Kay Hagan In Her Own Words

We are very pleased to post the following blog, sent exclusively to ElectBlue, by Kay Hagan, Democratic candidate for the US Senate from North Carolina. The seat is currently held by Republican Elizabeth Dole. Ms. Hagan writes:

Thank you for giving me the chance to update all the readers at ElectBlue about our campaign. I hope you will also take this chance and visit my website at www.kayhagan.com to learn more, watch our most recent videos and television ads, and tell your friends about my campaign.

Years from now, we’ll look back on this election – the historic turnout, the enthusiasm, the involvement of people from all walks of life, all ages, all over the country – and we’ll fully understand what we were all a part of in 2008.

There’s a groundswell of optimism here in North Carolina – optimism rooted in the fact that this is finally our chance for change, driving the belief that as tough as things may appear, the momentum is finally on our side.

When somebody asks me why I’m running, I tell them it’s because Washington is broken. Gas prices are nearly $4 a gallon; the opportunity to go to college feels farther out of reach; health care costs are putting pressures on every single family; and our economy is on the brink.

And while things are out of balance because the special interests have too much power in Washington, we’ve been doing things right in North Carolina. As a state senator for the past ten years, we’ve worked to increase teacher pay, raise the minimum wage and in my five years as the Budget Committee chair, we balanced our budget every year. Now that’s a far cry from what’s been going on in Washington.

With all due respect to Elizabeth Dole and her 40 years in Washington, she’s out of touch with North Carolinians and has become a reliable rubberstamp for George Bush, having voted with him 92% of the time. As North Carolinians are struggling to make ends meet, Elizabeth Dole continues as if it’s business as usual.

It’s a way of doing business that puts special interests and their lobbyists before working families in North Carolina; gives billions in tax breaks and incentives to oil companies when we’re paying nearly $4 a gallon; rewards companies who send North Carolina jobs overseas; and that’s built an economy structured around benefitting the big corporations while working families foot the bill.

I’m running for this seat because North Carolinians deserve better than Washington’s broken system, and I know I can level the playing field for middle class families. Thank you for your support!