Lydia Christensen, the Libertarian Party of Michigan's nominee for U.S. Senate, is running under the campaign banner "Unchaining Michigan" in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election.
Christensen, a member of the Kiowa-Sioux Nation, grew up in the foster care system. She said in the Surround Sound News candidate questionnaire that she is running as "an independent voice grounded in constitutional liberty, tribal sovereignty, environmental stewardship, and real economic security for Michigan's working families."
She said she takes zero corporate PAC money and serves no political machine.
Candidate information
- Party: Libertarian
- Race: U.S. Senate, Michigan (Nov. 3, 2026, general election)
- Residence: Ironwood, Michigan (Upper Peninsula)
- Heritage: Member of the Kiowa-Sioux Nation
- Education: Christensen said she has the “equivalent of two college degrees,” with studies in computer science at UW Oshkosh and computer programming at Fox Valley Technical College.
- Professional experience: Christensen said she is CEO of Iron Fortress LLC and has worked as a software engineer for the UW System and as a factory machine operator at Bemis.
- Previous elected office: None
On the issues
Digital privacy and civil liberties
Christensen named digital privacy as her top Senate priority. She called for a "Digital Bill of Rights" that would treat personal data as private property, ban federal use of facial recognition for mass surveillance and prohibit the sale of personal information without explicit consent. She said she would vote against reauthorizing FISA Section 702 without a strict warrant requirement and would push to repeal the 100-mile inland border search zone so Fourth Amendment protections apply across all of Michigan.
Economy and cost of living
Christensen said she would eliminate federal income tax on earnings under $150,000, raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour and repeal tariffs she described as regressive. She also called for repealing $35 billion in oil and gas tax subsidies and closing corporate tax loopholes to reduce the federal deficit.
Health care
Christensen supports what she calls an "opt-in Medicaid for All" system with zero deductibles and no surprise bills. Under her proposal, workers could keep employer plans or opt into the coverage, with premiums capped as a percentage of income. She said Congress must negotiate drug prices directly, which she estimated would save $113 billion annually. She also called for repealing Certificate of Need laws, which she said would “foster provider competition,” according to the Surround Sound News candidate questionnaire.
Immigration
Christensen said she would abolish ICE, citing what she called "systemic human rights violations," and replace it with what she described as a compassionate, fair enforcement system. She supports a permanent pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients and legislation barring federal immigration agents from operating at polling places.
National security
Asked about U.S. policy toward the war in Iran, Christensen said Congress must "reclaim its constitutional war powers" by requiring binding joint congressional resolutions for military involvement and rejecting open-ended authorizations for the use of military force. She called for mandatory human authorization for any AI-directed lethal force decisions in defense contracts.
Candidate responses have been condensed for clarity. Positions reflect the candidate's own statements from her questionnaire and campaign website.
