Here is my candidate introduction speech at the 2nd annual Mary McLeod Bethune gala at The Center at Deltona on January 17, 2020, at which Congresswoman Val Demings (D, FL-10) and Representative Anna V. Eskamani (D, FL HD 47) also spoke! I am running as a Democrat for Florida’s 6th district which includes Volusia and Flagler counties as well as parts of St. Johns and Lake counties (Daytona Beach, Deltona, Palm Coast, Bunnell, New Smryna Beach, Edgewater, etc.).

Good evening everyone. My name is Richard Thripp, and I’m running for the Democratic nomination for United States House of Representatives in the 6th district [of Florida]. Hopefully we’ll give Michael Waltz real competition. He had a great competitor last time and we know it’s a difficult district, but remember that we’ve got to get young people involved in politics. We have to raise important issues. And, most importantly, the climate crisis. Our children and grandchildren will look back on us, and they’ll say either that we made a change—it looks very late at this time, but there’s still time to make a change—or that we let the world go down in flames.

I’m a teacher educator at the University of Central Florida, and I have just completed my Ph.D. in Education last month. I’m 28 years old, and my wife Kristy’s in the audience, and we have a 10-month-old baby boy at home. He’s got 4 teeth coming in all at once, so he’s really unhappy right now. Anyway, you’ll be seeing a lot—I don’t know if you’ve seen me online, but people have—but I’m coming out to clubs, and I’m coming out to caucuses and events.

As you know, just yesterday or the day before, Virginia passed the Equal Rights Amendment. It’s very historic. This amendment has been basically dormant since 1978. And tomorrow, we’ll be marching in Flagler Beach for women’s rights, and also, Ambassador Nancy Soderberg will be speaking there too. I know you’ve got the [Dr. Martin Luther King] breakfast here. We’ve got lots of stuff going on. But, I look forward to that, I look forward to campaigning, and to raising important issues for this district, for Florida, for the entire country, and for the planet.

Thanks to my wife Kristy for recording this video.