If you're seeing this, it means you either got really curious about my campaign blog, or I sent the link to you directly. I'm supposed to be asking each person in my life for a campaign donation. Apparently this is how things are done in politics, and it literally makes me sick. Our system should be making sure the person with the best ideas gets the most votes. Sadly, we don't have that perfect system, and getting my message out to voters requires money.
But I can't bring myself to ask you this directly. I know the people in my life have all worked hard for what they have. And I was raised that you have to work hard if you want anything in life. So the very thought of asking people to take their money and give it to me for nothing in return just knots me up inside. If I think about doing it, my heart races, and I almost vomit. I know if I asked, many of you would donate simply because you love me, or respect me, and it feels like I haven't earned that money. So I'm recording this instead.
I think I can really make a difference in this state. Having grown up poor, I know the importance of budgeting. Every dollar is precious, especially when someone loans it to you. That's what taxpayer money is: a loan, and the repayment of that loan is a functioning government. You can trust that I will be responsible with taxpayer funds as a legislator. But I know that the average working citizen needs support from time to time, and the government should be responsible for that safety net. I want to craft the state budget so that it actually takes care of the people that make this state function: the working people of the state. The voters of my district are responding to this message, and I know I can win if I reach enough of them.
And it's important that I defeat the incumbent. He's so far to the right that he wouldn't vote for the budget crafted by the Republican led house. He tries to ban masks in schools, promotes open carry without a permit, and wants to make foreign gold coins legal tender in our state. He's too far right for South Carolina, and definitely too far right for Laurens County. I can't say whether he was at the January 6th insurrection, but his 4:39am tweet suggests that. I don't know if he breached the capitol, but he helped organize a rally last year demanding the insurrectionists be released. He is a danger to democracy and needs to be removed from office. I need your help to do that.
So I'm asking you, in the only way my conscience will allow, please donate to my campaign. You can do that by buying tshirts, sending money through ActBlue, sponsoring events, or mailing me a check. Anything will help me seem legitimate to big check donors. I can't imagine anyone I know has a spare $1000, but some of you have a couple hundred. Most could spare $50, $20, or even $5. Whatever it is, it helps the folks who write checks think that I'm viable, whatever that means.