I am sick of picking the lesser of two evils.

I want to be able to vote for someone I am passionate about, not the person who has the most money and therefore the best chance of winning. Our current Senate race has someone I can vote for without feeling I am compromising my morals: Lisa Savage. I also have the joy of doing so without the stigma of splitting the vote. Thank you, ranked-choice voting.

Unfortunately, Lisa is at a great disadvantage in this race because of her principles. Lisa is refusing to take any money from corporations and Super PACs. For perspective, according to the Federal Election Commission, Collins has over $16 million, Gideon over $25 million, and Lisa has around $100,000. This leaves Lisa with over $40 million less in campaign funds than the Republican and Democrat candidates. Yet, it leaves her unbeholden to those who wield that money.

Lisa Savage will have no corporate overlords when she is in the Senate. Lisa will be free to fight for things like Medicare for all and Green New Deal because she is not beholden to the pharmaceutical or coal companies who oppose those measures of progress.

Personally, I think no corporate interest group should be allowed to buy an election, as happens every year in this country. But until that is reality I will continue to back candidates, like Lisa Savage, who put their money where their mouth is.

Amanda Leach
Portland