Hi there,

 

My name is Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy, and I’m from the great state of Florida. I’m a mother of two and a former national security specialist, businesswoman, and educator. I’m also proud to be the first Vietnamese-American woman to ever serve in Congress. As an immigrant and refugee, my story is only possible here in America.

 

When I was just six months old, my family fled communist-controlled Vietnam by boat, running out of fuel before being rescued by the U.S. Navy. After living in several refugee camps, we eventually settled in rural Virginia, where my parents worked double shifts in blue collar jobs to give my brother and me a shot at the America Dream. I became the first woman in my family to go to college, earning a bachelor’s degree from the College of William and Mary and a master’s degree from Georgetown with the assistance of Pell Grants, scholarships, and student loans (that I’m still paying down today).

 

When our country was attacked on September 11th, I knew I needed to step up and give back to the country that had given my family and me so much, so I joined the Department of Defense as a national security specialist. My time at the DoD gave me the chance to work with the patriotic men and women that help protect our country. After working at the Pentagon, my husband and I moved to Central Florida, where we started our family.

 

I never saw myself pursuing service through elected office, but in June 2016, our representative (a 23-year incumbent) took money from the NRA just two days after the Pulse shooting in Orlando.

 

I was outraged.

 

You do not give back to your community by selling your allegiance and your vote to the highest bidder, especially when that vote threatens the safety of that community. This happened less than five months before the election, long after most candidates would get into a race, but I had to stand up. And thanks to the support of organizations like ASPIRE and the great team around me, we won in 2016 and again in 2018.

 

ASPIRE stepped up for me when I ran for Congress because they know a more diverse Congress can accomplish amazing things for our communities. ASPIRE continues to help recruit and support diverse candidates across the country for the pivotal 2020 elections. But early support can make or break campaigns, and ASPIRE needs your help today to help hit a critical fundraising goal in order to help more diverse candidates across the country win next November. Can I count on you to step up and help us hit this goal by donating $5 today? Here’s the link to give: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/aspirepac

 

Thank you for supporting ASPIRE,

Stephanie