Last week I was honored to receive the Manhattan Young Democrats’ Political Courage Award.

I’m deeply grateful for the recognition, and even more energized by the opportunity to engage with so many bright, driven young leaders in our community.

Throughout my career I’ve dedicated myself to showing up — no matter how hard the going gets, no matter how difficult the challenges may be. We all have the power to make a meaningful difference, and our freedom lies in participating in our power.

We must never let go of our freedom, because the day we do is the day we let go of our democracy. I refuse to allow today to be that day.

We must continue coming together as a collective to chart a path forward in a collaborative and thoughtful way — and that’s what I intend to keep doing. Showing up, listening to folks, talking about the issues that matter. Issues like housing, healthcare, education, and income inequality.

It’s past time that we take our democracy back and do right by the people. A new path is both necessary and possible. But we will not chart it without making a commitment to showing up for this work and for each other.

Thank you for being a part of this work. If you can afford it, could you chip in to my exploratory committee? Every dollar helps fuel my fight to continue showing up for you, for our democracy, for a better future.

We’re in this together,

Antonio