Helen Horvath says she wore her “good” flip-flops for an interview on her upcoming run for Congress. She points out their cost—$12—which could be an indication that the 60 year old considers the price tag with every decision she makes. She is one of seven candidates in a race to represent the 50th Congressional district.
An Army veteran, Horvath has been CEO of Ilka Technologies since 2012, when the company was incorporated in Delaware. The group claims to align goals with strategies on a consulting basis for a list of clients including the United States Marine Corps, United States Navy and United States Army.
Her answers to questions about why she is running to replace Congressman Duncan Hunter and her platform focus solely on the bottom line, with little mention of party alignment. She appears to want to reorganize government as a way to cut spending.
She would like to bring in a revamped version of training program she developed while completing her doctoral dissertation in organizational development through Alliant International University. Horvath presented the seven-day career transition program to the U.S. Navy through Ilka Technologies and expected that Navy leaders would then recommend her idea to the Department of Defense.
transition program to the U.S. Navy through Ilka Technologies and expected that Navy leaders would then recommend her idea to the Department of Defense.
Horvath admits she was disappointed when they did not adopt the program, but also says that decision prompted her to consider running for Congress.
She mentions the fact that her parents came from communist Hungary and worries about the potential costs of social medicine. She says that Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid have to be examined for cost and for effectivity, then calls out one rival candidate, Democrat Ammar Campa-Najjar, who has campaigned for early buy-in of medicare over a transition period of four years.
“The cost of Medicare— now that cost includes Medicare, Medicaid or MediCal— and then the cost of the exchange… we’re paying $3.6 trillion according to a report from early 2019 and we’re only bringing in $1.4 trillion in premiums so its creating more of a deficit… who is paying for that?”
Horvath mentions sexual assault of women in the military within her discussion on healthcare coverage and says providing health care for homeless female veterans is especially complicated.
“Veterans have equal to a universal health care plan already and many don’t use it because there’s fear. Women veterans, until they learn the system, do not like dealing with male providers because a large percentage have been sexually assaulted, molested in the military,” Horvath said.
She claims to have personally encountered many women— veterans and those who have never served— who have been sexually assaulted and carries her concern for that population from the discussion on healthcare into her opinion on homelessness in the 50th district.
“One of the things with the homeless issue- there are a tremendous amount of female veterans who are homeless… those homeless women have more in-depth problems in many cases- sexual assault, anxiety, depression, all types of mental health issues from one, being in war, two, being sexually assaulted… Women need to rise up and stand up and take control of who they are” Horvath said.
Horvath has never served in an elected position but points to her years as an Army spouse for experience in navigating the federal government.
“When we lived in D.C., we did volunteer work on Capitol Hill and we would meet with legislators at parties where all the Congressional reps would come in and we would sit and talk to them about issues… I’ve observed, I’ve watched, and now I’m watching what not to do in Congress. It takes someone with my experience to run that office,” Horvath said.
In a previous version of this story it was incorrectly stated Helen Horvath has been CEO of ILKA Technologies since 2005. The information was taken at the time from her LinkedIn page. According to the Delaware Secretary of State ILKA Technologies, Inc was incorporated in 2012, at which time she was listed as CEO.
The story also stated Horvath had worked on a doctoral dissertation in Organizational Leadership. According to Alliant University, Horvath’s dissertation: NFL Professional Development: A Model for Career Transition for NFL Athletes, was part of her work toward a doctorate in psychology in Organization Development.
The Sun regrets the error.
