By Redaction Reporter
ELIJAH Manley’s story follows a familiar political path.
The 22-year-old student made waves in August 2020 when he took on Bobby DuBose, one of the most senior politicians in the Florida House of Representatives.
After a contentious primary in which he took almost a third of the vote, Manley was more than determined than ever to follow the wave of progressive insurgents across the US.
“I got into politics because I wanted to give back to the community – I wasn’t happy with what I was seeing and I wanted to do something about it,” he told Redaction Report in an exclusive Patreon interview.
“AOC is a very inspiring leader – her story is the story of millions throughout the country, including my own. Being a black, gay man from the South is a perspective we don’t see in a national political space all too much.”
January 11 presents a perfect opportunity for Manley to avenge his 2020 loss. DuBose’s resignation makes him the most recognisable name on the candidate list – and suddenly a campaign that Manley admitted people “wrote off” has now placed him in a strong position to win the special election in District 94.
He said: “I was a little broken by the loss, I was a little down about it, we knocked on thousands of doors and wanted to do so much more but the pandemic limited us.
“It was a success in two ways – firstly, we gave people a choice. A lot of people were not happy with the way the incumbent was governing, and what we were able to accomplish by talking about the issues that mattered to the progressive base of the party.
“Having run before, this is an incredible opportunity to bring this home with the support we got from last time.”
His progress as a ‘serious candidate’ is clear. The Sun Sentinel, the main daily newspaper of Fort Lauderdale in Florida, recently endorsed Manley.
He trails both Joseph Eggelletion III and Daryl Campbell in terms of donations, but the self-styled “progressive Democrat” is hoping that the name recognition from his 2020 run and leftist policies can motivate voters to turn out.
For a deeper dive into Elijah Manley’s ideology, policies and plans for Florida District 94, become a Patron now to listen to the full, exclusive interview.
Featured Image: Courtesy of campaign
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