The first thing that struck me about Carolyn was her work ethic. John, from her time in grade school working at her family store, John’s Fresh Produce, to the effort she pours into every facet of this campaign, Carolyn truly meets the moment.

So I know that when she wins in November, she’ll be the hardest working representative for all of us here in Southwest Washington. And I know this not only because of her character, but also because of how we’re running this campaign: sustained by the people, for the people.

John, the term “grassroots” gets thrown around a lot on the campaign trail. At a basic level, this means that our team isn’t accepting a dime of corporate PAC money. That’s important, because the data show that candidates who take money from Big Pharma and Corporate PACs are more likely to be beholden to those entities -- not to voters -- after they’re elected.

But “grassroots” is more visual than just that.

To us, grassroots means that Carolyn checks in on our volunteers and that she herself is volunteering in our community during this difficult time.

Grassroots means that our work on the ground -- fostering conversations with voters and staying engaged with community groups -- hasn’t stopped just because we’re digital-first.

And grassroots means that we’re building a movement rooted in the belief that we, as Southwest Washingtonians will be the architect of our future -- not corporations, us. Our community.

John, we’re proud to draw on this spirit in its entirety: from our volunteers, to the types of events we hold, to the way we’re funding this movement for change. So when Carolyn gets to Congress, it’s going to be because we built a grassroots movement with you right by our side. If you’re able to at this time, I hope you’ll support Carolyn’s change campaign.

On behalf of our #TeamLong community, and in the service of a better future for Southwest Washington -- thank you, John, for all that you’ve already done.

Onwards!

-- Abby Olmstead
Campaign Manager
Carolyn Long for Congress