First six weeks on the campaign trail
To say it’s been a whirlwind would be quite the understatement.
We announced our campaign for Congress six weeks ago. To say it’s been a whirlwind would be quite the understatement. The road has taken us to communities large and small; west and east; rural and urban. We’ve met with folks at their kitchen tables and in cafes, on horseback and along parade routes.
No matter where we go, no matter who we talk to, we’ve seen and heard that folks are just looking for the freedom to work hard to provide greater opportunity for the next generation of North Dakotans.
There was the retiree from Richardton who said that Social Security and Medicare are sacrosanct — programs that she paid into through a lifetime of honest work. There was the health care facility worker from Dickinson who told the story of postal carrier shortages leaving them in a position where neighbors have to deliver essential medications and medical bills. And there was the Ransom County farmer who said that without a strong farm bill, he and thousands like him across North Dakota would be in serious trouble trying to make ends meet.
In between these and countless other conversations, we’ve maintained a busy travel schedule across the state.
We joined over 100 grassroots supporters in Fargo. We walked in the Ransom County Fair Parade in Lisbon and the WestFest Parade in West Fargo. And we walked in the Potato Bowl Parade in Grand Forks and attended the UTTC International Powwow. We’ve been to NDSU and UND football games, and visited with the NDSU College Dems and the UND College Dems. There was the Big Iron Farm Show and a community conversation in Dickinson. We talked about the race in Minot and in Dickinson, and we discussed health care here, here, and here.
Everywhere we’ve gone, it’s been clear that North Dakotans are committed to improving circumstances for their children and grandchildren, but with that commitment comes a lot of frustration.
Whether it’s one of our five community colleges or numerous universities, students work to gain the knowledge and skills to move our state forward. But they come out the other side with the kind of student debt that prevents them from starting a family or building a home of their own. Our rural communities with older and vulnerable populations are doing what they can to remain competitive, yet they’re seeing their main streets being shuttered. And while those populations depend on critical programs like Medicaid and Meals on Wheels, elected officials are voting to decimate them.
We need a representative in Congress who will fight for — not directly against — these North Dakotans. Kevin Cramer, as his record shows, appears more interested in scoring political points and being a cable television pundit who discusses winners and losers of the the national political scene on any given day. It never used to be like this, and it doesn’t need to be this way.
North Dakota used to have a congressman who fought to protect the critical lifelines that so many seniors rely on in retirement. A congressman who fought for an economy that levels the playing field for middle-class North Dakotans. One who went to bat for a strong Farm Bill with crop insurance policies that provide a foundation for our ag economy.
So far on this campaign, we’ve called on Cramer to fight for the children who depend on the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and he was silent. We’ve called on him to protect Americans with disabilities, and he was silent. We talked about the importance of afterschool opportunities for the most vulnerable children, and he voted against those opportunities. We’ve talked about the importance of finding a bipartisan fix to our health care system, and he voted to rip away insurance from tens of millions of Americans.
I entered this race to fight on behalf of families who give their all to provide a roof over their heads, food on their table, and the peace of mind that comes from a sense of community. I entered this race to fight for an economy that does not play favorites. I entered this race to fight for all North Dakotans. That is who our lone congressman is supposed to represent, and that is who I’ll fight for if you provide me with the opportunity to represent our state in Congress.
It’s already been quite a ride for the first six weeks of the campaign, and I couldn’t have made it this far without you. Thank you to everybody who has helped out, and thank you to everybody who helped us meet our first end of quarter fundraising goal.
I look forward to hearing from, and working alongside, you over the next year.
