As a little girl who grew up poor and Black in the segregated South, I’m no stranger to challenges. It wasn’t easy to become the first in my family to graduate college, but I truly believe that only in America can the daughter of a maid and a janitor have a story of opportunity like mine.

And now I've seen firsthand how that torch of opportunity gets passed to the next bright light, the next leader who refuses to be held back. Maxwell Frost is that leader, and I was proud to pass him FL-10's torch.

I first met Maxwell when I shared the stage with him in 2018 at an Orlando March for Our Lives event. Young people stood on that stage and demanded our leaders take action on saving lives. Now, Maxwell is delivering on that promise – for all of us.

John, Florida deserves more bold elected officials like Maxwell Frost.

But Maxwell can’t carry this fight alone. He is up against GOP extremism, and I can tell you from experience: It is going to take sustained organizing and funding to take back our state. He needs you, John. Urgently.

Thank you,

Val Demings