Out with the Old.

Congresswoman Norton, 30 Years is Enough

My name is Amir Lowery, and I’m running for Congress (Delegate to the House of Representatives) in the DC General Election on November 3rd.

This is not a moment to shy away from our responsibility as Americans. I refuse to. I’m running for Congress because we need drastic positive movement towards solutions as a nation. NOW. If we wait two more years, it may be too late.

Our incumbent has been in office for 30 years, and she is desperate to hold on for more. Her quest for DC Statehood has taken a personal and selfish twist, with very little accountability to the facts and a severe lack of transparency about her office. She is the epitome of our entrenched and corrupt power structure, working primarily to keep herself in Congress while simultaneously neglecting more pressing issues and people in need of urgent assistance.

Her failure to secure the critical funds that DC needed in the CARES Act earlier this year was a clear sign that the moment has simply passed her by. How could DC be left out and marginalized in such an important piece of legislation? Congresswoman Norton is not only out of touch, but she is also unable to navigate Congress effectively on behalf of DC residents.

I’m not an ageist, but it’s also worth noting that Ms. Norton will turn 85 during her next term if she gets elected in November. Eighty-five years old. Another clear sign that now is our time to kindly show her the door and look towards the future.

My vision of leadership for DC starts with accountability and transparency from our elected officials and more engagement in ALL of our communities. We need aggressive investments in education, youth programs, violence prevention, mental and emotional health support systems, fully funded vocational schools, and jobs, jobs, and more jobs. This is the tip of the iceberg for making real sustainable progress in DC and taking control of our collective future.

I have a proven track record of public service here in my hometown and I believe that leadership in government is the highest form of public service. I intend to amplify my public service to fight my best fight on behalf of the District of Columbia, and I know I’m the right person for the job.

I’m not accepting ANY donations to my campaign, because I believe that it’s irresponsible for anyone in public office to divert resources away from constituents who are in need during a pandemic. Average Americans can’t pay their rent but politicians are still raising tons of money. Where is the logic? Candidates can make excuses about their need to raise and spend money, but that would never excuse the fact that those resources would provide immediate relief to our communities. We can do better!

Unfortunately for us, there is no such thing as a quick fix. This work requires many, many years of consistent, deliberate effort to look inwards and first identify how to change our culture. Along the way we need to uproot the negativity and oppressive systems that have held us back as a country, and start to shift the way we approach working together as one collective American community.

DC can be a powerful example to pave the way forward for America, but to achieve that we must be willing to grow and change quickly.

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.

Elect me on November 3rd and let’s break the 30 year cycle. Let’s finally start working towards that different result: equal representation, community-driven solutions, sustained investments in our youth, and most importantly: no more waiting around for someone else to fix our problems.

As a city we are disenfranchised, but as a people we’re way more powerful than we know. This city belongs to us. Let’s take ownership and make it happen for ourselves.

Vote Amir on November 3rd.
#VoteAmir

Yours in community,
Amir Lowery