Today, Linda Ketner officially announced her candidacy for Congress in South Carolina’s First Congressional District. With her family, Mayor Joe Riley and Reverend Isaac Holt by her side, Linda reiterated our need to take a new path forward in South Carolina and our country. For too long, we’ve walked the same old path, with the same old people and been left with the same old results. Results like: huge hikes in what it takes to fill up our gas tanks and what it takes to keep our homes warm or cool and our families in good health; foreclosures on homes, lost jobs and an economy which is dangerously unstable; healthcare that is unaffordable for businesses and families; veterans who are not protected and cared for; low literacy and graduation rates; and billions wasted on a war with no end in sight.

What we need is a new path forward where every child gets an exceptional education that prepares them for lifelong learning; where healthcare is affordable and available; where seniors and veterans get the care and respect they deserve; where growth industries compete to move into the district; and where we balance our budgets, protect homeowners and pay as we go.
This is a time for strength, for courage, for intelligence, for action, for working together across all artificial barriers. It’s a time to believe in ourselves and our decency and ingenuity as a people capable of performing extraordinary deeds.

It’s a time, as Linda’s grandmother said, where there’s a lot that “needs doin.” Let’s get at it!

Click here for the full text of Linda’s announcement speech. [1]