Update - We've Raised $250 off this diary. Thank you
I've been a member of this community since 2008 and have come to treat this place like a home. I've come almost daily to vent, to call to action, to ramble and to humor myself and hopefully get a chuckle out of someone else.
Well today I'm coming to ask you as a personal favor to support my friend Shelia Smoot who is running for Congress in AL-07. I've written diaries about how she could be the first African American female form Alabama elected to Congress. I've written diaries about how she's the most progressive candidate in the field. I've written about her experience and how she fights for the people. But today I'm here to give you my personal story about Shelia and why we need her in Congress Grassroots for Smoot Act Blue -
Update: Thanks for rec list and donations - I told Shelia and she's extremely impressed and grateful. If you have any questions for her right now get them to me and I will get an answer.
Flashback to early 2002: I was helping a friend run for State Office in Alabama during my final semester of law school. We had a campaign meeting one night and in comes this lady that was a couple inches short of 5 feet. I thought it was a kid at first. I heard it was Shelia Smoot from the news. She was always doing some great investigative work. I was shocked at how short she was but hey I'm not much taller. I expected her to be standoffish like most local celebrities I had met, but she was anything but. She was gregarious, funny and smart. We became instant friends. Shelia helped us on our campaign, but also decided to make a run for the Jefferson County Commission later that year. She took on an appointed incumbent who had nearly 300k in the bank for a local race while I don't even think she had 10k. She forced him into a runoff and then beat him like a drum to win and become the first African American Female and youngest member of the Commission. It hasn't been easy for Shelia as the Jefferson County Commission has been under turmoil. But she's fought for the folks in her district.
My favorite Smoot line is
You need to elect someone for Congress that will impact your life not their own
Since 2002, Shelia and I have become even better friends. She's responsible for me and my wife getting together. My wife and Shelia have been friends for nearly 15 years. In fact she spoke at our rehearsal dinner. Her and her daughter have become part of the family. Shelia has a genuine concern for people and wants to help them have a better quality of life. In every situation that I see Shelia she gives it 110 percent. And she's a sponge of information. Some that soaks up a lot of information quickly about a number of different subject matters. She's a quick study.Something that will be important for a member of Congress.
I'm not asking you to support Shelia because she's my personal friend, but because through my personal experience I can attest to her as a person and as an elected official. Shelia is tough as nails and that is one of her greatest attributes. I've been working on campaigns in numerous positions over the past 8 years, but I've not volunteered like I have for this campaign.
Here are some more pictures from the campaign trail.
Oh and here's my pitch for money, knew you were going to get that. We need to hit our goal of $2,000 on this page by the end of the week so that we can get just a couple more radio spots which cost as low as $20, so that we can put up more yard signs which cost a couple dollars a piece and get more supplies for election day. We are almost there. We just need a few more $20.10 contributions. But if all you can give is $5, $10 that will help buy a couple of yard signs or t-shirts for volunteers.
New Pics of Shelia campaigning and working with seasoned citizens today at Freedom Manor
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