Chelsea Manning has released her first campaign ad in her upcoming race for the Maryland Senate seat.
The activist has been building the hashtag #WeGotThis for months on Twitter and Instagram. Last Thursday was the moment she showed the world what exactly she means behind those words when she filed to run for Senate.
“We live in trying times. Times of fear, of suppression, hate,” Manning says as the video displays images from the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville. “We don’t need more or better leaders, we need someone willing to fight,” she continues.
And Manning has already shown us that she is willing to fight as a visible advocate for LGBTQ rights and social justice advocate for all. While some may not agree with her actions taken in releasing confidential military and State Department documents to display corrupt actions being taken — she truly embodies what it means to be a resister. Which is needed more and more in our government system that has become bogged down with corrupt leaders, on both sides of the aisle.
“We need to challenge them at every level. We need to fix this. We don’t need them anymore. We can do better. You’re damn right #WeGotThis.”
Watching her campaign video, I felt a spark of hope amidst all the despair that has been going on in our country for decades. It felt like a real activist who is ready to take on the state in the most fierce way. I, for one, am willing to support anyone who has the will power and ambition to make change in a system that was built to oppresse those of us in the margins.
Manning will run against Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) in the November Democratic primary. If elected to the Senate, she would become the first openly transgender member of Congress. Danica Roem became the first out trans state legislator with her election win in Virginia in November.
imagine a world where caring for each other matters more than the accumulation of material things 🤔🌈💕 #WeGotThis
— Chelsea E. Manning (@xychelsea) January 10, 2018
Cardin is seeking his third six-year Senate term and many of his political backers have already begun a smear campaign against Manning. However, the activist seems undeterred as she continues to release hopeful messages across her social media platforms.
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