Nineteen years ago I sat down with my family to make a decision: Would I run for mayor of Salem, Massachusetts?

We had a very honest talk about the barriers I'd be up against: Salem had never elected a woman mayor before and some said we weren't ready for one. There were also two career politicians on the ballot already who had more resources.

But then we set those barriers aside and talked about why I wanted to run. When I moved to Salem for college in 1986, I knew I was home. And when I interned in the city’s Planning Department, I fell in love with the critical work of making government work better for people (I know, nerdy). As my family reminded me during our talk, I also had a lot of ideas for making our city better, from building our local economy and redeveloping our historic waterfront district to recycling and electric vehicle stations.

So with the most important endorsements secured, the blessing from my family, I announced my campaign. As you may have guessed, I won that race for mayor against all the odds. It was a major upset of the status quo, and I got to work right away: stronger economy (✔), recycling (✔), electric vehicles (✔), waterfront development (✔).

The lesson I want you to hear is that time and time again candidates like me, including women and people of color, are underestimated and told to wait our turns. But we shouldn’t.

It took a long time for me to build up the confidence to say things like “I’m Kim Driscoll, and I am the most qualified candidate for Lieutenant Governor.” One of the things that helped the most were people and organizations who went out of their way to support me with their time and resources, showing me that I deserved to be invested in — and that’s why I’m reaching out to you today.

The Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association represents the most diverse group of statewide electeds in the country — more than 75% of us are women and people of color. But to keep investing in diverse candidates, we rely on grassroots donations from Democrats like you. That’s why today I’m asking you to split a $25 between my campaign and the DLGA.

Thank you for considering giving. I know candidates like me who are often underestimated but are ready to overdeliver for their states will deeply appreciate your support.

Thanks for all you do,

Kim Driscoll
Lt. Governor of Massachusetts