Daniel McComb

Daniel Noah McComb (born November 5, 1959) is the junior Kingdom of Sierra Senator from San Joaquin who has served since 2002. A member of the Royalist Party, McComb has previously served in the San Joaquin House of Assembly from 1992 to 2002 and as its speaker from 1998 to 2002. McComb is currently running for nomination by the Royalist Party in the 2016 K.S. prime ministerial election.

McComb was born and raised in the town of in a family of military veterans with his father, James McComb, and his uncle, Jeffrey McComb both serving in the Sierran Royal Navy during  and his grandfather, Joseph McComb serving as a  in the  during. McComb enrolled in The Presidio in 1977 and served two years in the San Joaquin National Army Guard as sergeant before completing with a. McComb practiced law upon returning home to San Joaquin and passing the provincial bar exam. McComb joined the S.J.W. & Associates, where he served clients in the Bernehim-Oakalona-Plainsfield metropolitan area with a focus on as a real estate attorney.

McComb first entered into public office when he was elected to the Plainsfield Board of Supervisors in 1986 as a Royalist. He became the first Royalist president of the Plainsfield Board of Supervisors when he was selected by the board in 1990. Toward the end of his tenure, McComb switched party affiliations to the Democratic-Republican to conform with local politics and garner more viability in a provincial-level office. McComb campaigned for the 5th Assembly District of San Joaquin in the 1992 election as a Democratic-Republican and won, and was reelected in every election thereafter until his resignation in 2002. He was elected Speaker by his assembly in 1998 before he stepped down in 2002 to run for San Joaquin in the K.S. Senate which he won. McComb was reelected in 2008, this time running as under his original party, a Royalist (a move that received much attention), and became chair of the Senate Committee on Defense in 2010. He presided over the Royalist Party National Convention as its keynote speaker in the 2012 election and witnessed the rise of his new party in his home province following major concessions in the provincial legislature to the Conservative coalition. In addition to chairing the Committee on Defense, McComb is a ranking member of the Committee on Appropriations and the vice chair of the Committee on Judiciary.

In May 2015, McComb announced his intention to run for Prime Minister, seeking nomination by the Royalist Party. During the primary campaign, McComb has focused on his history in leadership, fostering tripartisanship, and commitment to public service, running as a moderate.

Early life
Primarily of and  heritage, the McCombs immigrated to Sierra during the  from. McComb's great-grandfather, Martin McComb, was a prospector and participated in the Sierran Civil War as a Republican. McComb was born and raised in, San Joaquin, the youngest son of Rose McComb (née Kirkpatrick) and James McComb. He has two siblings, Alan and Vicky, five and eight years older respectively. As a child, McComb attended elementary school in. His father as well as his uncle, Jeffrey, both served in the Navy during World War II as seamen while his grandfather, Joseph McComb saw combat in World War I as a volunteer fighter for the French Air Force. As a teenager, McComb attended Escalon High School and graduated in the class of 1977. In pursuant with family tradition of military service, McComb attended the Bernheim campus of The Presidio in San Francisco and served the San Joaquin National Army Guard while studying. Serving in the 4th Infantry Regiment of the Hussar's Wings, he was promoted to in 1980. He was formally discharged when he studied abroad at in  and obtained a bachelor's degree in law in 1982, and then  in 1984.

McComb returned home to Escalon upon completing his studies where he passed the San Joaquin Provincial Bar Test. McComb married his childhood friend, Tracy McAlister, in October 1984 and began practicing law with the Seinfield-Walker-Jasna & Associates Law Firm (S.J.W. & Associates). Focusing on as a real estate attorney, McComb led a  lawsuit against local landlords in Bernheim for unfair rent price practices, winning $20 million in total damages. He gained further recognition when he directly challenged incumbent supervisor Harrison Ingram for the seat of the 4th Supervisory District of Plainsfield County, exposing the incumbent of county finances. With Ingram indicted with the charge and resigning from office, the seat was vacant during an election year, prompting McComb to run for the seat. Although McComb ran as a registered Royalist in a deeply Democratic-Republican area, he easily won with 79% of the votes.

Plainsfield County Board of Supervisors
As a county supervisor, McComb oversaw county affairs and operations in the 4th Supervisory District of Plainsfield County which included his home town, Escalon,, , , and. During his tenure, McComb focused on beautifying county parks, improving existing roads, and introducing more advanced irrigation in the area. In 1990, Board of Supervisors President Arthur Ghent retired, prompting the board to appoint McComb as their president, making McComb the first Royalist to assume the seat.

In 1992, McComb ran for the 5th Assembly District of San Joaquin as a Democratic-Republican, challenging fellow Democratic-Republican incumbent Saul McGill. During a campaign tour across the province, McComb was involved in a car accident near Bernheim. McComb required hospitalization for his injuries, spending two months to treat his broken rib cage. His driver, Rodrigo Abad, a political aide of his, died, and McComb launched a charity foundation in Abad's name to promote safer driving. After release, despite undergoing recovery, McComb continued to campaign, managing to secure the seat and winning the 1992 election.

San Joaquin House of Assembly
Once elected, McComb pushed for responsible government spending, favoring tax cuts for lower-income families and minor tax hikes on wealthier families, and focusing provincial budget on education and transportation. He co-sponsored a bill with Rich Fogle that extended social welfare programs to members of Native Sierran reservations and introduced a failed bill that would reduce the salaries of all officeholders in the provincial government including the Governor. He voted in favor of restricting the ability of local city officials such as the Bernheim Chief Alderman from invoking, and brokered a $55 million deal to subsidize public housing. McComb was reelected in 1994, 1996, 1998, and 2000. In 1996, McComb became the Majority Whip, and chaired the House Assembly Committee on Housing and City Planning, and was then elected as Speaker of the House of Assembly in 1998, chairing the House Assembly Committee on Rules and Ethics.

On the morning of February 15, 1997, Daniel McComb convened over the Assembly floor amidst bill deliberation when former city employee Monte Salamanca stormed the building and fired his revolver indiscriminately at individuals at the front desk. One was killed, Frankie Barajas, the House Sergeant-at-Arms, and four others were critically injured, before Salamanca surrendered by raising his arms up, and was apprehended. During police investigation and court appearances, it was discovered that Salamanca was suffering from depression due to his layoff from the Bernheim city government (an indirect result of McComb's plan to reduce government spending), recent divorce, and growing debt. The attack was premeditated although McComb was not said to be Salamanca's target more than the attack was a "statement" to the government. McComb and members of the legislature were safely evacuated without issue while the Capitol was on lockdown, but McComb cites the incident as the "defining moment" in his career that led him to strongly support gun rights, believing gun control could have not prevented the incident. After Salamanca was sentenced to 25 years in prison on counts of, , , and , McComb visited Salamanca at the in 2001 in a highly televised broadcast to speak with him personally.

Political positions
The Los Angeles Tribune describes the political views of Daniel McComb as "moderate" with slight leanings to the political right.

Climate change, energy, and environment
McComb acknowledged that is real and believed that part of it is man-made but believed that developing technology could help reduce "oil and carbon-based energy dependence". He opposes federal regulation of carbon emissions and is in favor of relegating this responsibility to the provinces and states. He and Senator Daniel Laaksonen (DR) co-sponsored a bill to improve water management and quality in major cities, and approved the ongoing $70 billion Hetch Hetchy-Salinas-Salton Project, a nationwide aqueduct system that will allow Sierra to retain water during perennial precipitation in times of drought and prevent flooding during peak years.

Capital punishment
McComb initially supported but has since stated that its use should remain limited to murder, rape, and treason, and that it should not be attached to any mandatory sentence. While he has stated that the current favored method of lethal injection is "safe", he urged further research to ensure humane but just executions, and criticized the costs of housing death row inmates, decrying the "reckless administrative costs and bureaucracy".

Criminal justice
McComb called modern crime "a real problem that is very troubling" and believed it stems generally from "broken homes and families" in a speech directed to the 2012 Sierran Alliance of Conservative Advocates Summit, and favored "pro-family growth" plans to revitalize education and employment opportunities in urban communities. He supports reducing the number of s and outlawing capital punishment for criminals convicted under 18. McComb favors sending those convicted of most "s" to s instead and reducing or releasing those currently serving such crimes. McComb expressed his concern with the use of by police, calling the police as "too militarized", pointing to the policing culture in his home province, San Joaquin, particularly the city of Bernheim. Although he has said he is open to use of s on police, he feared that it could easily be "abused and distorted" in addition to being "costly".

Drugs
While McComb has stated he opposes the use of recreational marijuana, he supports the legalization of medicinal marijuana, saying that "growing scientific data suggests there may be some benefits", and has also stated that he respects the policies of provinces and states that have decided on the matter. He has also called for reduced sentencing of those convicted of minor drug offenses.

Foreign policy and defense
In 2003, McComb supported Sierra's entry into the and at the time, believed that it was necessary. Since then, during his 2016 election campaign, he stated that in retrospect, the war "caused more problems than good", and attributed the rise of to Western involvement in the Middle East. Nonetheless, he has stated that he would commit foot soldiers in the Middle East "if there is an internationally-led coalition and general consensus", and is open to the use of drones.

He has stated that he is a staunch supporter of Israel, although he "can sympathize with the plight of the Palestinian people" and is open to a possible two-state policy.

McComb favors pro-Americanism, believing that Sierra's relationship with the United States as the "most crucial and important link in Sierran foreign policy", and supports Sierra's continued membership in the Conference of American States. He has also supported stronger ties with the Trans-Pacific Allied Community, and stated that Sierra should "take the opportunity to enrich our role in the Asia-Pacific". He has criticized China and its trade policy, calling for the Chinese government to address its practices, and to "level the playing field" in the international market.

Reproductive rights
McComb describes himself as and voted in 15 bills reducing funding to family-planning services during his tenure as senator, and co-sponsored a failed amendment to declare an unborn child as constitutionally protected. He is not entirely opposed to all instances of abortion however, believing that "it may only be done in exceptional circumstances" by which he further elaborated were incest, rape, or life-threatening situations. He has suggested that "s" are a better alternative for birth control although has voted against every bill on federal spending on distributing contraceptives.

Personal life
Daniel McComb is married to Tracy McComb (née McAlister), a childhood friend of his he grew up with in Escalon. When McComb returned to San Joaquin from Harvard in 1984, the two met again and rekindled their friendship, eventually dating and marrying that same year. The two have never raised children with their only unborn daughter dying in a five months in while the McCombs were campaigning for McComb's bid for Plainsfield Supervisor. They posthumously named their daughter, Grace.

McComb is a history enthusiast, having participated in various reenactments of famous Sierran Civil War battles, and is an honorary chairman of the Sierran Civil War Legacy Foundation, based in Bernheim. In addition, he has been known for his love for s, and once completed the "10-Plate Challenge" at a Freddy's BBQ Joint franchise in Oakalona in under 30 minutes while as Assembly Speaker. McComb has stated that he is an avid video game player, enjoying mobile games as well console ones, although admitted he played more often prior to the later years of his tenure in the Sierra Senate.