Campaign Announcement: Making Progress Work - March 10, 2015

EDWARDS: Eight years ago, developers were set to block my neighborhood's access to the Potomac shoreline. I was a single mom, putting my son through school, working full-time, paying back student loans, and struggling to make ends meet. The last thing I had time for was a political fight, but I knew if I didn't take a stand the modest, middle-class lives my neighbors and I were living might be destroyed forever. So we fought and we won. And today National Harbor supports over a thousand union jobs. And we got the developers to build 400 new family homes and improve the roads and safeguard our access to the river so Maryland families can still fish and boat and walked the shoreline at dawn, as they have for generations. That's making progress work for Maryland families.

See, I never learned the meaning of "I can't" or "I won't" or "It's not my responsibility." My dad was a military man who taught me the value of service. And from my mom, I learned the value of giving back to community.

That's why I ran for Congress and it's what I've done in Congress. Like historic investments in historically black colleges, and more Maryland schools focused on science, technology, engineering and math. Like protecting women's reproductive rights from Tea Party attacks and standing up to anyone who would compromise away Social Security and Medicare.

No ifs, ands, buts or willing to considers.

As the ranking Democrat on the Space Subcommittee, I passed a bipartisan investment in NASA for space programs that employee over 10,000 Marylanders and lift our sights just a little higher.

Today, I'm lifting my sights a little higher, too. I'm announcing my candidacy for the United States Senate.

See, I've lived the American Dream, the middle class American Dream – the one you have to work hard for just to hold on to. The one that's slipping away for far too many Maryland families. These are the people I fight for.

The corporate special interests are going to come at me with all their money, but if you'll join me in this fight there's no way we can't win. And when I step into Barbara Mikulski's shoes as your next senator, you'll always know where I stand – with you.