By John Vincent

This Thanksgiving week, I've been thinking about that first winter in 1621.

The Pilgrims were starving. They didn't know how to survive in this new land. It was the Wampanoag people – Squanto, Massasoit, and others – who showed them how to plant corn, where to fish, how to make it through the harsh New England winter.

The Wampanoag didn't have a formal healthcare plan for the Pilgrims. They didn't form a committee to study the problem. They didn't wait for the perfect policy solution.

They just made sure their neighbors survived.

That spirit of community, of neighbors helping neighbors survive and thrive – that's the America I know. That's the America that gave my family everything.

When Did We Lose Our Way?

But somewhere along the way, our leaders forgot that spirit.

Last week, I met Sarah, a single mom in Marion. She told me she's skipping meals so her kids can eat. Not occasionally – regularly. In the richest country in human history.

Another family shared that they're cutting their Thanksgiving dinner back this year. Not by choice, but because grocery prices in our district have continue to rise. They learned first hand that the Walmart deal that our President cited as evidence of lowering cost - well not so much. Fewer Items. Downsized Items. Brand Swaps.

Meanwhile, our President spends ridiculous sums on White House renovations, new private jets, and bailing out Argentina with $20 billion in cash. So much for America first. All while Republican strip healthcare protections from 20 million Americans – with no replacement plan ready.

Americans aren't dumb.

You know what you're paying at the grocery store. You know what your insulin costs. You know what happened to your rent. Your lived experience doesn't match their talking points, and you're right to trust what you see with your own eyes.

This isn't about partisan politics. This is about misplaced values. This is about leaders who have lost touch with the people they're supposed to serve.

Our founders would be ashamed. But they'd be proud of what we're building together.

What I'll Fight For on Day One

We have the resources to ensure no one goes hungry. We have the wealth to guarantee everyone has healthcare. We just lack leaders with the political will to make it happen.

Here's what I'll fight for from Day One:

✓ Cap insulin costs at $35/month for everyone – not just seniors. If other countries can do it, so can we.

✓ Restore and expand the Child Tax Credit – which cut child poverty by 40% before Congress let it expire.

✓ End taxpayer-funded corporate subsidies – while working families struggle to afford groceries.

✓ Protect Social Security and Medicare – no cuts, no privatization, no raising the retirement age.

✓ Make healthcare a right, not a privilege – starting with a public option and prescription drug price negotiations.

These aren't radical ideas. They're common sense. And they're what the Wampanoag would have done – make sure everyone survives and thrives.

What I'm Thankful For

Despite the challenges we face, this Thanksgiving I find myself deeply grateful.

I'm thankful for every person who has offered words of encouragement, told  me their stories , and believed we could build something better.

I'm thankful for the small business owners across this district who've shared their fears about their rising costs – the real struggles, not the talking points.   And many of those same businesses are helping to  provide those in need with Thanksgiving meals.

I'm thankful for every volunteer who's given generously with their time. You are the heart of this campaign.

I'm thankful for every contributor. You fuel this campaign and without you, we go nowhere.

I'm thankful that people are waking up. Our message is breaking through because it's the truth. You're tired of being gaslit, tired of being told everything is fine when you can see with your own eyes that it isn't.

And I'm thankful for you – for taking the time to read this, for caring about our community, for believing that government can and should work for everyone.

The America Worth Fighting For

This campaign isn't funded by corporate PACs or special interests. It's powered by people who believe, like our founders did, that government should work for everyone – not just the wealthy and well-connected.

That first Thanksgiving wasn't about the powerful helping themselves. It was about community. It was about survival through cooperation. It was about people