As Election Day approaches, more negative mail continues to be sent out about me by my Democratic opponent, Bryan Caforio. There is no way to describe the content other than a misrepresentation of my values and my work, using quotes taken out of context and many outright lies. When I decided to run for office, I expected to be attacked by Republicans. But it’s incredibly disappointing to see this kind of politics as usual behavior coming from a potential Democratic nominee.
If I were playing the same game, I would respond by putting out a similarly nasty and negative hit smearing my opponent. Dozens of people – smart people who I trust – have told me that I need to respond by going negative. But our community deserves better. We are tired of politics as usual, and I am running to give the people of the 25th District something to vote for, not just someone to vote against. This community is our home and this kind of toxic rhetoric has no place here.
As we have said since day one, I will not run my campaign in a way that breaks with my values. When I decided to run for office, I told my team, my friends, and my family that I would hold myself to a higher standard than what we see day in and day out in Washington. Even under the campaign stress, when my opponent is lying to voters, I remain committed to my values and I will continue to run a positive campaign that our community can be proud of. Our political system is broken. We deserve a Member of Congress who won’t simply play politics or lie to voters just to win. The issues facing our community are too important.
I am committed to running a values driven campaign: to bring health care to everyone, rebuild the middle class and to change our political system. I am so grateful for our incredible supporters and I know that with a positive message, our movement will continue to grow. Thank you and let’s make this happen!
Katie Hill is an Agua Dulce resident and is a candidate for the U.S. House in the 25th District of California.
