Hello, Kossacks! We've met before. I'm Billy Kennedy, running against incumbent Rep. Virginia Foxx in North Carolina's 5th congressional district.
I much enjoyed our last back and forth and, as promised, am here to keep you updated on our campaign and to answer your questions for the next hour or so. We've got some exciting news to share about our campaign!
Meteor Blades suggested I always include a photo of myself in my diaries here as well as a contributions link, so here are both:
You can donate to my campaign through ActBlue here.
Our campaign has been on fire. We matched Foxx dollar for dollar in fundraising for the first quarter of 2010. Over 950 small-dollar donors contributed to our campaign in the quarter, and we have over 400 volunteers committed to doing what it takes to send Foxx packing.
Now it's absolutely true that we can't count on a dollar-to-dollar match to beat Virginia Foxx. We know even more important is a talented and aggressive campaign team and some real out-of-the-box thinking. But take a look at this:
BETHEL, NC - Newcomer Congressional candidate Billy Kennedy surprised political pundits on Tuesday by matching incumbent Representative Virginia Foxx (NC-5) in first quarter 2010 financial contributions and widely exceeded Foxx in the number of individual donors, according to official filings with the Federal Elections Commission by both candidates for the quarter covering January 1 - March 31.
Kennedy took in over $91,109 in contributions from individuals, compared to Foxx's $69,097. A full third of Foxx's total contributions came from political action committees (PACs), including the American Bankers' Association, the National Association of Health Underwriters, and the National Association of Realtors PAC.
Less than one percent of Kennedy's contributions came from PACs. Instead, Kennedy amassed his impressive numbers from over 900 individual donors who gave small sums.
"We set a financial goal for the first quarter and exceeded it. I am overwhelmed at the generosity of regular working people who gave $10 or $20 because that's what they could afford and because they want new representation in Washington," said Kennedy.
"People are sending a message to my opponent loud and clear: you've been in Washington too long, and we've got nothing but hard times to show for it."
Kennedy is running on a populist platform that promises to "send a working man to clean up the House." He says the people of North Carolina's 5th District know they are poorly represented by incumbent Virginia Foxx and are ready for someone who will vote in their interest rather than the interests of PACs, big banks, and corporate CEOs.
We are working hard to raise the money we need to win this race, and we are exceeding our goals!
But we're doing more than just matching Foxx in last quarter's money in. We're all about some serious boots on the ground. We have begun canvassing targeted communities in the district, and I wanted to share with you some of what what we're hearing.
The 5th district runs from the northwestern Appalachian Mountains to the Piedmont Triad.
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The 5th district is largely rural and has been hit hard by the economic downturn. People here of all political stripes are fighting to get or hang onto jobs and to keep the power on at home. They aren't getting any help from Virginia Foxx, and they know it.
The fine people of North Carolina's 5th district know who Virginia Foxx is, and a constant refrain when asked their opinions of her representation is, "What has Virginia Foxx ever done for me?" The truth is out: Virginia Foxx doesn't give a flip about the trials and tribulations of the people of the 5th. She's in Washington to pad her own pockets:
Take the curious case of U.S. Rep Virginia Foxx. Seems this former teacher and garden-shop owner is getting rich off her constituents. And the longer she stays in federal office, the richer she gets.
According to Federal Election Commission (FEC) data culled from online resources such as www.opensecrets.org as well as county tax records in North Carolina, Foxx's assets are growing exponentially....
Her listed assets have grown from about $2 million to $8 million in the past six years.... Now someone must explain to me how you can spend less and less time at your business and have your assets grow so much?
Good question, don't ya think?
What we are finding out is that voters in the 5th district are ready to kick out do-nothing-but-complain incumbent politicians, and they know Virginia Foxx is one of them. They are sick and tired of politicians who say one thing and do another. They are eager to tell their stories and share their dreams. They want to believe things can change for the better. Most importantly, they are downright exhausted from constant scrambling just to stay afloat. And they will vote against whoever put them in that sinking boat.
Our campaign is going to prove that hate and bigotry doesn't win elections in North Carolina's 5th district anymore. We are going to let people know we don't agree with Ms. Foxx that it's their fault their home isn't worth what they paid for it and that it's their fault they can't afford their house payments anymore. We're going to insist that we don't think it's right Rep. Foxx gets richer during her stay in Washington while the people of western North Carolina she supposedly represents get poorer:
Congressional candidate Billy Kennedy issued a statement about Foxx's vote (against extending unemployment benefits) this morning:
"Virginia Foxx continued her assault on working families in the fifth district with a vote against the continuation of unemployment benefits. With unemployment now reaching as high as 15% in many counties of the 5th district, Foxx shows how callous and indifferent she is to her constituents. You see, Foxx doesn't have to sit around the kitchen table trying to figure out whether to pay the electric bill or the mortgage because she is the richest North Carolina representative in the House. While the people of the 5th district try to figure a way to keep their homes out of foreclosure, Foxx continues to accumulate her extensive real estate holdings. Virginia Foxx, in other words, is making a killing off her incumbent political position while blaming her constituents for financial woes they are experiencing through no fault of their own. Foxx's message to those in distress in the 5th district: 'tough luck.' "
We're out to prove that good government can and does work; the only question is who does it work for?
Our campaign is going to rebuild our district's hopes for a better future one person at a time. And we are going to beat Virginia Foxx this November.
You can read about my stands on a host of issues at my web site. I'm happy to weigh in on what is important to you. In the meantime, I'm here for a bit, ready to answer your questions and/or hear your ideas. Fire away!