in California’s open primary next year, throw off the political labels that divide us and come together to save our way of life, our planet and our children’s futures.

“If you want to shake up the establishment, vote for an Independent.” he said. “This is an open primary. If you’re tired of corporate politicians and political lifers, vote for someone who’s lived your struggle and is ready to represent all of us — not just the rich and powerful. This isn’t about left or right. It’s about us.”

Tyler said he is not accepting money from corporate PACs and vows to remain entirely accountable to the people of his district. He plans to travel extensively across the district in the coming year, meeting voters face-to-face, listening to their concerns and amplifying their voices. 

Parties interested in scheduling a speaking engagement can contact the campaign through the website, www.johntylerforcongress.com.