Eight years ago, at the age of 29, I ran for elective office for the first time. While living in the city with the largest population of female-female couples in America, I was, nonetheless, the first openly-LBGT candidate to run for office.
(KaplanforOakland.org)
The first news article about my candidacy was titled: "This Green Lesbian Wants Your Vote." I ran a grassroots campaign against a long-term wealthy incumbent, and was out-spent by 10-to-1. I was honored to receive over 44% of the vote. Not enough to win, but enough to surprise many people. And -- at that time, I was a member of a political party that had only 3% of the registered voters.
Now, eight years later, I am a more experienced policy-maker and elected official. And I am a Democrat. And proud to be running for the Oakland (California) City Council at-large seat in the June 3rd election -- with the endorsement of the Democratic Party!
And so I want to thank DailyKos -- since it was you, and the Obama campaign, which inspired me to re-join the Democratic party....
I was grappling with what to do. After running and almost winning for the City Council in 2000, I joined our regional Transit Board. In that capacity, I have had the opportunity to help launch new programs in sustainable energy, alternative fuels, and all-night transit service, and collaborate regionally on transit, bicycle, transit-oriented-development and other efforts to build a livable post-oil era. I was re-elected by over 80% of the vote. I was elected there as a Green.
Then I got involved with DailyKos, back before the watershed 2006 election, in which the "50 State" and grassroots and anti-war methods and messages were affirmed by the voters. I listened, occasionally wrote, learned, and got to feel part of a group of mostly-Democrats who share my community-based and political-organizing values. I enjoyed the inclination to learn and build strategically to get our policy ideals implemented in the real world.
And, I learned here that there are many people in the Democratic Party who are in my generation, and whose approach I like.
And then, there was the other multi-year journey. I started following the story of a brilliant young man running for Senate in Illinois -- who was a great public speaker with good values and real policy solutions. And I watched with interest as the other candidates for his Senate seat kept falling apart for the most soap-opera like reasons. And I watched his speech at the Convention in 2004. And, at the end of his speech, I watched him hug Michelle.
And I attended his campaign rally on the lawn in front of City Hall in Oakland, California.
And, when coming home to follow Primary Results over the past many months, I have always turned to DailyKos as my first source for the news and the analysis.
I came to realize, when questioning whether to re-register as a Democrat, that I was already here. All that had been missing was the paperwork. So I filed it.
Thanks so much for being part of my journey. And, I invite you to join me in my next step: I am running for the Oakland City Council, at-large seat, on the June 3rd, 2008 ballot.
I have the endorsement of the Democratic Party, Alameda Labor Council (AFL-CIO), the nurses (both the California Nurses Association and SEIU-UHW), the Sierra Club, Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club, and many more. And, while it is eight years later, if elected, I would be Oakland's first openly-lesbian elected official.
Please help me, help us! If I win on June 3rd, I will be well positioned to be able to spend the rest of my time between June and November helping to make sure that Barack Obama is the next president of the United States. (If no city council candidate receives 50% + 1 vote in June, then the top two run-off in November).
Your contributions this week will provide the resources to make sure we mail throughout Oakland to mobilize the voters before this unusual June 3rd election (unusual because the Presidential race is not with the local races this year), and will provide the support necessary for a strong GOTV effort!
To donate online: CLICK HERE
To learn more, read news, download a print-able donate by mail form, or sign up to volunteer, visit:
KaplanforOakland.Org