I received this press release posted below, but I’d like to add that I have known Stacey for several years, and I’m thrilled to see her take this step forward!  Way to go!

STACEY GRAY RUNNING FOR CONGRESS
“It’s our turn” 3rd District

3RD CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT — Independent Candidate Stacey Gray has begun her campaign to represent the third Congressional District in Washington. She characterizes her effort as “for the people of the district” as opposed to against incumbent Mike Kelly.

“I’m tired of hearing about what we can’t have, what we can’t do” Gray said, ”tired of the politics that have split the nation, tired of politicians pushing social issues and avoiding the real problems, tired of partisan bickering, tired of a Congress too busy with its own agenda to address the needs of the nation.” “We used to have statesman that worked for the benefit of the country, I think it’s time we return to that. We need representatives who listen to their constituents and vote the will of the people, not their own personal agendas. We need people who know how to negotiate satisfactory solutions to our problems, not demand ‘their way or the highway’.” “Our representatives need to remember that our government is of, by, and for the people, not the ‘my idea upon the people’ that we are now suffering.”

Ms. Gray has opted to run as an independent candidate, “It’s not the easy way, but I don’t want to be beholding to anyone except the Third District voters” she explained. Her political committee has named itself LEAN FORWARD PENNSYLVANIA, “not to the left, not the right, not backwards, but forward to a new and vibrant Pennsylvania” she added.

As volunteers circulate her nomination papers, Gray is asking voters to give her their name and contact information on a separate list. “Politicians always say that they only hear from the people with extreme positions, the people emotionally involved for or against an issue. I want to be able to pick up the phone and call, or send out an e-mail to find out what the rest of you think” she said. “This really is a grassroots effort that I intend to continue from Washington. I want your help now, I’ll need your help then. This isn’t about me, this is about us!” “I promise you won’t get any robo-calls or junk mail” she added

Gray sees a rosy future for Northwestern Pennsylvania. “We’re sitting on a gold mine of natural gas and petrochemicals” she said, “the problem is in developing those resources in an ecologically sound manner, in developing sufficient markets for those products so that they command a fair price, so that they benefit our nation as a whole, and so that a significant portion of that wealth stays here in our pockets and our communities.” “We are the alternative energy of the future, it’s our turn!”

“We need to get our nation’s economy back on its feet. When people are working our economic issues and our social issues will largely resolve themselves. We need to get the power and the wealth back into the hands of the people. We can’t be constantly sending our jobs and our money and our armies overseas. We need to be rebuilding our own infrastructures and controlling our own borders. We need to uphold the Social Security and Medicare contracts we have made with our seniors, and the educational promises we’ve made to our children. It’s time to make America first again.”

“And we need to do it with civility and dignity. We need to reunite as a people with common purpose and equal opportunity for all. It can’t be some of us against others of us, it needs to be all of us working for the good of all of us.”

Ms. Gray operates the family farm in northeastern Mercer County, and serves as an Administrative Assistant to the Board of Directors of an organization providing services to the homeless and near homeless in Meadville. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree at Penn State, supervised the City of Cincinnati Park Maintenance section, and had a general store in Vermont. “When Dad died 23 years ago, I came home to keep Mom company” she said. She operated a commercial and industrial video production business for 20 of those years.

“I’ve spent my life serving people and the environment” she added, “if there’s one thing I know how to do it’s listen to people, to hear what they’re saying, understand what they need. I don’t think we’ve had much of that lately in the third district.” “I’ve worked with Presidents and CEO’s, factory workers and farmers, and now with people suffering the worst of times. I want to take that experience to Washington.”

Ms. Gray has written an introductory letter and posted it on her website (grayforcongress.org) and Facebook page (Stacey Gray for Congress). She invites all to read her letter and follow her campaign there.