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♪♪

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♪♪

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-I'm a public school dad,
tech entrepreneur,

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and community advocate.

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As a long time
Seattle resident,

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I'm tired of watching
our politicians

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put rhetoric
over results.

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I also happen to have
a background in public policy,

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and it saddens me
to see our city leaders

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drowning evidence-based policy
in an ocean of hand-wringing,

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process,
and performative politics.

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Too many people
have paid the price.

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My name is Ron Davis, and I'm
running with a serious plan

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to build the ambitious future
we all deserve.

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But I can't do it
without you.

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I didn't start life
in a place like Roosevelt.

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I'm the product of
a teen pregnancy.

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But my parents eventually
managed to buy a house,

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and build us
a beautiful life.

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I got really lucky,
went to college,

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graduated from Harvard Law
School, launched a tech company,

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and have been a business leader
ever since.

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But journeys like mine
are impossible in Seattle today,

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and the barriers
are twice as high

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for people
who don't look like me.

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I think we can all agree
that Seattle should be a place

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where people from any background
can afford to raise a family

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or build a career,
and age in place.

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I'll work tirelessly
to deliver an affordable city

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that our children
can live in,

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and where we leave no one
on the street.

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I'll also fight to make it
as easy to get around

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without a car
as it is with one,

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making us a green, clean
climate and livability leader.

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And as a parent
to two little boys,

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I also won't stop until Seattle
is safe for everyone.

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I'm the only candidate with
a serious plan to stop crime

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before it starts
with evidence-based prevention,

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to quickly send the right
professional for each emergency,

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and to rebuild trust
in law enforcement

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through good governance
and accountability.

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To build tomorrow's economy,
I'll double down on our emerging

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and existing strengths
in tech, AI,

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the life sciences,
and bioinformatics,

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and expand apprenticeships
into our schools.

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We'll attract
tomorrow's workforce

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with housing and child care
they can afford

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in neighborhoods
they want.

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I'm the only candidate
with an actual plan

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to build a fairer
tax code.

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I'm proud to be endorsed
by unions, climate leaders,

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the local Democrats,
business leaders,

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community leaders,
and current and former electeds

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like King County
Councilmembers

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Girmay Zahilay
and Larry Gossett,

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Port Commissioners
Toshiko Hasegawa,

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Sam Cho, and Ryan Calkins,
and many more.

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I'd be honored
by your support.

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-My name is Ken Wilson,
and I'm running

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for the open
District 4 seat.

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As a small business owner
and civil engineer

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with 31 years
of experience

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building major infrastructure
and public works,

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I'm running to bring back
pragmatic policies,

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fresh perspective, common sense
solutions that work,

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and a return to basics
for our city.

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I'm a UW grad,
and completed my Master's degree

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while working full time
to pay for it.

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My wife was born in Seattle,
and I've lived nearly

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three decades
in District 4, Wallingford,

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where we raised two daughters
in public schools.

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The current council has failed
to address issues

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like public safety,
homelessness,

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and housing
affordability.

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I've been asking people I meet
in our city moving,

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"Is our city moving
the right way?"

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The people I speak with
feel the city is not.

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They don't feel safe.

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They see amazing resources
spent with little progress

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creating a livable Seattle
for all.

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As your councilmember,

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I will work to get
back to the basics,

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and will make decisions
that improve livability.

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With the right
council leadership,

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we can deliver on
safe neighborhoods,

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restore police staffing
to the needed levels,

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provide well-maintained
roads and bridges,

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protect critical
green canopy,

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and create a vibrant downtown
business environment

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that makes our city
a great place to live and work.

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As a civil engineer, I have the
background to safeguard growth

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that protects affordable housing
for all stages and ages,

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benefit -- and benefits
our neighborhoods

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without overstressing
existing infrastructure.

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Seattle is
a world-class city,

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and deserves a councilmember
who understands public works,

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supports local business,
protects parks and schools,

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funds our police
and emergency responders,

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and acts to address
homelessness.

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I will be
that councilmember.

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And I ask for
your vote.

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-Hi.

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My name is
Maritza Rivera.

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I'll never forget waiting

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and worrying outside
Ingraham High School

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as my teenage girls
were in lockdown

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during the recent
shooting there.

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It brought home
that things are off track.

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I grew up in a tough
neighborhood in the Bronx,

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on the top floor
of a five-story walk up.

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My dad was a welder,
and proud union member.

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My mom worked in
a factory.

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They moved from Puerto Rico
seeking a better life.

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I found that life
here in Seattle.

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Unfortunately,
due to poor decisions

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and performative posturing
by the Seattle council,

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including pledging
to defund the police,

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our quality of life
has eroded.

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Our neighborhood,
small businesses are closing,

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and our streets
are less safe.

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I'll make public safety
my top priority.

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Five-minute response times
for priority 911 calls,

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get guns off our streets
and out of our schools,

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shut down open-air
drug markets,

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address addiction
and the mental health crisis.

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It's also unacceptable
that three years

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after the murder
of George Floyd,

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Seattle still has
no alternative

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to non-armed response
to 911 calls.

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Not all situations require
uniformed police officers,

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but some do.

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I'll prioritize.

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I will
bring people together

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to build more
affordable housing

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and address
the homelessness crisis.

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I currently serve as
a deputy director

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of the Office of Arts
and Culture at the city.

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I worked in
the Clinton White House

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as the Hispanic liaison,
for the ACLU post-9/11,

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to protect Muslim communities
from xenophobia,

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and for former councilmember
Tom Rasmussen.

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With better governance,

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Seattle can be progressive,
safe, and vibrant.

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I would be honored
to earn your support.

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-Hello, Seattle.
And hello, District 4.

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My name is George Artem,
and I'm running to be

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your representative
behind the city council dais.

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Some of you know me
as just Artem,

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or "Hey, you, I recognize you
from somewhere."

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Well, yeah.

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I've done some things,
and been in situations

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that I'm not proud of.

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But who hasn't?

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It took a lot of help
from friends, family,

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recovery circles,
and shelters

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to help get me
to where I'm at today.

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And one thing that I've learned
in my personal recovery

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is to take accountability,
clean my side of the street,

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make amends,
and wake up to try another day.

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I'm an immigrant
to this country,

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and I've lived in Greater
Seattle for over three decades.

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I attended the University
of Washington, and completed

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both my undergraduate
and graduate studies there.

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And in 2021, I attended
law school on the East Coast.

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I decided to run for office
because, when I came back,

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the city that I loved
became totally unrecognizable.

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Once bustling commercial
districts, like the CID,

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had turned into
open-air drug markets

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where people are still getting
high and selling stolen goods.

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In 2016, we dipped our toes
into socialism.

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I know because I played a part
in that.

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Today, there are members of
the Democratic Party

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that openly promote
communism,

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and want to dismantle
the system.

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Like communism,

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the Defund movement
has been an abject failure.

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Violent crime is up,
drug use is up,

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and the fentanyl crisis
should be waking everybody up.

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Since 2017, the Seattle Police
Department has implemented 90%

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of nearly 300 community
policing recommendations.

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They're a changed department,
and deserve our respect.

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In recent years,
local government has raised

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and spent a lot of money,
with not much to show for it.

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We need to acknowledge the
failures and wasteful spending,

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and establish a culture
of accountability

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in city government.

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Like you,
I have a lot of questions,

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and if I'm elected,
I'll get answers.