Nicholas Ruiz, a young Progressive Florida Democrat is starting early in the 2012 U.S. Congressional Campaign season, running to reclaim the District 24 seat that was lost by blue dog Suzanne Kosmas to a Republican in the 2010 election.
Dr. Ruiz (Ph.D in Humanities, Florida State University, 2006; MLA in Liberal Arts, University of North Carolina, 2003; BS in Molecular and Microbiology, University of Central Florida, 1996)was born in New York City in 1970 and lives in New Smyrna Beach, FL, USA.
He is married to Danielle Ruiz and has two sons, Nicholas and Kai. He is the author of America in Absentia (2008), Integral Reality (with Robert Hassan, forthcoming, 2011) and The Metaphysics of Capital, (2006). He is also the editor of Kritikos.
Ruiz offers a platform that covers the spectrum of progressive policies, from universal health care to Wall Street reform. His ideas are common to all Progressives, regardless of what state they live in. Ruiz represents a new generation of politics that shines on the event horizon like sunrise after a dark and stormy night. And while he recognizes the inherent dysfunction of a two-party dominated system, he is refreshingly pragmatic about using it to get elected.
His Progressive policies are bold and forthright, and the fact he is young, handsome and extremely well-educated won't hurt him either. When he is elected, he will be one of the few Congress people with Ph.D credentials.
His website includes this letter he sent to his 2010 supporters in the Democratic Primary there, his own words are hard to magnify, he is not only a very good writer, he is an articulate and passionate speaker.
"Dear Citizens,
Thank you for your support in the 2010 campaign.
After much consideration regarding the elections of 2010, I'd like to
let you know that in 2012, I will run as a Democratic candidate for
Congress in Florida District 24.
In this way, I feel that my efforts to cultivate a progressive agenda
for Florida and America will best be served, and have the greatest
chance of success. I remain supportive of third parties and their
independent contributions to our democracy. But I can no longer
wait for them to become competitive under the American political
duopoly.
Our progressive agenda cannot afford to wait."
Ruiz is getting a good head start on the 2012 Campaign season, and represents one of those districts where a Blue Dog was rejected for their disloyalty, a district where truly progressive values may very well win the day in the next election.
If you are ready to help Progressive candidates, whether by volunteering for his campaign in Florida if you are a resident of his district, or contributing to his young campaign to encourage him to keep after em', you can do so at his current website.
It may seem early-on for the game to be underway, but most of us have learned over the past decade, that the game never ends. If we don't join it at every opportunity, to promote Progressive candidates and policies from the fledgling stages, we surrender one of the advantages we might have in this cultural tug-of-war.
If the last election is any indication, we need to hold onto and utilize every advantage we might have. Starting NOW!