I'm Chris Donovan and as my race in Connecticut heats up, I wanted to introduce myself to you.
I have been fighting for working families for my entire life.
As Chair of the Labor Committee, Majority Leader, and now Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives, I took the lead in fighting, successfully, for 12 minimum wage increases, for the strongest system of publicly financed elections in the country, for a municipal and non-profit health care pooling law (the first step on the path to public option for Connecticut), for the first statewide paid sick leave law in the country, for marriage equality, for transgender civil rights, for the Connecticut DREAM Act allowing all Connecticut students to attend public colleges and universities at in-state tuition rates regardless of immigration status, and to protect health care for seniors, women, and children, and libraries, senior centers, and day care centers, from a Republican governor's budget cuts.
Now I'm running a people-powered campaign for Congress to continue that fight - to fight for good jobs with strong benefits, to protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, for education, and for quality, affordable health care. Earlier this year, my campaign put together a short introduction video to spread the word - take a look below.
I am working hard to spread the word about the Ryan budget's disastrous plan to end Medicare through vouchers, collecting petition signatures throughout the district, so I thought a good introduction might be a portion of the recent op-ed I published about it:
Budgets express our values about what we think is important in our communities, in our society, and in our country. We can give more money to the richest among us, or we can ensure that everyone, even the sickest or oldest, have the health care, and are treated with the dignity and respect, that they deserve.
Republicans say that today’s workers shouldn’t have to pay for today’s seniors, but I remember back when I was boy crossing the street with my grandfather, hand in hand, and he turned to me and said, “Chris, today I’m holding your hand, but someday, you’ll be holding my hand.” And indeed I was. When I was old enough to be in the workforce, I was paying into the same Medicare program that was providing him with coverage.
We are faced with a choice today: we can allow Republicans to give tax breaks to billionaires and Big Oil, or we can fulfill our commitment to those who worked hard their whole lives. The choice is clear and the Republicans have made theirs. I want Medicare to be there for us when we hold our grandchildren’s hands and cross the street, and for them when they return the favor.
I hope you will get involved in my race - it will be a tough one. Citizens United has endorsed one of my Republican opponents, so we can expect big money to come flooding in to make sure that the people of Connecticut's 5th district are not represented by a progressive. What beats big corporate money? As a former SEIU and Connecticut Citizens' Action Group organizer, I would argue that organizing is the only thing that ever does.
It's going to be a wild ride - I hope you will join me on it. Let's get to work!
Unfortunately, I can't stick around in the comments today answering questions - the CT House will be in session pretty soon today - but I will the next time I post something. Thanks for understanding.