Despite being a longtime community organizer deeply rooted in my neighborhood and dedicated to the people in it, I have no desire to run for or hold public office. Not because I don’t care — I care deeply. I’ve spent years doing the work on the ground, advocating, building coalitions, fighting for basic dignity and justice. But stepping into the world of electoral politics? That’s a different game entirely — one I refuse to play. The political system, as it stands, is built on hypocrisy. It rewards performative gestures over real accountability. It thrives on empty promises and demands compromises that often come at the expense of the very people I serve. I’ve seen too many good-hearted people get swallowed up in the machinery of respectability politics, silenced by donors, or corrupted by power. I won’t be one of them. And let’s be real — I don’t have the money. Running for office requires more than good ideas and a track record of service. It requires access to networks of wealth, media, and influence that are systematically out of reach for most working-class people. The system is rigged to favor those who already have — not those who know what it’s like to go without. It’s functioning exactly as it was designed to: to maintain the status quo, to keep the poor in cycles of struggle, and to criminalize our survival when we dare to resist.
I believe in transformation, but I don’t believe it’s coming from inside the halls of power — not without a complete reimagining of what governance even means.
You're certainly someone who has made a real impact WITHOUT being in elected office. I agree with you that in many ways the system feels rigged. Unfortunately, given how the levers of powers work, it's important for good people to run and win, when it makes sense for them.
First off, I think your 5 points show how important it is for many who just want run for office because they feel that the unions or ethnic groups will stand by them rather consider the trenchant comments and questions they ought to answer or evaluate their fit for the position they intend to win. Some blindly enter the race not considering the most important aspect, money! which many ignore and fail miserably without it!
Despite being a longtime community organizer deeply rooted in my neighborhood and dedicated to the people in it, I have no desire to run for or hold public office. Not because I don’t care — I care deeply. I’ve spent years doing the work on the ground, advocating, building coalitions, fighting for basic dignity and justice. But stepping into the world of electoral politics? That’s a different game entirely — one I refuse to play. The political system, as it stands, is built on hypocrisy. It rewards performative gestures over real accountability. It thrives on empty promises and demands compromises that often come at the expense of the very people I serve. I’ve seen too many good-hearted people get swallowed up in the machinery of respectability politics, silenced by donors, or corrupted by power. I won’t be one of them. And let’s be real — I don’t have the money. Running for office requires more than good ideas and a track record of service. It requires access to networks of wealth, media, and influence that are systematically out of reach for most working-class people. The system is rigged to favor those who already have — not those who know what it’s like to go without. It’s functioning exactly as it was designed to: to maintain the status quo, to keep the poor in cycles of struggle, and to criminalize our survival when we dare to resist.
I believe in transformation, but I don’t believe it’s coming from inside the halls of power — not without a complete reimagining of what governance even means.
Thanks, Gloria!
You're certainly someone who has made a real impact WITHOUT being in elected office. I agree with you that in many ways the system feels rigged. Unfortunately, given how the levers of powers work, it's important for good people to run and win, when it makes sense for them.
First off, I think your 5 points show how important it is for many who just want run for office because they feel that the unions or ethnic groups will stand by them rather consider the trenchant comments and questions they ought to answer or evaluate their fit for the position they intend to win. Some blindly enter the race not considering the most important aspect, money! which many ignore and fail miserably without it!