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John,
Last week, our local television station hosted a debate and discussion with all three of the candidates in my race—except I was the only one who showed up. The incumbent, who is charged with serving the people in the State Senate, didn’t even have the courage to show up and defend her record to the voters.
This is utterly shameful. And it is all too common these days: politicians select their voters through gerrymandering; they decide what matters to voters and poll test the message they will tell them when an election rolls around. And then they hide away and avoid talking to the people at all costs.
I showed up. I will always show up. I am proud to show up, to talk, to debate and to have my views challenged. It keeps me, and everyone involved, honest—and I believe that telling the truth, speaking one’s mind, and treating the voters with respect is, in fact, a winning strategy.
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