- For those who don't know me, I'm Mandela Barnes,
and I'm running for the U.S. Senate.
My story is a Wisconsin story.
I don't come from a wealthy or well-connected family.
I grew up in Milwaukee in a proud union household.
My dad worked third shift at the GM factory.
My mom was a public schoolteacher.
Those jobs were our ticket into the middle class.
Unfortunately, that's a ticket
too many people can't get anymore.
We've been left behind by politicians
who would rather serve their wealthy donors than help us.
People like Ron Johnson.
After over a decade in the Senate,
Ron Johnson has shown us
that the only thing he's good for
is selling out Wisconsin.
He secured more than $200 million in tax deductions
for two of his biggest donors alone.
But he wants to put the Social Security benefits
our seniors have worked their entire lives for
on the chopping block.
He voted to raise the retirement age
and he's also in favor of sending seniors back to work.
He's taken hundreds of thousands of dollars in Big Pharma
while he calls to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
He even voted against lowering drug costs
because he said it would be bad for Big Pharma.
What Ron Johnson is doing is putting our seniors,
our communities, and our entire state in danger.
Plain and simple.
If it doesn't help his wealthy donors
or his own self-interests,
you can't count on Ron Johnson to support it.
It's time for us to be represented by people
who share our experiences and our Wisconsin values.
Like most people in Wisconsin, I'm not a millionaire.
I don't have the backing of Big Pharma or Big Oil.
But what I do have is skin in the game.
I have the backing and support of honest, hardworking people
just like you who are here today.
'Cause in our greatest challenges
are our greatest opportunities.
We have the opportunity to put workers first
and bring good-paying union manufacturing jobs
back to Wisconsin.
We have the opportunity to stand up to corporate monopolies
and also rebuild the middle class
so every child growing up in Wisconsin
knows that opportunity is within reach.
We have the opportunity to retire an out of touch,
self-serving multimillionaire.
And I know it's gonna be hard.
But everything worth doing is hard.
The hard part doesn't scare me
because I know it'll be that much easier
when we all step up and do it together.
I'm running for Senate because unlike Ron Johnson,
I value the people of Wisconsin more than corporations.
And I also believe that better is possible.
I believe that we can create a future where hard work pays off
and everyone can get a fair shot at the American Dream.
This is a fight for freedom, for fairness, and for our future.
And this is a fight we're gonna win.
Thank you so much.
Let's move forward together.