Here is my introductory post in the Volusia County Concerns Facebook group. Please join the group if you live in Volusia County. It has over 700 members.
April 9, 2020
Hi everyone. My name is Richard Thripp from Orange City. I was born and raised near Daytona Beach. I’m running for Congress (Democratic party) here in the 6th district (Volusia, Flagler, part of St. Johns and Lake). Feel free to contact me or comment with questions, or follow me online. I just joined the Volusia County Concerns page and will be keeping up with it regularly.
https://www.facebook.com/ThrippforCongress
https://twitter.com/Thripp2020
http://thripp.com
Here’s a biographical statement about myself:
RICHARD THRIPP FOR CONGRESS
I am a 28-year-old Florida native, husband to Kristy, and father to a 1-year-old baby boy. I was born in Daytona Beach and now live in Orange City. I am running to be your Congressman for Florida’s 6th Congressional district. I want to make a difference for disadvantaged and working-class Central Floridians.
In December 2019, I completed my PhD in Education at the University of Central Florida (UCF) where I researched future teachers’ knowledge of personal finance, investing, and retirement planning. I advocate for financial education coupled with progressive laws and regulations that treat typical Floridians and Americans fairly.
I completed an associate degree at Daytona State College in 2011, a bachelor’s degree in Psychology at UCF Daytona Beach in 2014, and a master’s degree in Applied Learning & Instruction at UCF in 2016. I am also a former Port Orange Toastmasters club president and treasurer.
At UCF, I’ve taught educational technology to over 250 future teachers. Public education, including affordable, quality higher education, is essential to developing our citizenry and facilitating their success. As your Congressman, I will always prioritize education.
Some back story: I am the child of conspiracy theorist Trump-supporters. I, too, bought into right-wing propaganda until my mid-20s, which I regret and must reckon with. What follows are several key catalysts in my journey to becoming a progressive Democrat:
- My research into financial literacy, not unlike Senator Elizabeth Warren (a former Republican), began with me blaming individuals, but led me to realize Americans are being systematically oppressed by oligarchical institutions and special interests.
- Learning that our atmosphere has increased from 280 to 415 parts-per-million of carbon dioxide from human action led me to reject climate denialism propaganda and realize the depth of our planetwide climate crisis.
- A deep dive into vaccines, in advance of our son’s birth on February 27, 2019, led me to reject anti-vaccination rhetoric and to receive 6 vaccinations myself.
Wealth stratification in the United States is off the charts. I’m supporting healthcare for all, a universal basic income, a Green New Deal, strengthening Social Security, and fair taxes instead of giveaways for wealthy individuals and large corporations.
In Congress, I will fight tenaciously for you, both on the House floor and in constituent casework. We must make a massive investment in the American people and our children’s future. We can do this! The time for change is now!
I accept donations online and have received $573 from over 20 grassroots donors thus far.
I just paid the ridiculous $10,440 fee to be on the ballot and there is only one other Democrat running (this is his 4th time running for Congress). The primary is 8/18/2020 and after winning, I’ll be up against Rep. Michael Waltz on 11/03/2020.
Please register to vote-by-mail. Anyone can vote by mail without an excuse or witness. You can do it online here:
http://www.volusiaelections.org
Before registering to vote-by-mail, double-check your voter registration on this website and update your address, party, et cetera if needed:
https://registration.elections.myflorida.com/CheckVoterStatus