At the Women's March 2018 in Los Angeles. I'm in the green shirt.

It’s time for some real talk about the state of politics . Federal elections today aren't about who is most qualified for the job. They're not about the right experience, connection with the community, or commitment. They're about fundraising. We're sending professional fundraisers to DC, and wondering why things don't work. The influence of dark money is undeniable. Corporations and special interests run the show, and many politicians are subject to their demands (since that's who got them elected). For example, if the fossil fuel lobby wasn't so powerful we'd still be in the Paris Agreement. Even the military recognizes the threat climate change is to our national security, but Republican lawmakers are chained to science denial by their fossil fuel donors. Their failure to act in our country’s best interests will cost lives and an almost unfathomable amount of money.

I've been running for Congress for a year and a day against Republican Steve Knight, who raises just 1% of his millions from individuals who donate less than $200. By contrast, I’ve raised nearly half a million dollars and 57% of my contributions are under $200. When I stepped into the political arena, I knew that my work as a scientist, a manager, a nonprofit founder, and in state government would be very different than the work I would do as a candidate, and eventually as a United States Representative. Even with that knowledge firmly in mind, I've seen things on the campaign trail that disgust me even more than I could have imagined. Our system is diseased, and the infection is money. The worst part is that to run a competitive campaign, even on a shoestring, bare-bones budget, you still need those dollars.

An entire industry of political consultants, marketers, and strategists thrives in the wake of the Citizens United Supreme Court decision. That industry will tell you that they are there to help candidates win elections. In actuality, they are there to make money. Even those individuals who enter with the noblest of intentions often get sucked down, into the miasma, into worshipping the almighty dollar in races where cashed-up candidates with no personalities or passion for problem-solving trade insults via blatant attack ads that choke our airwaves with dire half-truths and hollow promises.

I'm now a fierce advocate for overturning the Citizens United decision. We must publicly fund elections. This is how we can achieve true diversity of representation. Without a level playing field, candidates who have fat bank accounts and loads of rich friends will always come out ahead. They also have zero incentive to change the system when they arrive in Washington. Why bite the hands that fed you? The simple fact that we have a pay-to-play political industry means we lose countless potential representatives to the money machine. Single parents & people from low-income backgrounds are essentially shut out of elected offices. There are exceptions of course, but they're few and far between. There is no conceivable way that I could run this race for Congress if I was single. I would be unable to pay the bills and spend 60+ hours each week meeting people at their homes, businesses, and schools. That is why our government is broken. The road to office is actually a whirlpool, and the only raft you can use to avoid sinking is made of money.

If I thought that professional fundraisers were doing the work we need in Washington, I wouldn’t be typing this. They’re not. The system we have today is a failure. To right the ship and course correct, we need different voices working for us. We need scientists, sanitation workers, retail managers, farm workers, animal rescuers, social workers, nurses, and more. Congress is 80% lawyers and businesspeople because money — not logic — rules our government. I've looked at this problem from every possible angle. I’ve viewed it as a private citizen, as a candidate, and as a scientist. The solution is difficult, but possible. We must elect candidates who aren't indebted to anyone other than the people they represent. That means that to remove money from the political equation, we have to support real grassroots candidates. You may wonder why many of your favorite grassroots candidates don’t appear to get traction with large national groups. That’s because if a candidate makes it to office fueled by grassroots dollars, the political industry misses out on their slice of the pie. The power of the message has conquered the power of money, and that’s scary as hell to groups used to calling the shots while their chosen candidates dance on puppet strings.

At this point, you may be wondering what you can do to effect change in a system controlled by money. It may be counterintuitive, but remember when I said our system is infected by the disease of money? We need to inoculate ourselves against the Dark Money Flu by providing injections of Grassroots Money whenever possible. That’s how grassroots candidates can remain true to the people they’re supposed to represent and avoid falling prey to the allure of Super PACs and corporate cash. When a true grassroots candidate is running, send some money their way whenever you can. It doesn't have to be a lot, and you need to help amplify their message by encouraging your friends to donate. Only 0.58% of US adults donate politically. That’s the <1% we should be screaming about. People who donate determine who makes it on the ballot to begin with. If we get people on the ballot who don’t owe the political industry any favors, they’ll actually work on meaningful campaign finance reform when they arrive in office.

So many good candidates never get a chance to serve because it's just a high dollar shitshow now. Instead of problem-solvers we're sending professional fundraisers to run our country, and they’re terrible at it. If you want change in government in any area, I implore you to raise hell on behalf of campaign finance reform. And because I'm actually walking the walk & running an insurgent grassroots campaign in an era where money is king, I (ironically) have to end this by asking you for money. At least you know who I'll answer to in Congress. Hint: look in the mirror.

http://jess2018.com/give