I didn’t get into this race because I thought it would be easy.
I knew it would be a tough fight. Going up against a guy like Kevin McCarthy is certainly no walk in the park.
I want to tell you a bit more about what got me here — because this isn't just about Kevin McCarthy. I hope you’ll read my whole message and then chip in a few bucks to help us keep up the fight to bring real leadership that fights for the working people of California’s 23rd District to Congress.
I grew up as 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.
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, he passed away.
My Dad was drafted to the U.S. military right after immigrating to this country. I wanted to honor him — 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 and have always been proud to have served the country that gave my family so much.
After serving, I worked a variety of jobs that didn’t really pay well and offered me few, if any benefits — but 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, this helped me pursue other hobbies. I decided to start taking acting classes a few nights a week and soon fell in love with the craft, which motivated me to move to California and 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.
Folks, to this day, it is one of the biggest honors of my life to have been a member of these two great unions.
As you can probably tell and as I've said before, it was never my plan to run for Congress.
But after seeing the immense strain, inequities, and dangers our communities faced the past few years, including a violent insurrection that nearly overthrew our government, it became clear to me that I could no longer stand on the sidelines.
For the past several years, we’ve had a Representative who would rather do anything else but work for the great people of the Central Valley.
I’m ready to roll up my sleeves and work for you. There are so many people out there with stories like mine. We deserve someone who’s lived those experiences and fights for us.
I am fighting for true economic justice, Medicare For All, stronger unions, better support for our schools by fighting for universal pre-K, ending the racial disparities in education, better care for our veterans, true reproductive justice and so much more.
I don’t have Kevin McCarthy’s millions that he has from rich donors and corporate backers. I have something better: folks like you. That is why I am asking if you can chip in a few bucks today to keep building this people-powered campaign. We can elect someone who will fight for every single person across California’s 23rd District — but that’s only possible with support from you.
In solidarity,
Bruno
Contribute »
