GET TO KNOW HUGH

Hugh McTavish is a Minnesota congressional candidate, scientist, entrepreneur, and legal expert dedicated to rethinking how government serves people and the planet. He is the founder and Executive Director of Jury Democracy USA and the originator of the concept of Jury Democracy, a governance model centered on citizen participation and accountability, which can be considered government by informed consent of the citizens.

Running for Congress, Hugh’s platform focuses on implementing Jury Democracy, restoring the natural environment, and advancing the idea that government should prioritize human happiness and well-being over purely economic measures like GDP.

Hugh holds a Ph.D. in biochemistry and is also a patent attorney. He has authored 18 peer-reviewed scientific publications and is listed as the inventor on more than 20 U.S. patents. As an entrepreneur, he founded and led two pharmaceutical companies based on his own innovations: IGF Oncology, LLC, which develops targeted cancer therapies, and Squarex Pharmaceutical Corp., which produces a topical treatment that boosts immune response and prevents cold sore outbreaks.

His work is deeply personal—his cancer research was inspired by his own experience as a patient, leading him to improve upon existing treatments. Likewise, his cold sore therapy originated from his efforts to treat his own condition, initially testing the solution on himself. Throughout his career, Hugh has consistently turned personal challenges into meaningful innovations.

In addition to his scientific and business accomplishments, Hugh is also an author. His works include COVID Lockdown Insanity, which examines the broader impacts of pandemic policies; Ending War in Our Lifetime, outlining a practical path toward global peace; Wild Plants of the Minneapolis/St. Paul Area, a regional field guide; and his forthcoming book, A Spiritual Seeker’s Abridged Bible with the Gnostic Scriptures.