(C) Daily Kos
This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered.
 . . . . . . . . . .



Driven to save our democracy! [1]

['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']

Date: 2024-06-10  

A few days ago, I drove over 800 miles round trip, with my partner Christopher Proia, to Tallahassee to submit qualifying forms and filing fees for ourselves and several other Democratic candidates. Along the way, we even stopped to meet others and collect their paperwork for hand delivery to the infamous R.A. Gray Building.

Chris Proia is a working man who knows all-to-well the struggles of working for a living in a red city/county/state… He is more than just a truck driver; he is a beacon of hope and resilience. Balancing the responsibilities of taking care of his disabled mother alongside his younger, adult brother, Chris embodies the spirit of a working man, who understands the struggles of earning a living in a red city, county, and state. Despite these challenges, Chris has stepped up to run for FL Senate District 33 in Lee County, demonstrating his unwavering commitment to making a difference.

Back to Tallahassee, running for office in Florida has always been an arduous, somewhat secretive, and notably expensive process. It often makes everyday working individuals feel that becoming a candidate is nearly impossible.

However, in 2020, Janelle Christensen, of the Democratic Environmental Caucus of Florida, demystified this process for many of us through the Democratic Environmental Caucus project. She built a slate of candidates across Florida, striving to leave no seat unopposed, even in the reddest districts.



Thanks to this brilliant initiative, we discovered that due to the persnickety and sometimes arbitrary nature of the process—not to mention that the State's Office of Elections does not receive mail directly—it is always best to hand deliver all qualifying items.

So, I arranged babysitters for my two little ones, and Chris ensured his disabled mother (and brother) were well taken care of while we were away. We scraped together some gas and hotel money, and set off from Chris’s home in downtown Fort Myers around 5:00 am. Our journey of 14 hours of driving time, round trip, allowed us to collect manila envelopes, filled with important paperwork, along the way—all in the name of saving democracy!

The trip was successful, though we ended up returning three different times over two days with corrected paperwork for various candidates. Today, we received word that five candidates, including Chris Proia, have officially qualified, and several more are expected to qualify tomorrow!

(I had to overnight a check since mine hadn’t cleared from ActBlue into my account yet, but I expect to see the qualification date posted very soon.)

Thank you, everyone, for your amazing support. We have just begun this fight to save our democracy! Next, we will be ordering business cards, brochures, and YARD SIGNS!

We have a bunch of small fundraisers planned, but donations of any size are welcome. Both Chris and I are financially stretched quite thin, but we understand how crucial this fight is for our families, for our communities, for the future of democracy.

Donate to my campaign here: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/danikafornearforhouse83

And to Chris Proia’s campaign here: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/proia24

[END]
---
[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/6/10/2246018/-Driven-to-save-our-democracy?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=more_community&pm_medium=web

Published and (C) by Daily Kos
Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified.

via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/