Here’s the situation: We launched Courage to Change because working-class candidates face fundamental disadvantages when running for office.
Right now, I want to paint you a picture of what that looks like. If you go to the DCCC and say, “Hey, I want to run for office,” you’re going to get a simple question: “How much can you raise from your friends and family?”
If you come from money, the answer is probably a lot. If you went to law school, the answer is probably a boatload of cash. But if you grew up in a working-class neighborhood, we all know your answer won’t be enough.
Here’s the hard truth: At least this cycle, we’ll probably never even the playing field. Candidates with wealthy connections or vast personal fortunes will always start out with the ball in their court.
That doesn’t mean winning is impossible. It just means that people like us — movements like ours — have to hustle that much harder, have to sacrifice that much more, and have to raise each other up.
Working-class people across the country have always had to fight that much harder, and our candidates for office are no different. But it is exactly because we have seen our neighbors overcome those obstacles that we know our leaders can do the same.
- Team AOC
EDITOR'S NOTE:
While we like Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez we feel that the Courage to Change PAC has made a big mistake in giving 15th Congressional candidate Samelys Lopez $20,000.00 for her campaign. We have heard stories already from very reliable sources that someone very close to candidate Lopez is already using AOC's Bronx campaign office to bolster his own 2021 campaign for city council. More than one person have told us that this person has solicited donations from people connected with the AOC campaign for his 2021 City Council race. We have also been told that part if not all of the money from the Courage to Change PAC will go to this person whom we believe is running the Lopez campaign, since the consultants hired for the Lopez campaign have been fired. This person has also kept us from interviewing candidate Lopez, and asking her questions related to her involvement in Local Democrats of New York, and Bronx Progressives.
It is important that Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez, the Courage to Change PAC, and the public know this information we have in part which has come from people in the Ocasio-Cortez campaign.
