After reading a lot of comments on various social media platforms about the election tomorrow, I realized I needed to make a statement. I haven’t been very active in voicing my opinions online, but with one day away, my story needed to be shared. This election means a lot more than one candidate or even the election itself. It is an opportunity for change to be made, and I am witnessing this possible outcome slipping away second by second. 

I have been a chief volunteer for Elena Baron’s campaign from day one. She and I have canvassed all over the district, met so many incredible people, and embarked on a journey far greater than either of us or this one election. Elena Baron has three things that set her apart from the other candidates. She is local, independent, and has the most relevant experience and background. I have said this countless times before to countless people, but I don’t know if the message set in enough, or if I explained thoroughly the true significance and importance of what this means. So I will say it now: locality means representation, independence means grassroots movement for change, and experience means the best possible leader for this movement. 

Being from the district is the key to this all. We have a situation at hand in which candidates from far outside our borders are running for this seat. The lunacy in this isn’t easily understood until we truly grasp what this seat is for. Civil court hears local cases. If we have somebody on the bench that isn’t from our community, they don’t have the constituents in their hearts or minds. We must treat our community as if it is a small town: we cannot allow an outsider to represent our needs when they don’t know anything about them! It seems obvious, but the problem is that people don’t know that by electing somebody other than the local candidate who lives in our community and has been involved here for years, we are making a decision to give up representation as a district. This election is a huge chance for us to take a stand and give a voice to one of our own, and it would be devastating if we gave up that opportunity. 

I joined Elena Baron’s campaign because it is symbolic of a movement for change. In a time when politicians control everything and people feel powerless to stop them, we need to do something about it to bring the power back to the residents and citizens. We elect the representatives, not the other way around. It is time we elect somebody that represents our interests, and not those of a politician vying for reelection. Every other candidate is endorsed by a politician. Elena is not. This speaks volumes to her character, motivations, and goals. It also presents another opportunity for us as a community to make a real change. We can stand up to the corrupt involvement of politicians in judgeships that have meaningful impact on people’s lives. We can say no to the attempts to take away our own representation and independence from the dirtiness of politics. We can choose a candidate that isn’t attached to establishments that don’t care about people but only money and power. A movement for community activism, organization, and representation is at our fingertips. If we truly care, we will elect the candidate who is for us, not the political machines that are so closely connected to the others. 

I am speaking from experience. Experience matters. Elena has experience of close to a decade working in civil and Supreme court. She is a hardworking immigrant mother of two, and understands the issues of working class and immigrant families. She comes from a family of scientists, and is very progressive. This experience Elena has makes her the most viable and qualified leader for our movement. She will represent us independently from the political forces at play the best. Progressivism, to me, is about the strength to take on the establishment of insiders and puppets who care only about money and power. Progressivism is about empowering community members to take part in the electoral process and have their voices matter. Progressivism is about the kind of election Elena is running, one that encourages people of the community to come together to take a stand against the corruption and evil forces infiltrating this election. Elena is a progressive, and so am I. 

I hope that my more in depth and detailed description of locality, independence, and experience help inform people as to why this is so important and meaningful. This election matters so much, and if we vote right, we can make a difference that will last a long time.