Johanna Hayes here I wanted to come back to you with some live updates from the campaign side. I am sitting out on my deck again. I wanted to come and give you updates on last Sunday, but it was raining so I didn't have the chance to so I'm happy to be here with you again today so much has changed since I saw you last. I'm sure as you all. my husband was diagnosed with Covid- 19, so we are quarantining at home, He is well it's a little nerve wracking, but I just thank God that we're able to even we're able to get a test we're able to quarantine at home. nights are tricky. I think that's when he has the most difficulty at night, but overall, he's good and we're just. You know in prayer every day and making sure we follow the advice of the doctors I want to be able to oh I have pants on. I'm so excited to have handsome. We've been on our deck all day getting some vitamin D. you know they say sunlight is the best disinfectant so I I encourage my husband to get up walk around. so we've been on the deck just enjoying the Sun today and. I put on some pants and let me tell you for all of you out there. Stretch pants and pajamas will have you believing that all is well in the kingdom. I am here to tell you that it took me three pairs of jeans to find a pair that felt comfortable. I guess we'll deal with that post quarantine, but I know I can't be the only person who is experiencing this so I guess we just have so many things to be thankful for but three pairs of jeans to get into this. I just wanna give you. An update on what is happening on the campaign side I have so many balls in the air all the time as you can imagine, I have my work in Congress I have my personal life and my family, but I can't lose sight of the fact that we have a convention coming up and an election coming up. so I wanted to give you some updates on what is happening on the campaign side. I have. Again, it's very warm as you can tell I don't have a jacket on today but I just like the I just like the vibe so I don't need the fire to stay warm. I just like I just like the way it looks so I'm gonna give you some updates. we have a my convention is coming up. May eleventh is the day that's been noticed for the fifth District Nominating Convention for those of you who are. This is how in the state of Connecticut. This is how you get on the ballot. It's a little bit different than some of the other States the people who have been engaged since last cycle. This would have been the convention that we had at Crosby High School where the delegates vote and we choose who is going. Oh, I see my trolls have joined in good because I have a message for you as well. so stay tuned. Don't leave stay till the end this. The convention is where you that's how you get on the ballot. We have the convention last two years ago now at Crosby High School and it's it's where all of the delegates vote that is going to happen on May eleventh. there's over 300 delegates all 41 towns based on their population have delegates that vote for someone to nominate for the major party, so the Democratic Party has a nominating convention. The Republican Party has the nominating convention that will take place for them. On May 11, I'm not sure when the Republican convention will be, but it's going to be a virtual convention. All of the delegates will the state party is still working out all the details the delegates will probably fall in the 40 - one towns have already had their conventions where they've named that they've named their delegates. They'll have their conventions and they will vote for who they want to be on the ballot. I'm working really hard to. Sure that that person is me I've been reaching out to the delegates. I had a virtual meeting with all of the DTC chairs just to I guess to declare my intention. Let them know that there's so much work that still needs to be done and I would be humbled and honored to have their nomination to be on the ballot. This is not I mean the general public can listen in, but the voting portion is not open to the general public just to the nominees. That's just the way that. Connecticut structures their convention, the Republicans will have a similar convention to decide who will be on the ballot as of right now. I do not have a Democratic primary challenger, but in the state, someone can primary or challenge from the floor and what I've asked for is that although this is a a virtual convention, I wanted to be as close to the original process as possible because I believe that anyone who. Wants to engage in this process should like I said two years ago, these seats are not anointed or appointed anyone who wants to run can run. it's up to me to fight to keep the seats so I don't take it for granted and the process isn't over because someone can nominate someone else from the floor and then there's a whole other process. You have to get 15 percent of the delegates and if you remember, I did not get the nomination so I had to get 15 percent of the delegates and then move forward. so it's already been two years and we are already back at that place again. The Republicans will have a similar convention I there was for Republicans who are running. I think it's down to two. I'm not really sure, but they will have their convention and then they will nominate a person and then at that point, it will be me on the ballot. Hopefully that person on the ballot and then any of the any other parties that nominate someone for the ballot using their processes. so we should know about all of that. I will tell you just and I'm glad that I saw some I'm watching as the names are popping up all the Republican convention is on May 12, so we'll I guess we'll have all of the information as to who the nominees will be around the same time and then we head into the primary which is in August and then the general election, which is in November, I've been working very hard because even though I have my. Work even though I have my personal family responsibilities, I also want to work to keep the seat there are and I say that because I have been, I have not been actively campaigning like I told you two weeks ago, I have not been fundraising. I cancelled all events. I've been working very hard on all of this legislation related to our response to Covid- 19, So there's a lot of things going on. I have not been campaigning but I know that's. And it's a part of my. This is why I'm trying to keep you updated the one thing I will say and I'm going to say this only once just for some points of clarification and then I'm gonna move on because I want you to understand the type of campaign that I will be running from what I've seen so far because I haven't really been engaged in the Republican side of of this process because they have their campaign. I mean they have their convention. We have our convention and then it's the nominees are put forward. I'm not going to run a. Against four Republicans, that's just a silly use of my time and my resources, but what I have seen is that already coming out of the other side is a bunch of the Cir attacks and slander and I want you and everyone else to know that I will not engage in that. I run a clean campaign last time and it worked and I intend to do the same thing when I see the Republican, the Republican candidates making personal attacks about me about my family, one of them even what so. To say, I made up the fact that my husband tested positive in order to get votes. that's outrageous, you know I see them taking screenshots from my social media, putting out press releases last week well two weeks ago when I was on my death, someone brought it to my attention that one of the Republicans that you know what is she doing on her deck enjoying a how they put it a lavish suburban lifestyle Remind you that I was a single mom living in rent assisted housing working three jobs to put a down payment on my first House and anyone who's in public service knows that it's never about you. I want everybody in their family to have the opportunity to do the same thing whether it's buy a House, whether it's in their children to school whether it's have a safe job so fact that people are putting out statements like that. Not going to engage in that actually, I laughed a little, but I'm probably dating myself. I don't know if you guys remember the movie Claudine where Diane Carro when the social worker was coming by, she was hiding the toaster and the iron because it was like you're not supposed to have these things and I guess that's what these Republican candidates think that I can't have a deck. I'm not really sure how that's relevant to the work that I'm doing. but that's not the type of campaign. I wanna run. I'm going to run a clean campaign. I think my record my voting record. my stas on the issues is sufficient. The facts are sufficient so if they want to spend their very limited resources launching a smear campaign have at it, but I will not engage. I want to talk about the work that I've done and the work that is still to be done. I want you to recognize that I have set gavel to gavel in every hearing I have held the Secretary. And the Secretary of Agriculture accountable in my hearings, I have brought your concerns back to Washington, so slanderous attacks is not. I don't have to do that. I don't have to do that. my work speaks for itself and the facts are sufficient, so I will be using my resources and my energy and my effort just to share out those things because I think that's enough and I think that the work. That needs to continue is enough. I have been I worked really hard last year, raising money so that this year we could be positioned to use that to share our message out and there's some really good things to share Democrats in the majority last year delivered HR one the For the People Act, which would put transparency in government removed dark money from government. It was our very first piece of legislation and it was very important to us and we're going to continue to work on that Five The Equality Act, which recognizes the LGBTQ community and as part of civil rights legislation, HR six the Dream and Promise Act, which really begins to provide some direction for our dreamers, HRA, which was universal background checks first time in 20 years. There was anything heard on the House floor with gun reform legislation HR nine climate action now so all of these things I see that people put as a talking point that she's that I voted with Nancy Pelosi a hundred percent of the time and I would counter because I guess Nancy Pelosi voted with me 100 percent of the time because Democrats have put up some really good bills. some legislation that is for the people some legislation that. Affects you and your family and I think now in this when we emerge from a post pandemic world, it's going to be that much more important to make sure that your voices are heard to make sure that there is a representative who will challenge the status quo who will put out who will propose legislation that directly impacts the people in this community, and I think that's what I've done. so my. Is May eleventh and at at that point, I'll find out if I am the Democratic nominee and if I will be on the ballot but Even if I wasn't and my team hates it when I talk like this, it was never about being a politician for me like I told you before I went into this because the opportunities that were presented for me. I want everyone in my family. I want everyone in your family to have those same opportunities. I wanna fight to close some of these equity gaps the things that. Everyone is talking about now because we are in this In this covid-, 19 era people are talking about how school systems are not equitable. how health care is not equitable how the air is cleaner while people are isolating in their homes, people are talking about how we need paid family leave and a minimum wage for our grocery store employees and front line workers who are still going to work every day and. It's just it gives me chills because this is what we've been saying all along. these are the things we've been talking about all along and a year ago, people were saying, Oh those are socialist practices. Why would we wanna pay people a living wage? Why would we want to make sure that people don't go bankrupt because they have a hospital bill, but when it affects other people's communities when it hits home, then everybody says everybody can agree that these are things that we need to work on. That's why I. It's important. That's why I know it's the right thing to do. That's why I know that all of these things are worth fighting for. I know it feels weird to me because like I said, I'm dealing with my husband's personal health on the one hand and my official business in Washington on the other hand, but I don't want you to lose sight of the fact that I can't do this unless I win this election and I can't the election without you so. I will continue to work hard to fight hard to share out my message. What I'm telling you is that I am committed to running a clean campaign and I am asking you to do the same thing with me all of my supporters. we don't have to engage in visceral or foolish nonsense. It reminds me of the dirty dozen you know that I know you are. but what am I you don't have to do that you know high school kids do that when they run out of out of substantive. Things to say, and I have so much of substance to talk about so I'm letting you know that I am committed to running a clean campaign. I ask you to join me in that effort. I ask you to sign up for my newsletter if you haven't already to like and share my post to get our information out there so that people have good information when they are evaluating the work of their representatives. I mean there's been so many times this year when I. was just frustrated because people were just lying, You know to paraphrase Winston Churchill a lie was halfway around the district before I could put my skirt on with the truth and that's what was happening. I saw the chamber come out with ads against me, saying that I was causing people in this district to lose jobs. What they didn't say was that was a vote to lower the cost of prescription drugs and I tell you the. Formation is out there. Oh, you know what this guy is not gonna stop. Why do you accept money from AOC? So let me just address this right here when you're in the majority all the members help to support members. that's what people do when they believe in you so more than half of the Democratic members in the House have given money to me Representative Ocasio-Cortez has a pack which many Officials do And she donated 28 hundred dollars to my campaign because she believes in the work that I do as do so many other from moderate to conservative Democrats who have donated to my campaign. That's just part of the process. I guess it's a better question to ask why some people who have all the support can't get people to donate to their campaign. But again this is these are the types of things that I'm talking about all of these look over there. There's a shiny object. The facts are sufficient. I have raised money for my campaign many members and Democratic members have donated to my campaign because they recognize the work that I'm doing. I think that they value me as a colleague and that's just the way the process works. So Representative Ocasio-cortez is not the only Democratic representative that is donated to me. I think. Probably about a hundred members in the caucus have donated to me and that's just how it works, but the fact that there are some who try to make an issue of that means that there's nothing substantive to talk about. they don't wanna talk about the fact that I just introduced a bill last week to bring a hundred billion dollars to our health care centers to make sure that our hospitals that serve the people who are the most vulnerable have what they need that. Talk about the fact that I just introduced legislation last week to study the disparities in our health care Center so that we can begin to address the reasons why African-Americans are disproportionately affected by this pandemic one in three people who are hospitalized or die from Covid- 19, are black. That's a problem. They don't wanna talk about the fact that I brought over 200 million dollars back to this district in grants and that I. cosponsored close to 400 pieces of legislation that I brought money back for our community health centers that I have been fighting on the Committee of education and labor for students for teachers for families for mental health services for employees all of those things. So that's what I need you to do. I need you to acquaint yourself with my work so that when these baseless attacks are Coming from all directions, we know better I plan to spend the next few months. I plan to spend my energy and my resources like I told you trafficking in facts, putting the truth out there so if people wanna spend their very limited resources mounting repeating lies over and over that can only last for so long because there's really good work that needs to be done. I know we're gonna come out of this, I know that we are going to come out of this better than we are but I wanna make sure that we have people at the table who understand what families have gone through what regular people have gone through I About you with every decision that I make you know I I think about what your families are going through. I'm not so far removed from my community. I still have my children, my cousins, my family who don't have multiple computers for their children to go to school who are nurses, aides and CNAs and have to go to work who are. Proportionately impacted by all of the things that are happening and I'm going to continue to speak out against those things and I hope that you'll allow me to do that. So by the next time you see me. hopefully I'll know whether or not I'm the nominee I don't take it for granted. it looks like it's going to happen, but I take nothing for granted because roxbury I'm waiting for your. I don't take anything for granted we saw two years ago where it looked like the convention was Ashu and that's not how it happened. So you know I take all of that. so again, I'm still working to get those 300 delegates to vote for me and then we have work to do so. I hope you guys are ready to. After we get the nomination, then we'll start to think about what a what a campaign looks like it seems like we're gonna be virtual for a while. so any ideas you have anything you can help me to get the message out. I encourage your help. Thank you Watertown I'm just I just feel so good seeing all of the comments come up give me a thumbs up if you agree that we wanna make sure that you have the ability to vote in this election, people say if if we have absentee ballots, Democrats will win and it'll be easier. I'm less concerned with making voting easier and more concerned with making voting safe people should not have to choose between their health and going to the polls and anyone who's. The ballot should want as many people to vote as possible. Sorry, I have music playing in the background, and it says we are blessed and we are definitely blessed and I don't want you to forget that one of the Republicans last week said that I had a very comfortable lifestyle, a very comfortable suburban lifestyle and I do have a very comfortable lifestyle, but it has nothing to do with living in the suburbs. I have a comfortable lifestyle because I am grounded in my faith because I have the love of friends. Family and because I have a purpose driven life because every day I wake up and I try to figure out how I can make someone else's life someone else's life better. That's why I'm blessed it has nothing to do with living in the suburbs. that's just geography and unfortunately, so many people don't get that they don't understand it. They don't realize it they measure. A person's value in their worth very differently, So I I want you to know that yes, I am blessed unapologetically blessed and that has to do with my faith and my family and my desire to help other people and those are the types of elected officials that you should want not ones who put a dollar value on everything and that's what I'm gonna continue to do and I need your work. I need your help to do it so anything you can do help me thank you to. All of the people who have continued to donate to my campaign so that I am positioned with the resources that I will need to run a clean campaign. Thank you for everyone who lifts me up in prayer. Everyone who lives my family up in prayer to everyone who has reached out to my office and given us the opportunity to help you I tell you I have had to step out on a limb lots of times this year where I was the only one screaming from the mountain tops about different issues whether it was in our schools or in our factories or in our prisons anywhere and I'm okay with that. I'm okay with being the only one Sometimes because it starts with one. And one person who just believes in what is the right thing to do and that's how movements get started. so just thank you for everything I wasn't sure if I should do a video today, I mean I know I have and the convention in a week and a half, but I also I'm so incredibly tired. You know my family is going through some very. Things right now, but I think we're all juggling all these things. That's that's the way that's the life of an elected official. You don't do one thing and then move on to something else. You have all of these things happening at the same time and that doesn't change so I'm still in it and I'll come on May eleventh. I'm sure I'll speak to you before May 11. Just to let you know what the convention updates are, but as of right now, it's a virtual convention and to get on the. And then after the twelfth we should know who the Republican nominee is and the Democratic nominee and we are on to the general election. so just thank you. Thank you hopefully the next time I come back to I'll have updates on what the voting process will be and how we'll be safer because I'm gonna do everything. I can to make sure that everyone who wants to cast a ballot in this district. In the state has the ability to do that, and that no one is disenfranchised or no one 's voice is silenced because they don't have access to opportunities or resources. I just believe in that and now I I'm I'm ready for round two of this. I'm ready to hold my Republican colleagues to the fire if you will to remind them that during a pandemic, you thought that we needed it paid medically paid family leave during a pandemic. you thought that we needed overwhelmingly by bipartisan support, you thought we needed to increase unemployment compensation so that people could have a living wage. You thought that people should be tested. For free, You thought that people should not go bankrupt because of hospital bills as a result of a diagnosis, it should be no different for covid- 19 than it is for someone who has cancer or lupus families have been dealing with this forever, and it's enough the one thing that is so incredibly striking for me and all of this is not one time did anyone say Well, we can't afford to do this. How are we gonna do this because the money is there We just needed the political will to do It so. That's where I am I have the political will I have the fire in me. I have the fight in me and I just need for you to send me back to Washington to finish what we started so thank you so much for joining me again vote me. Johanna Hayes keep your family safe keep yourselves safe to any of my. Delegates I've seen a couple of your names popping up from the 40 - one towns there's about 300 of you out there. I need your vote. I need your support. I need you to vote for me on May eleventh so that I am the Democratic nominee so that we can be singularly focused on keeping the seat blue and keeping the House majority on flipping the Senate and hopefully flipping the White House. We have so much work to do and we have to be singly focused fighting for something and that's what I said last year while everyone's wasting their time and their resources fighting against me and my supporters are fighting for something we're fighting for the America that we imagine for our families. so thank you again I'll pray for you. Please pray for me and. be safe and be well. I always forget how to turn this off. Oh well, actually maybe I'll will it be an actual in-person voting to the so the convention is virtual, but the convention is not for the general public. It's only for the convention delegates so after the nominating convention, the first opportunity that people will have to vote for me. it will be on August eleventh If I'm the if I'm the nominee, I'll be on the the. The ballot in August and then November obviously, so what we are hoping for is November, we are gearing up to an election in November and I don't think I have to tell you that you need to vote like your lives depend on it because they do thanks Tony Alright onward.