John, it's Nida Allam.

When I ran for Congress, I was at a huge disadvantage when it came to fundraising as a young Muslim woman and non-white candidate. We have to work twice as hard as male candidates to get half as much.

Let me explain why fundraising is so difficult for candidates like me:

1. People discredit young, new faces in politics – even if they have years of experience as activists or elected officials.
2. People say people of color are not “electable” because of our identities.
3. Young progressive candidates are sticking to our values and not taking dark money, putting us at a disadvantage next to corporate-funded candidates.

But John, just because the barriers are stacked against progressive candidates like they were for me, doesn’t mean that we can’t succeed.

We have the opportunity to get behind strong, diverse progressive candidates all across the South this year who deserve a chance to lead to create a brighter future for all.

Thank you,

Nida Allam