I’m running for Congress out of a love for my community and our need for leaders who put people first. I’m committed to building a future rooted in fairness, dignity, and opportunity.
My family has lived in Montgomery County for over 50 years. I was born in Lansdale and went on to live in many different places, led by opportunities for study and work, before returning to nearby Quakertown to be close to family.
During my childhood, financial insecurity weighed heavily on my family. My greatest privileges were my parents’ hard work and resourcefulness and public parks, libraries, media, transportation, and education. Notably, healthcare was not on that list. Living with the fear of getting sick or injured is a real and lasting burden for many families like mine.
Despite growing up working class without healthcare or financial stability, I did have access to public education, enabling me to pursue a PhD in mathematics. I spent several years conducting research and teaching math around the world. Studying and teaching mathematics trained me to be a problem-solver and critical thinker, to know what it means to think objectively, to focus on facts, and to recognize when things simply don’t add up.
I’ve also served as a scientific advisor in the United States Senate, working on energy and climate policy. There, I gained a deep understanding of the legislative process. I observed how a strong society and economy depend on smart policy informed by independent technical guidance. Without that guidance, policy bends to the whims of corporate special interests.
When I returned to Pennsylvania, I saw firsthand how billionaires have hollowed out our communities. I saw small businesses turning into empty storefronts, housing becoming inaccessible, food pantry lines growing longer, and healthcare premiums and electricity prices surging. Today, the very institutions and conditions that once made the climb to financial stability possible are being dismantled.
I see what’s happening here in Bucks and Montgomery Counties as deeply connected to what I saw happening in Congress and around the world. Corporate greed continues to pull us away from the fundamental principles that should govern our policy and politics. We see this in how big tech has come into our district, how big pharma and private healthcare companies continue to control the narrative, how important regulations on chemicals are being rolled back, and how the cheapest and cleanest energy sources are being unfairly disadvantaged.
I’m running because I believe that public policy is how we build a better future for our families, communities, district, and country. But not if it’s captured by the dark money of the top 1%. My pledge to you is to be an independent thinker, to always put good principles over bad politics, and to shape policy for us, the people.
-Lucia
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