Folks,
I’m Bruno Amato. I’m a veteran and a Democrat, and I am running to defeat Kevin McCarthy. Click here if you don’t need any more convincing and you’re ready to join my campaign right now.
A little bit about me: I grew up the son of Italian immigrants in a working-class family. My parents worked difficult, low-wage jobs so they could eventually save up to buy a home and work their way into the middle class. My three siblings and I were raised with the simple ethic: nothing beats hard work and perseverance.
When I was seventeen years old, my dad was diagnosed with cancer. I had just gotten my driver's license, and with that license in hand, I drove my dad back and forth to the VA hospital where he received his chemo treatments. Two weeks after I graduated from high school, my father passed away.
My dad had joined the U.S. military right after immigrating. I wanted to honor him by following in his footsteps, so that same year, I enlisted in the U.S. Navy. I worked aboard several Navy ships where I loaded and offloaded torpedoes from submarines. I have always been proud of my service to the country that gave my family so much.
After serving, I worked a variety of jobs that didn’t really pay well, offering me few, if any, benefits. This changed when I saw an ad in the newspaper for apprenticeship openings with the Ironworkers Union. I got one of those apprenticeships, and after three years of hard work, I became a Journeyman Ironworker with good pay, solid benefits, and a community united in solidarity and purpose.
Because I was a part of the Ironworkers Union, I could pursue other hobbies. I decided to start taking acting classes a few nights a week, and soon fell in love with the craft, motivating me to move to California to pursue it even further.
I know this was only possible because of the support and stability I had from being a part of the Ironworkers Union. I eventually joined SAG/AFTRA of which I am still a proud member. To this day, it is one of the biggest honors of my life to be a member of these two great unions.
As you can probably tell, it was never my plan to run for Congress, folks.
But after seeing the immense strain, inequities, and dangers our communities have faced this past year — while lifelong politicians like Kevin McCarthy continued to downplay the COVID-19 pandemic — it became clear to me that I could no longer stand on the sidelines. For the past several years, McCarthy has ignored the needs of the great people of the Central Valley.
I’m ready to roll up my sleeves and get to work — for you. I am fighting for true economic justice, Medicare For All, stronger unions, better support for our teachers and students by fighting for universal pre-K, ending the racial disparities in education, better care for our veterans, reproductive justice and so much more.
So, folks, that is why I am asking for you to make your first contribution to this campaign today. With your help and support, we can elect someone who will fight for people all across California’s 23rd Congressional District. With the power of the people, we can be unstoppable. Will you chip in $5 and help make that possible?
This campaign would not exist without your support. I'm so grateful you're on the team.
Let’s do this,
Bruno Amato
Contribute »
