We asked local candidates in contested primary elections to write a sub-750 word essay describing why residents should vote for them on June 24.
First up is Natali Fani-Gonzalez, running for one of three District 18 House of Delegates seats. Below is Fani-Gonzalez’s unedited response:
District 18 deserves leadership that will improve the quality of life of all our residents. I am committed to fight for Montgomery County — and for you — in Annapolis to make this happen.
It’s time for common sense solutions protecting both our workers and our environment. Environmental issues and workers’ rights must be part of our social and economic justice agenda. As delegate, I will lead this fight.
As a mother of two children, education is one of my priorities. Having access to quality Pre-K is essential for the success of every child in our state. We also have the responsibility to support students with disabilities and their families. We must ensure that every child gets the resources he or she needs to successfully move forward. As delegate, you have my commitment to lead this fight.
We need leaders fighting for Montgomery County in the General Assembly. It’s outrageous that even though we live in the largest and most populated county in the state, we don’t get the financial support we should be getting.
As your Delegate, I will work tirelessly to secure the funds that our County deserves.
We need leaders who will fight for the rights of our school retirees. Last session, the General Assembly — with the votes of our incumbents — approved shifting a significant portion of teachers’ pensions from the State to the local level. Our children’s education and our teachers’ pensions are not for sale.
We need strong and effective Delegates who will protect County taxpayers in Annapolis with smart decision-making, effective, results-driven leadership, and —most importantly — who will listen to your voices and engage all residents in the legislative process.
As a small business owner, we need to strive to have vibrant businesses, bringing jobs and economic security for all residents.
We must promote investments to foster start-up businesses that will spearhead Maryland’s edge in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. At the same time, we need to protect small businesses in our community — home improvement contractors, antique dealers, coffee shops, and other entities that add to our quality of life.
I will promote responsible economic growth by investing in renewable energy, as well as in transportation and communication infrastructure to enhance the quality of life of all our residents.
I have the life experience and the proven record to fight for you.
From an early age, I learned to embrace challenges. I arrived in the United States when I was 16 years old from Venezuela without speaking a word of English.
My mom didn’t earn enough money to support us, so she worked three jobs. One of her jobs was cleaning houses on weekends in Chevy Chase and Potomac, and since these houses were enormous, she needed help cleaning them. Naturally, I was there to help her.
I knew that the only way to get out of poverty was to work hard and study.
Since I was very good at math, I took all the math-related classes available to demonstrate my potential. That was my strategy and it worked. I became the only English as a Second Language (ESOL) student to graduate with honors from my high school class, and the only one admitted to a four-year college — Goucher College — with a full scholarship.
I am a true Maryland success story. I took a challenge in my life, embraced it, and found success. I want to do the same for our district.
After I graduated from Goucher College, I won a two-year fellowship from the Ford Foundation and the Academy for Educational Development that allowed me to work as the lobbyist for CASA de Maryland, the largest Latino and immigrant nonprofit in the state. One of my main duties was working on the passage of the MD DREAM Act as well as protecting working families throughout the State.
Nowadays, I am a small business owner who directs a public relations firm. I have managed local and national campaigns for groups such as Amnesty International, MomsRising, Virginia Consumer Voices for Healthcare, the Iron Workers Union, and the Montgomery County Latino Health Initiative.
My extensive experience as lobbyist, community organizer, and business owner makes me an expert on how to make the legislative process work for us.
My proven record of producing effective results has led me to earn the endorsements of the AFL-CIO, the Montgomery County Public Schools Retirees Association, CASA in Action, the Building Trades Council, the Hispanic Democratic Club, and Progressive Neighborhoods.
Please allow me the privilege of representing you. This June, please vote for Natali Fani- Gonzalez. Let’s move forward!
