Glenn Abarough

Glenn Abarough
Glenn Abarough
	Abarough at a campaign event, 2020
Senator-in-Absentia from Tennessee
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; January 29, 2021
Preceded by	Elijah Packer
Member of the United Commonwealth House of Representatives for Hispaniola's 7th district
	In office; January 2, 2017 – January 29, 2021
Preceded by	Tucker Greteson
Succeeded by	Franklin Morris
Personal details
Born	November 3, 1975 (age 48); Columbia City, Hispaniola, Antilles
Nationality	Antillean
Political party	Federalist
Spouse(s)	Alexandria Caine (m. 1999)
Children	4
Alma mater	University of the Antilles
Religion	Antillean Christian
Military service
Allegiance	Antilles
Branch/service	United Commonwealth Army
Years of service	1993-1998
Rank	Captain

Glenn Michael Abarough (born November 3, 1975) is a Antillean politician and educator serving as the junior senator-in-absentia for Tennessee. A lifelong member of the Federalist Party, Abarough previously served as a member of the House of Representatives, representing the suburban portions of Columbia City from 2017 to 2021. He is a member of the Abarough family and has been seen as the family's new political head following the retirement of his father from politics.

Abarough was born in Columbia City, Hispaniola to Michael and Julie Abarough. His is a great-grandson of former president Amelia Abarough, and the grand nephew to former president Eric Abarough. He was in the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) while in high school and upon graduation Abarough was commissioned as an officer in the United Commonwealth Army, obtaining the rank of captain before retiring from active service. After his time in the army, Abarough attended the University of the Antilles, receiving a bachelor's degree in history in 2000. After receiving his teaching credentials in 2001, Abarough began his teaching career at Columbia High School, teaching Antillean history and government.

In 2016, Abarough announced his entry into politics, running for and later being elected to a seat in the House of Representatives. As a member of the House of Representatives, Abarough supported socially conservative and economically liberal policies, but was noted for his willingness to work with legislators of other parties. Despite being viewed as the front-runner, Abarough declined to seek the Federalist presidential nomination for the 2020 Antillean presidential election, instead opting to run for a third term in the House of Representatives. In later interviews, Abarough stated that he believed he was "under-qualified" for the position and "need more political experience". In 2021, Abarough was appointed as the junior Senator-in-Absentia for the commonwealth of Tennessee by President Arian Lawrence

Politically, Abarough identifies as social conservative and economic liberal, though has been noted as a "moderator" within the Federalist Party. On social issues, Abarough is opposed to the legislation of same-sex marriage and abortion in the Antilles. While he is a supporter of civil unions as an alternative to same-sex marriage, he has been staunch in his opposition to abortion. In contrast to most of his party, Abarough supports elevating the provisional commonwealths into states. On economic issues, Abarough is opposed to the legalization of labor unions and a single-payer healthcare system, but has admitted that the Antillean healthcare system is in need of "major reform". On foreign policy, Abarough identifies as a soft Ameroskeptic, supporting Antillean entrance into the Conference of American States, though opposing participating in the organization's executive functions. He is a supporter of Antillean ascension into the Northern Treaty Organization and has publicly condemned the United Commonwealth on a number of occasions. He is opposed to the Antillean independence movement.

Early life, education, and career

Glenn Michael Abarough was born in Columbia City on November 3, 1975 to Michael Abarough and Julie Abarough (née Scott). He was born into the influential Abarough family, and is the grandson of George Abarough, the 31st president of the United Commonwealth of America and the great-grandson of Amelia Abarough, the 29th president of the United Commonwealth of America who effectively ruled as the military dictator of the islands from 1921 to 1983. He is also the grand-nephew of Eric Abarough, the 30th president, and William Abarough, the 32nd president. Abarough was raised in Washington Point, an affluent Columbia City suburb, alongside his two sisters: Alice and Savannah.

Abarough attended a number of public schools in Arlington Heights, including Marsh Elementary School and Point Washington Middle School. He attended the Arlington School, a prestigious boarding school in Arlington Heights. He was a member of his school's varsity basketball team, playing as a shooting guard. He was also a member of the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC). Abarough graduated from the Arlington School in 1993.

Following his graduation from the Arlington School, Abarough enlisted into the United Commonwealth Army and was commissioned as an officer. He received army training at Fort Hood and was later stationed at Fort MacArthur in Cuba in 1994. In 1996, he participated in a raid against the Hispanic National Liberation Army in rural Hispaniola, though his participation was disclosed a year later. He retired from active military service in 1998, retiring with the rank of Captain.

After his military service, Abarough attended the University of the Antilles and studied American history and education. He was elected the student legislature, served as a member of the board of the Committee of Collegiate Federalists, and played for the school's basketball team as a shooting guard. Abarough was the target of stalking in 2000, when Ryan Thompson, a third-year student at UA, followed Abarough from a campus event and attempted to forcibly enter his dorm room. The incident prompted the Families of Columbia Act, which authorized the use of Secret Service protection for relatives of executive branch officials. Abarough graduated in 2002.

Abarough worked as a history teacher at Columbia High School in Columbia City from 2004 to 2016 and has continued to worked as a part-time substitute teacher in the Columbia Metropolitan Zone.

House of Representatives

Elections

2016

On December 17, 2015, Abarough announced his campaign to be elected to the United Commonwealth House of Representatives, running to represent Hispaniola's 7th congressional district, which includes Jefferson Heights and Glen Hall, affluent suburban neighborhoods in western Columbia City. As the son of the incumbent president, and a member of the Abarough family, Abarough ran virtually unopposed for the Federalist nomination. Moving onto the general election, Abarough defeated Civic National Jodie Faust with 79% of the vote. Abarough was the most endorsed candidate for the House of Representatives in Antillean history, having nearly two-hundred endorsements from various Federalist officials and members.

2018

Abarough ran for a second term in 2018 and secured the Federalist nomination without contest. He went on to defeat Civic Democrat Jean-Baptiste Paul with a smaller margin that 2016, winning 70% of the vote.

2020

Abarough ran for third term in 2020 and secured the Federalist nomination without contest. He went on to defeat Civic Democratic Jean-Baptiste Paul in a re-match, winning with 73% of the vote. He only served his term for two weeks before being appointed to the United Commonwealth Senate.

Tenure

Abarough speaking to the 2019 House Federalist Conference meeting.

Abarough speaking to the United Commonwealth House of Representatives, 2020.

As a member of the United Commonwealth House of Representatives, Abarough supported socially conservative and economically liberal polices and legislation. He was noted for his willingness to work with legislators from the opposing aisle. He frequently co-sponsored legislation with members of the opposition and advocated amongst his Federalist colleagues to take into account the concerns of the opposition when writing legislation. Despite this image of bi-partisan cooperation, Abarough voted in-line with the Federalist Party and his father's administration 95% of the time, making him the tenth most reliable Federalist in the House of Representatives.

In 2017, Abarough was appointed to the House Education Committee. On the committee, Abarough advocated for greater education spending, particularly in low-income parishes. He co-sponsored the Teacher Wage Act in 2018 with fellow Federalist Mary Anne Jackson and Civic Democrat Martha Bennett. He also co-sponsor the Prayers in Schools Act in 2018, which open a federal commission on the possibility of allowing prayer in schools, and the American Education Act in 2020, which also opened a federal commission in expanding the powers of the Department of Education.

Following the 2018 midterms, Abarough was considered a possible challenger to incumbent Speaker of the House of Representatives Baron Avery in the 2018 speakership election by various media sources. When asked during a press conference, Abarough denied that he was was going to challenge Avery, and instead endorsed him for another term as speaker. He condemned calls by members of the Civic Democratic Party for an investigation into his family in 2019.

Committee assignments

House Committee on Education
- Subcommittee on Curriculum and Standardization
- Subcommittee on Higher Education

Caucus memberships

Senate

Appointment

As a Tennessean-Antillean, Abarough was immediately considered as a possible successor to retiring Senator-in-Absentia Elijah Packer of Tennessee. Following the Inauguration of Arian Lawrence, his adminstration announced that it already had a candidate in mind to replace Packer. On January 28, 2021, Abarough was formally selected by Lawrence to succeed Packer as the junior senator-in-absentia from Tennesee and was formally appointed the following day. He is the third person to serve as a the junior senator-in-absentia from Tennessee since the start of democratization.

Tenure

Abarough meeting Senator-in-Absentia Rob Yankers following his swearing-in, 2021.

Upon his appointment, Abarough was selected to replace Packer on the Senate Financial Committee. He served on the Financial Committee until December of 2021, when he resigned to become apart of the Senate Education Committee. In January of 2023, Abarough became the chair of the Primary and Secondary Education subcommittee.

In late 2021, Abarough co-sponsored the U.C. Senate version of the Liberty Oversees Act, which set aside $TBD million in the defense budget to provide monetary aide to nations "susceptible to Landonist interference". Abarough joined forty-five out of the fourty-six members of the U.C. Senate in condemning the mainland United Commonwealth following the Amazonas incident. Following the Caribbean Sea incident, Abarough called for a "coordinate, international response to Continental aggression". Abarough has praised President Arian Lawrence's response to the Caribbean Crisis.

In late 2022, Abarough met with Sierran Leader of the Opposition Kenneth O'Conner during his visit to the Antilles. Alongside other members of the U.C. Senate and O'Conner's delegation, they discussed different ways the Kingdom of Sierra could provide assistance to the Antilles. Following the visit, Abarough called for the election of a Royalist-led government in Sierra and criticized then-incumbent Prime Minister Susan Kwon for a supposed "lack of action" against the United Commonwealth.

Committee assignments

Senate Financial Committee
- Consumer Protection and Financial Consumption
Senate Education Committee
- Primary and Secondary Education (chair)

Caucus memberships

Presidential campaign speculations

2020

As the son of the outgoing president, and the leader of the "next generation" of the Abarough family, Abarough was widely expected to run for president in 2020. Prior to the start of the 2020 primary campaign season, Abarough had been frequently questioned on his presidential aspirations, and in most instances remained vague. On January 1, 2020, Abarough announced that he would not be seeking the Federalist nomination for president in 2020. In a statement, Abarough cited his inexperience in politics as his primary reason for declining to run, believing that he was unqualified to serve as president for the moment.

During the 2020 Federalist Party presidential primaries, Abarough along with his father declined to endorse a candidate, though it was reported that Abarough privately supported Mayor of Fort Hood Robert Kozlowski. After Arian Lawrence's victory in the primaries, it was speculated that Abarough would be selected as his vice president, though ultimately Mitchell Vargas was selected. Following the primaries, Abarough endorsed and campaigned for Lawrence.

2024

Abarough was initially considered a potential challenger to Arian Lawrence in the 2024 Federalist Party presidential primaries. According to polling conducted by CBS News and the Columbia Daily Reporter, Abarough was viewed as the most realistic challenger to Lawrence in a potential match-up. On February 23, 2023, Abarough declined to run for the Federalist nomination, praising Lawrence for his foreign policy actions and claiming it was "disrespectful and divisive" for news agencies to "attempt to sow discontent amongst [Federalists]". Despite praising Lawrence's tenure as president, Abarough has yet to endorse him, or any other candidate seeking the Federalist nomination.

Political positions

Abarough at a political rally, 2023.

Abarough is a social conservative and economic liberal and is considered apart of the traditional conservative establishment of the Federalist Party. In the House of Representatives, Abarough was a member of the Federalist Study Commission, the largest congressional caucus in the National Assembly, and the Congressional Problem Solvers Group, a collection of Federalist and Civic Democratic members of the National Assembly dedicated to improving bi-partisan cooperation.

On social issues, Abarough is socially conservative and a supporter of "traditional American values". He is opposed to the legalization of same-sex marriage and abortion in the Antilles. While he does support civil unions between same-sex couples, he is strongly opposed to abortion. As a part-time educator, Abarough is supportive of the promotion of American exceptionalism in public educational curriculum. In contrast to most of his party, Abarough is supportive of the elevation of the provisional commonwealths to fully-fledge states and supports lifting some restrictions on federal voting.

On economic issues, Abarough is a economic liberal and a supporter of the free market system. He is a critic of socialism, landonism, and communism, referring to all three ideologies as "anti-American". He is opposed to the legalization of labor unions, supporting labor associations as alternatives and has criticized the modern Antillean labor movement for supposed connections to the mainland United Commonwealth. Abarough is opposed to universal healthcare, though he has admitted the system "needs work", and is opposed to some social welfare programs.

Abarough identifies as a soft American unionist, supporting Antillean entrance into the Conference of American States while also suggesting the country should refrain from participating in the organization's executive functions. He also supports entrance into the Northern Treaty Organization and has condemned the mainland United Commonwealth as a "force of tyrannical evil". He is a opponent of the Antillean independence movement, claiming that the movement has "misguided intentions".

Personal life

Marriage, family, and interests

Abarough is a member of the Abarough family and a direct descendent of Amelia Abarough, with her being his great-grandmother. He is the son of former president Michael Abarough, the grandson of former president George Abarough, and the grand-nephew of former presidents Eric Abarough and William Abarough. Since 2021, Abarough has been viewed as the representation of future Abarough leaders and as the only member of his family currently holding office, he has also been viewed as the de facto head of the family. Abarough identifies as a Tennessean-Antillean through his great-grandfather John Abarough.

Abarough is married to Alexandria Caine, a member of the Caine family. The couple met while both serving in the United Commonwealth Army and married in 1999. The couple have four children: Amelia (b. 2003), Cassandra (b. 2005), Preston (b. 2009), and Henrietta (b. 2010). There has been speculation in the media if any one of the couple's children will enter the family business of politics. In 2019, it was revealed that the Abarough family was fostering twin brothers, whose names have yet to be revealed.

Abarough is a practicing Christian and is a member of the Christian Church in the Antilles. He and his family frequent the Columbia Cathedral in Columbia City. Abarough is a fan of basketball and played the sport while in high school and university. He is a fan of the Columbia City Privateers. He is also a fan of baseball and is a supporter of the Columbia City Cardinals. He gave the ceremonial first pitch at the first home game for the Cardinals during the 2019 Antillean Baseball League season. Abarough is ranked the tallest member of the National Assembly, being 6 feet and 7 inches.

Glenn Abarough

Contents

Early life, education, and career