In District 4, Eric Jones seeks to unseat Mike Thompson with message of opportunity, change

At 35, Eric Jones is a multimillionaire who says he remembers what it was like to struggle financially. Now, the Napa resident and business owner is trying to turn that experience into a political career, challenging longtime Democratic Congressman Mike Thompson with a message that the American Dream is becoming harder for the next generation to achieve.

"I care a lot about the American Dream," Jones said at a recent town hall in American Canyon.

Jones, who is also running as a Democrat, says his family relied on welfare when he was growing up. His father was a disabled veteran, and his mother was a teenager raising three boys.

He remembers his mother's reassurance during difficult times.

"Eric, I know it's very hard right now, but one day, your future will be very, very different," he recalled her telling him.

Jones said he went on to start several businesses and build a fortune in venture capital and healthcare.

"I understand it because I lived it," he said of the American Dream.

But he questions whether today's young people will have the same opportunities he did.

"Can I promise the same things to my daughter? I don't think I can," Jones said.

That concern is central to his campaign against Thompson, 75, who has represented the region in Congress for more than 27 years.

Political newcomer takes on established incumbent

Jones is campaigning across California's 4th Congressional District, which includes Napa and Lake counties, and parts of Solano, Sonoma and Yolo counties. His pitch centers on economic opportunity and a break from the status quo in Washington.

The June primary results show the challenge ahead. Thompson received 41% of the vote, compared with 22% for Jones.

That said, two October surveys showed Jones ahead by 10 and 13 percentage points, though an important note: both polls were paid for by the Jones campaign.

Thompson brings decades of congressional experience to the race. He is a senior member of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, which oversees federal tax policy. His supporters point to his experience and ability to help deliver federal resources for the district.

Jones, meanwhile, estimates he's held nearly 200 town halls to introduce himself to voters and discuss his priorities.

At a recent event at a library in American Canyon, he said his campaign welcomes people regardless of political affiliation.

"We invite Democrats and we invite Republicans. We invite independents," Jones said.

One of his proposals would lower federal income taxes for working people. Jones said his plan would set the starting point for federal income taxes at $150,000, though the details of the proposal would determine how the change would work in practice.

He also wants to expand Medicare benefits for seniors to include vision care, dental care, hearing aids and in-home nursing care.

"These are core ideas that should be included in Medicare," he said.

Campaign finance and corporate influence

Jones has invested at least $5 million of his own money in his campaign and said he has rejected corporate donations. He argues that financial independence would allow him to challenge powerful corporate interests, including technology companies, pharmaceutical companies and Pacific Gas and Electric Company.

"It's standing up to Big Tech and PG&E," Jones said.

He has criticized contributions Thompson received from the PG&E Employee Energy PAC during his two most recent reelection campaigns, describing them as unethical in light of the utility's role in deadly Northern California wildfires.

Thompson has maintained that campaign contributions have not influenced his policy decisions.

Jones says he wants to draw a clearer line between elected officials and corporate interests.

"By saying no to PG&E and Big Pharma, I can actually fight on behalf of constituents," he said.

The issue gives Jones a way to distinguish himself from an incumbent with a long record in Congress. But his own campaign spending also underscores the role personal wealth is playing in his bid for office.

Making the American Dream attainable

Jones says he is running because he wants more people to have access to the opportunities that helped him succeed.

"I'm a welfare kid who has been greatly rewarded by his country," he said. "And I want everyone to have that shot."

If elected, Jones says he would limit himself to 12 years in Congress, arguing that public service should not become a lifetime career.

His challenge is persuading voters that a political newcomer can deliver the changes he promises, while competing against an incumbent who has represented the district for nearly three decades.

For Jones, the campaign comes back to the question that shaped his own story: whether the American Dream will remain within reach for the next generation.