Democracy at a Crossroads: Why Brandt Robinson Is Running for Congress

In this conversation, Brandt Robinson, a congressional candidate and pro-democracy advocate, discusses the importance of civic engagement and the challenges facing democracy today. He shares his journey from community activism to running for office, emphasizing the need for participatory democracy and the role of education in fostering informed citizens. Brandt highlights the fragility of democracy, the significance of digital engagement, and the necessity of addressing immigration reform while maintaining integrity in political leadership.

Key Takeaways
- Brandt emphasizes the importance of civic participation in democracy.
- He shares his personal journey and motivations for running for office.
- The Indivisible movement has played a crucial role in community engagement.
- Public education is vital for a healthy democracy.
- Democracy must be defended on multiple fronts, including voting rights and information flow.
- There is a need for honest conversations about race and immigration.
- Digital platforms can enhance political engagement and communication.
- Meeting constituents where they are is essential for effective leadership.
- Political risks include advocating for government responsibility and action.
- Integrity in politics requires genuine engagement with the community.

For more information on Brandt Robinson, please visit:
https://brandtforcongress.com/
https://x.com/brandtrobinson/
https://www.instagram.com/brandtforcongress/
https://www.tiktok.com/@brandtforcongress
https://bsky.app/profile/brandtforcongress.bsky.social
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61585424938260

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Transcript

0:28

Hello. Today I am joined by Brandt Robinson, a congressional candidate and pro-democracy advocate who has built a strong public voice in defense of constitutional norms, civic participation, and accountable leadership. Brandt has been active both on the ground and in the digital arena using modern platforms to engage voters directly and challenge political complacency. Today we're going to talk about What defending democracy actually means in this moment? What leadership requires now? And what kind of courage it takes to run for office in a time of institutional strain, dark money, gerrymandering, and ideological changes? Brandt welcome to the Defense of Democracy podcast. I'm your host, Addison K. Witt. Thank you so much. I am just honored and so humble and grateful to be here with you. um It really does feel like my entire life has really led to this moment. I'm proud of the fact that I am my mother's son. um I really do lead a very purposeful life. I'm right where I belong. And now that I'm not only teaching full-time as I continue to do, but I'm also running for Congress, I truly have never experienced anything like this, but I really am here for it all. So thank you. That's amazing. And I'm really looking forward to getting into this conversation because as I was preparing, I was thinking about the number of people, myself and others who want to get involved in our nation's democracy and the fight for democracy. And we all go about it in our own individual ways. But there are those people like yourself who decide that running for political office uh is important. So What was the moment when you realized ah that watching politics wasn't enough? That you needed to run for Congress. Well, first of all, I want to put it in the proper context. I got to give my mom, she just turned 81 last week. I got to give her a proper shout out. I don't know if I've, I don't remember ever like watching politics from an early age. My mom, know, single mom always deeply engaged me and my brother and making sure that we knew what was happening. We always talked about what was happening in the news. You know, she always made sure we had art supplies and all kinds of history books around the house so that whenever we were just sitting around, you know, we would gravitate towards learning. And so, you know, I have a foundation of always questioning and I think that's one of the reasons why I'm a teacher. But what I would want your listeners to understand is that, you know, about eight years ago, after Donald Trump was elected the first time, a movement began called Indivisible. And I'm sure a lot of your listeners are familiar now with the Indivisible movement. long story short, the founders, two congressional staffers of Indivisible, they came to a conclusion that your listeners don't have to agree with, but I certainly do. the conclusion is that we would never have had someone like Donald Trump elected president if for decades older people like me and you had actually been doing our part to get involved in what we call participatory democracy. Participating in democracy is getting involved in your community, whether it be through volunteering or community meetings or school board meetings or city council meetings. Our group, Indivisible, that I joined eight years ago, for five years, we really did meet in each other's living rooms with no more than 10 people at a meeting. But we never wavered, we never stopped our commitment to dialogue and discourse and consensus. And now our monthly meetings here in Pinellas County have over 200 people. We've put on all kinds of rallies and protests. We're deeply involved, we're networked with many groups. And most importantly, we went to every single school board meeting here for three years. We stood up to Moms for Liberty and we're the force that actually helped defeat all three of their candidates in 2024. And I think as you know, Addison, now we're part of a larger movement that we have helped create. And that movement also helped Moms for Liberty candidates lose 70 % of the races they ran in in 2024. So this movement is really built on the integrity of people truly coming together. You know, I'm doing a lot of the work that just hasn't been done. And so the reason I decided to run was because of the people in my Indivisible Group I've worked with, and they just urged me and they essentially echoed what a lot of the experts are saying now. The district I'm in may be one of only two or three in the state that is capable of being flipped from Republican to Democrat. And so I made the decision to run. It was about three months ago. And as I said, I really am here for it all. First of all, happy belated birthday to your mom. That's remarkable. That's a remarkable achievement. And secondly, I think, you as you talked about people in our age and our participation in our democracy, and I remember myself growing up where it felt very important to be a part of... our democracy, certainly as a voter, that that was a really important thing that you participated in your right to your vote was quintessential to being an integral part of democracy. And over the years, it seemed that that process had eroded, that people were not as committed. It also feels like uh from watching from the sidelines, that there was uh intentionality, that the larger apparatus, our government, was okay with less participation because they wanted to retain, gain more power. the people to not, they didn't want people to understand the people, to understand that we are the power, we the people, that we are part of the process. sir. And when we relinquish that, then we have would-be dictators. We have people that would disrespect the rule of law. Well, I want to say that, you know, with total and utter respect for all of my fellow citizens. We have to acknowledge that there are millions of fellow citizens who are grossly undereducated. And it's going to be a challenge that we're going to have to actually, first, we're have to face it as a nation and address it and recognize it's going to take perhaps decades to help undo and only turn it around. But it means we're to have to create new ways of being participatory democracy. We have to build a foundation that, you know, as James Baldwin says, we've got to make America what it must become. Remember, we have a president who convinced millions of fellow citizens that their country had been taken from them. He then conditioned them to point their finger at all the enemies that he directed them to, including teachers, including media. I mean, we understand we've lived through this, right? So we have to understand that there has been a deliberate attempt to take advantage of people's ignorance, miseducation. And that's why when you and I were younger, I don't know that I ever remember hearing the word disinformation until in the last couple of years, because disinformation is an active process. It's quite sinister. but it's deliberately done to take advantage of people for an end. And so we're living in that moment now. And that's why I have to be adamant to anyone running for office. I hope you acknowledge that you're not just running on the issues, the challenges, all of the traditional things that we can't. And it sounds strange for me to say we can't, it's because I'm still a teacher, but we have to acknowledge something else though, right? We're going forward with a population. I don't want to say a majority, but a significant percentage of our population have been taught to mistrust government, mistrust institutions. you think about what Donald Trump did in the pandemic, but think about the decades that you and I have lived through the rhetoric about big government. Government has been so demonized that people have lost faith in it. They've lost faith in the idea of it. And so as we go forward, as potential elected officials, we have to also acknowledge that as we go forward, we're going to have to find ways to build and engage people. in real participatory democracy, regardless of whether they label themselves as a Democrat or Republican. You're talking about a lot of truth telling and looking ourselves squarely in the mirror and facing ourselves where we all are accountable and have to uh shore up a different level of responsibility. When you say defending democracy, what does that mean in practical terms? Because we know right now, for instance, in this important, what I feel is the inflection point, where we see people protesting, we see people writing letters, making phone calls, we even see people, unfortunately, in some instances, losing their lives as they stand up to ICE or violence, and they're standing up for other people in real practical ways. What does it mean today for us to defend democracy? It feels like we're all over the place. I think that we first have to acknowledge that it's a multi-tiered, multi-layered front that we have to acknowledge. Are we talking about defending and securing our rights and freedoms? I mean, we understand in the last four or five years, we've lived through what, maybe 18, 19, 20 different states that passed laws making voting more difficult, restricting voting rights at the state level. So are we talking about defending democracy when it comes to the freedoms, the rights that we have? Are we talking about the actual flow of information in our country. Are we talking about that we have this First Amendment right, we have the right to free press, but we also have to make sure that we're modeling our respect for journalists, right? We're modeling our respect for the free flow of information, social media. So democracy needs to be defended on that front as well. And of course, I had also written down that as I'm a public school teacher, You know, I firmly believe that public schools are the foundation of not just our democracy, any healthy democracy. So the degree to which we're actually investing in public schools, mean, for example, half, almost half of all public school teachers, this is one of those devastating, consistent statistics over the last two decades. Almost half of all public school teachers don't make it to the end of their fifth year. And if this were Apple or Amazon, and they lost half of their employees in the first five years, that would be a five alarm fire. That's been happening under our noses. Now I've been involved in my teacher's union for 25 years. It's always been a challenge to educate and engage the public about what's happening, even though in the 2022 NPR survey where they asked parents and guardians across the country three questions. They said, do you... Do you support your children's public schools? Do you support their teachers and do you support what's being taught? 75 to 80 percent said yes to all three questions. That means, and when I learned that in 2022 at the height of all the madness here in Florida where I was being accused of being an indoctrinator and a groomer and someone who sexualized my students, when I heard the results of that survey, I said, you know what, most parents and guardians, they respect us as educators because they know we're doing a lot more than just teaching them about the stuff that's in our curriculum guide. So I say all that because public schools are also the front lines in the defense of democracy. And I'm in a state where the charter schools in our state use taxpayer money, even though they're not held to the same standards as public schools. So if we're going to talk about defending democracy, we better decide whether it's about rights and freedoms, whether it's about the flow of information, whether it's about public schools. um I would say take a deep breath. The fight is uh vast, but it's essential. You're one of the, and I've talked with a lot of people on this particular subject. mean, the podcast is the defense of democracy and you're one of the first people I've heard to literally break that question down into multifaceted parts because it is so important. We talk a lot about book bans, for instance, and the public educational system, which we know that there is the desire to privatize that system, right? And so. That's one area which is super important, but as you mentioned, there are so many others. And as you were talking, I was even thinking about even the way teachers are educated because when they go to school, have several, many of my friends in college became teachers. And there are those people who wanted, they had a desire to be a teacher their entire lives. There are other people who became teachers later in life, but were not at all prepared for the amount of interaction with parents. the behavior of students and young people and how their behavior changes over time. And a lot of their frustration was because they have to address so many other areas in addition to the teaching, the educational part. Yes, yeah. I I could speak for hours about this, but I'll just give your listeners a simple synopsis. Florida, my state, my home state, I'm a Florida native. Florida is ground zero for the massive shift, the paradigm shift that's taking place across the country. Remember, it... Standardized testing began here in Florida in the early 2000s. Standardized testing in Florida was an answer to a legitimate concern that we carried around for decades, what people might call the racial achievement gap. But the racial achievement gap is a reality. as late as the early 2000s, a lot of the desegregation orders that were handed down in the early 1970s were beginning to expire. And school districts wanted a way to say, hey, OK, we've met these standards. But the fact is the racial achievement gap continue. So Republican governor here in Florida wanted to find a quick fix for that because you and I know addressing the racial achievement gap is going to be addressing institutions that transcend schools. We're talking about poverty, we're talking about jobs, we're talking about all of the things that contribute to poverty. Long story short, Their answer to the achievement gap was to demonize teachers, to demonize teachers unions. And their answer was to go into standardized testing. Teaching is an art and science. But if we standardized test, what that means is there are hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts from private corporations like Pearson and other companies that make the tests, make the textbooks. They give their campaign contributions to the elected officials. The elected officials give them the contracts. And pretty soon, standardized testing becomes the norm in Florida. Then five years later, we evaluate teachers in part on the results of that. Then in 2011, all teachers are on annual contract. This has been a constant assault on public schools for the last 25 years. And I'm only grateful because I'm here in Florida and I'm in my teachers union and we've learned how to fight very effectively, often with less because we understand what's at stake. Right, right. Well, and I think that's the very basis of it, understanding what is at stake. When we look at our democracy as a whole, and we've seen the challenges on a uh daily basis, where would you say our democracy is still strongest and where is it most fragile? I'm so proud of what our Indivisible Group has been able to accomplish here in Pinellas County. know, people talk about red Florida, but where I live, we have people who have invested uh countless hours holding meetings and going to school board meetings. uh protests, rallies. We've been part of a movement that's taken hold across the country. What I'm most encouraged about is that this movement is undeniably taken hold and it's undeniably involving a lot more people that have come out for the first time, whether it be to rallies or protests or whether it be to meetings. You might have heard of Erica Chenoweth, she did a famous TED talk in 2013, but she talked about the people who might be called ambivalent. They're on the sidelines, they're disheartened, they're disillusioned, they might be feeling despair. I think we all have carried around a lot of that, right, in the last several years. But when they see people like you and me actually taking a stand or speaking eloquently and forcefully and, you know, without fear, then they take that step. So I'm so encouraged because, you know, if you went a year back, I think a year ago, a lot of us were feeling legitimate fear. and deep, deep concern. Whereas I think today, I think we see what happened in Minneapolis, what's happened across the country where fellow citizens have drawn a very clear line. Now that line isn't just a line about ICE. I think it's a line about, listen, it's time for us to take a look at where we are as a country. And for me, the fact that this is happening in the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, there's something profoundly wonderful about that. Because those colonists were standing up to tyranny, and I really believe we're standing up to it right now. I love that you drew that connection there because I know and I believe we all on some level appreciate that democracy, it's active and yet we have to participate and fight for it. It's not a guarantee. And all the generations that come after will have to do their part as well. right now it is our time to shine. It is our time to stand up to what we believe and know to be right. And Addison, want to say, I'm sorry to interrupt, but I want to say, I think, you know, having only known you for a half an hour, but I feel like I can speak to a common appreciation you want to have for the ancestors. think most of us would agree. Most of my heroes are people who, Ida B. Wells, Fannie Lou Hamer, right, Alice Paul. Most of my heroes are people who often were dealing with, you know, the ever present threat of poverty, racial violence, right? I when I think about, when I think about those people, The times when I feel disheartened or disillusioned or despair, I remember that they too felt those things. And I remember one of my favorite quotes from Fannie Lou Hamer, she said, you know what? One thing you gotta know about our movement, a meeting of three people is better than no people. And all of us who are listening, all of us who are listening have been part of movements like that where we're so passionate and yet we got three people coming out. But you know, that's the same thing that happened with our Indivisible group. And now we're at a point where, you know what? I think, I think we're ready, as I said, to do what James Baldwin implored us to do, which is to make America what it must become. Let's turn it back to you a bit and focus on some of the things that you've done. I know that you've built a very strong digital presence and I very much am all about digital and I know there's a controversy with AI and its purpose and its use and how we move forward, which is really quite extraordinary because we've had some form of AI and tech. technological advances for a lot of time and I feel it's like stages. Like our technology helped us up to a certain stage and we became reliant on it. And now there are new um advances in that technology and that will continue to reshape our world. Our world is not static. I always say to people, it seems very simplistic, but we as humans, as a species, are not the same as the humans were 500 years ago, a thousand years ago. We would be quite different from them today. The world is always evolving and changing and it's going to continue to. And we, those of us who are currently here, most likely would not recognize the world in the 500 to a thousand years from today. And so with your achievements in digital presence, what has been your impetus to work in that area and what do you think traditional politicians are getting wrong about communicating with voters today? On one plane, though, I just want to make something clear to a lot of people. think this will resonate is when we start talking about AI, if I'm elected to Congress, we're quite behind as a nation. The European Union, there are a lot of countries that are recognizing that we need to start talking about regulations and not just regulations to actually draw lines and limits, but also to educate and inform people. There's a lot of miseducation about AI. so it's leading to a lot of, you know, Again, it's leading to a lot of concerns that really are not legitimate, but that might be holding us back going forward. So on the AI front, I think that's something we need to delve into more deeply. for me, I believe that because I have 60,000 followers on TikTok, I only say that because I made a video in 2020 that I posted to Facebook. And it was a video because the campaign between Biden and Trump in 2020, the summer of 2020 after the death of George Floyd where Hundreds of thousands of us took to the streets and protested. That happened. I simply made a video where I was suggesting to Canada Biden four things I thought he should say about race and policing. I released it to Facebook. One of my friends said, Hey, why don't you put that on TikTok? I probably had a little nervous tick because at that time, TikTok was the bane of my existence. My students kept using it in class and it was one of those things. But I uploaded the video to TikTok and I got 120,000 views. And so the next day I thought, you know what, maybe I should try this again as a tool. I released a video. Long story short, it's been five and a half years. I've made over 2,000 videos and I think what I've learned most about my social media presence is I always, always try my best to respond to every comment made. So I'm treating the people who engage with me the same way I might treat you if we're having a conversation in my classroom or if we're co-workers or even if it was just You know, the guy that I see at Publix on a regular basis. When I'm engaging in social media, I try my best to be as genuine and authentic and who I really am in that presence as well. And I think that's where sometimes it can lead to so much misunderstanding because, you know, we don't have a relationship before we start engaging with people. Maybe we start to think about developing that relationship, being kind and decent, always fierce and credible. But like, that's what I enjoy so much about it because I think people have come and know who I really am. not just me as a persona. I'm actually, you who I really am. I love that and if I may also, I have about 55,000 on TikTok and I'm with you. I love my TikTok community. There's a high level of engagement. I too enjoy communicating with everyone that has something to say and comment and it has really built a very robust community. I appreciate very much and The numbers are not overwhelming, but I love the organic growth and process. So I hear you loud and clear on that. Let's talk about political risk. Yes, please, please, go ahead. meet people where they are. Yeah, I was just gonna say that it brings up the other part of your question, which is it reinforces the need for us to meet people where they are, whether it's in a digital space or whether it's face-to-face. But we're to have to become accustomed to truly meeting people where they are. And that means we have to walk the talk. That means we have to go to people. We have to be among people. And we have to know that whether there's three people at a meeting or 300, we have to go there to model. know, again, I don't mean any disrespect to Representative Luna, who I'm running against, but she hasn't been to the district a single time. In fact, the Indivisible group I've been a part of for all these years, six months ago, we held an empty chair town hall at a church in Pinellas Park here in Pinellas County. Her face was there, it was a cardboard cutout, but we had 400 people come. And so the need to actually be here, the need to model that you're here to listen is, I think, more important to people now than ever. I can't remember a time where I've ever seen citizens craving genuine, authentic human beings to stand up and run for office and who will sit down and talk with them and dignify them by actually sitting down and listening. And I love doing that because to me, that's the heart of building community and that's the heart of real democracy. I hear that so much in terms of the politician showing up, the candidates showing up. We want to see them. And when they don't, the voters do hold it, oftentimes hold it against them because you're absolutely right. Right now, people want that genuine connection. They want to be heard. They want to be listened to. And they want to feel that you're working together. Yes. And I want to say very briefly that one of the commitments we're making is that we will, if I'm elected, we will hold a town hall meeting every single month in the district. And knowing that people are working hard and that most people might not be able to come because they're trying to raise children, they're trying to pay for their first home. We are going to make sure that whatever is, whatever feedback, whatever is discussed, whatever is decided at our town hall meetings, we have a way to make sure that we share that with all of our constituents so that over the first few months to the year, we'll actually have people experiencing something they haven't experienced before. They're experiencing a trusted elected official who takes the time to listen to them. And in their minds, they'll always know, hey, I've got someone who's here, they're listening. I don't always agree with them, but I respect them because they're doing something that a lot of our elected officials are not doing. And I just want to thank Representative Ilhan Omar because she is the one who gave me that idea of a monthly town hall meeting. And I think that speaks to the engagement that you've been talking about, that we've been addressing, engaging with people, as well as the educational component, where people are continually uh coming out, engaging, learning, uh adapting, pivoting, and they're stronger in the community when they go back out, whether it's to their schools, their churches, and other parts of the community, where we as citizens form coalitions where we really believe work together because we believe that we're working on behalf of the democracy that we all believe in and stand up for. Let's talk a little bit about risk. What uh political risks are you willing to take that others won't or are not taking at this time? I think, you we mentioned earlier, I was discussing what has happened over the last three to four decades, the demonization of government, big government morphing into the deep state. Of course, Donald Trump's attacks on our institutions during the pandemic. I think for me, it's actually, it seems quite risky just to talk about government and calling on government. to take action. think because a lot of people are afraid to be labeled, because God forbid you actually say that you're in favor of taxes, much less that you believe government has a responsibility and can be effective. We've lived through this period of DOGE where hundreds of thousands of our fellow citizens who are just hardworking citizens working for us, they've lost their jobs. In this effort to justify... this idea of a deep state that doesn't exist and yet the damage has been so harmful. So for me as a candidate, I am regularly talking about what we believe government should do. And I give a lot of examples. I often talk about Franklin Roosevelt during the Great Depression, how he used the radio, he used fireside chats, and nobody can deny that the Great Depression was an imminent crisis in the country. But I think a lot of people believe we're in that crisis now. And if you don't believe that we're in a crisis now, then I don't know what you consider normal. Because for me, the crisis we've all lived through, it dictates that we actually talk about government, that we should, hey, unapologetically that government has a responsibility to do the things that are. our preamble to the Constitution makes clear. And so why should we say that we're going to hide from government's role and efficacy? Why can't we say that we favor, for example, a nationwide affordable housing initiative, if only to be the person to actually acknowledge the problem on a national scale? And so our campaign is actually talking about the ways in which we think the government has a responsibility. And if that involves taking billions of dollars from ICE to do it, we're also in favor of that as well. Okay, all right. I love that. And it sounds like you have some very specific ideas, which I, you know, I was saying earlier that so many of us would love to get involved and often think maybe I should run for an office. But what you're talking about, the kind of leadership you're talking about, you already have ideas, you're already looking at ways to pivot, to transform, to engage. And while I know the first one days isn't really a lot of time, but in our world, we gauge how well a candidate or a politician is doing by their first 100 days. If you are elected, what is one priority you would focus on in your first 100 days? I would focus on, and there's so, so many vital issues. So I don't want anyone to think that I'm saying this is more important per se. I think it's more, maybe it's more urgent right now. And I worry saying this now in late February that somehow by the time November comes around, that people won't be focusing on the issue as much. But I don't know how they couldn't because of what we live through. I think we need to have an honest conversation about true immigration reform. Because I think we need to have a national discussion about immigration. because the foundation of this country is so much built on the contributions of immigrants and the contributions of people that have been labeled others. And we understand that. And so for me, actually talking about immigration, true immigration reform, remember we were quite close. Donald Trump was adamant he had to make sure every single Republican didn't support that recent piece of legislation from 2024, this bipartisan effort to actually talk about. comprehensive aspects of immigration, we got somewhat close, but we haven't really had an honest conversation about true immigration reform. And I think what that would do is it would call on all of us to actually be willing to talk about all the different aspects of immigration all at once. It would be tremendously educational, but it would also call into question, what is our real beliefs about what does it mean to be an American? Yes. Because what I've seen is Donald Trump's immigration policy is built on two fundamental blatant lies. You have this lie about criminality, undocumented immigrants commit almost no crime compared to citizens, and 97 % of all the drugs brought across the southern border. come in vehicles that cross through border checkpoints, not in the backpack of some desperate human being who's willing to walk 1500 miles to become a citizen. I want that person as my neighbor, right? So what I say is all that we've seen with ICE, the murder of citizens, right? Undermining our constitutional rights, ignoring due process rights of fellow human beings, wearing masks, racial profiling, like all of those things that are coming out of ICE are built on an immigration policy back I'm going take step back I and make immigration a priority upfront and really challenge people. And I think if constituents hear that challenge, they'll force their elected officials to engage in that process as well. Brilliantly said and a very important discussion topic. Before you came on, I was thinking about that line um in the Statue of Liberty's tablet, give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. And I think there's even the word homeless. in there and that was a, I believe a sonnet from 1883 by Emma Lazarus. And so, uh and I thought before our conversation, whatever happened to that, what happened to that fundamental belief that we were the beacon to receive the world that came, that is what gave us our strength here in America. Well, let me just make something clear. I want to remind people that the lady holding that quote is the Statue of Liberty, and most people don't realize that the Statue of Liberty was originally a sculpture. that was contributed by a man in France, the Statue of Liberty was designed and built to honor African Americans. This was a man from France marveling at what African Americans were doing after slavery ended during the Reconstruction period to create new lives for themselves, right, to create a new path that's built on freedom and justice and equality. And so I want to remind people that that is kind of a segue to your question. I think it's partly because we still don't have honest open conversations about race, because we have to understand the issue of immigration for Donald Trump doesn't have anything to do with anyone unless they're black or brown people. If we don't talk about the racism factor that's been at the challenge of immigration throughout our history. Remember the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882, right? The virulent racism and racial violence that was widespread against Chinese Americans in the western part of our country led to the only law in our history that barred people of a certain ethnicity. That's racism. If you continue throughout our history, most of the issues about racism are translated into our immigration policy. In the early 1920s, when we had this very restrictive immigration policy, that was essentially a racial quota system that wasn't undone until the 1965 Immigration Act. If we don't include race and racism and racial injustice in the conversation about immigration, we're really not going to get at the heart of the issue because the heart of the issue is carried by fellow citizens who believe those things. So if we don't have honest open conversations about race and racism while we're talking about immigration, then it won't challenge us to really ask ourselves who do we really think are the legitimate Americans. Yeah, it sounds like we're really due for some serious masks off, which is what's happening on so many levels of our society, of our government, everything we're discovering, whether it's Epstein files and not to get into that, but that huge web of information and um lies and everything that has happened to... uh many, of our people, how we're even responding to it today, we really have to have a face-off and really face ourselves. And I love what you're saying because you're, it's a little bit like James Talarico in the sense that you're knowledgeable, educated, but he was a school teacher as well, and very well-spoken. And so there is a way of communicating one of the... comments made by many, people with regard to Donald Trump was that he was plain spoken. And for many Americans, they liked his sort of directness. But there is a lack of, if I may, a level of education and understanding people on the ground and how the society works, how politics works, how government works rather, how international government works. He had his perspective as a family business owner. running a company as CEO, which is like its own form of dictatorship, but there was no background in terms of policies and really understanding how to legislate and get things done working with a collective. And so he operates it the way he operated his family and his business. It's what I say period the end. When it comes to getting involved in politics, all that you bring to the table. Oftentimes we as a society are concerned, especially when we think this is a really good person, we love their values and what they stand for, but we know politics can change people. How do you plan to protect your integrity if elected? You know, I think for me, um and I know it's controversial, is it talking the talk? I've always said walking the talk. I think for me, walking the talk is who I am as a person. you know, you're going to always see me being myself because that's what I've done as a teacher. That's what I've done as an organizer, as a member of my union. And so for me, I think what I want to bring. to the table is that I'm always going to be the person that's committed to sitting down and listening and talking with people. A lot of what we're about is actually being with people and engaging people and meeting them where we are. I shared my idea of a town hall because I think for me, putting myself in a position to truly listen to people is one of the privileges that I now truly appreciate as someone running for office. One of the big ah-hahs I had in my second day of the candidacy, we were still in Birmingham. We had gone there to go outdoor rock climbing even though we're really old. We had a great time but once I decided to run, uh man I realized that I am representing everyone. Like when I thought about that I thought I'm putting myself in a position to represent all these people most of them I'll never meet, but what an honor that is. Like what a privilege to carry that. And I think if we can have other people experience what it feels like to truly carry around not only their own burden, but the burden of others and to do it with excitement and looking forward to it because you're actually working towards something. I think that that's gonna ignite in people something that most of us don't really get a chance to experience very often. And I just, feel sad about that, but I feel also very excited because it's what I've been able to be a part of for the last eight years in my Indivisible group and part of my teachers union. I feel privileged to have actually been given a window into kind of a way of being that I think we would all benefit from as fellow citizens, you regardless of our political party. Brent. One last question before we end our discussion. How can people support your campaign and stay engaged? really appreciate you giving me the opportunity to share that. know, brandtfocongress.com. Now, my name is B-R-A-N-D-T. I've only ever met two other brands in my life with a D, but it's brandtfocongress.com. And I want to remind your listeners that, again, a lot of the experts believe this might be one of the few districts in Florida that has the chance of being flipped from Republican to Democrat. And that means that this race has national attention. We understand that if we can retake control of the House, it will effectively neuter Donald Trump and we understand so we need to support each other across the country. When you go to BrantforCongress.com there's an opportunity to volunteer. even if you don't live anywhere near our district, anywhere in the country, you can do volunteering from your home. But just as importantly, please consider a contribution. One of the things that's uncomfortable, I think about both of us at our age is that we've lived through a lifetime of, you know, money becoming more and more overwhelmingly necessary. We understand Citizens United. It's something that is outrageous. And yet it's why we will not accept any money other than money right from our fellow citizens. We're not accepting PAC money. or anything else. So I would ask your listeners to both consider volunteering and to make a contribution. And with great gratitude, thank you. Thank you for your time, uh for the work that you were doing, your commitment to this fight and to everyone listening. Thank you for being part of this ongoing work and these discussions about our democracy and how we stand up for it at this particular time. I'm Addison Cavewit, host of the Defense of Democracy podcast. It has been a pleasure and I look forward to. more discussions and supporting you along your journey. Thank you. Thank you so much.