America is like playing a game of Monopoly where players start on different turns. The people farthest ahead often tell us that we should learn to play the game better. This movement is saying, “Let’s play a different game.”

This campaign is not about one person. This is about a movement happening across our country. Millions of Americans recognize we must lead the way to the future we deserve. Tens of thousands of first-time candidates are running for office. These are not the sort of people you would expect to see on the campaign trail. They are not political insiders. They are not backed by large corporations, lobbying firms, or Super PACS. They are normal people facing the same challenges most of us share. Together, we are building an America that is committed to all of its people.

For decades, our government has been dedicated to the most wealthy and well-connected. It has allowed billionaires and large corporations to gain unacceptable levels of influence over the prices we pay, the media we watch, the candidates we elect, and the laws we follow.

If we want a nation committed to all Americans, we need representatives unbeholden to the system that has corrupted our government and is bankrupting our people.

I’m a waiter. I’ve been working in restaurants for 12 years. I was born in Columbia, South Carolina, educated in public schools, and raised in a small, middle-class family. I used to believe people like me couldn’t run for office. Now, I believe people like me have to run for office.

We know what life in America is for most people. It’s $1000 a month just to rent a room in someone’s house. If you didn’t buy a home before COVID, you feel like you may have lost your chance. We are being priced out of starting a family, going to college, saving for retirement, and receiving affordable healthcare. Most people have more debt than savings.

Meanwhile, we see the Trump administration tearing down the White House to build a ballroom. We see celebrities traveling to outer space. We see billionaires with yachts worth more than hospitals. We see politicians sending our money to harm people in lands we will never visit.  All of this enabled by our current and previous leadership.

Americans deserve a future built for us, not at our expense.  If the political establishment will not do it, we will.

Our movement is championing solutions big enough to meet the moment. We are connecting people who serve workers before Wall Street, voters before corporate interests, and our nation before political partisanship.

Together, we can create a future where our healthcare system treats us as patients, not customers. Where homes are for families, not investors. Where every student can prove how far they can go if given the chance. A future dedicated to each and every one of us.

        We hope you will join us in building an America that is long overdue, but never out of reach.