“I Know What It’s Like”
“I know what it’s like.”
Those five words mean more to me than any title or credential ever could. They’re the heart of why I’m running for Congress — because I’ve lived the same struggles so many of us are facing right now.
I know what it’s like to work hard every single day and still wonder if it’s going to be enough. To sit at the kitchen table, bills spread out in front of you, and try to figure out what gets paid this week and what has to wait. To walk through the grocery store and realize the prices went up again, even though your paycheck didn’t.
That’s not a hypothetical for me. That’s my life.
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Why This Matters
Too many politicians talk about “the working class” as if we’re an abstract concept — a line item in their speeches, a talking point to test in a poll. But we’re not numbers on a page. We’re people — families, workers, caregivers, dreamers — just trying to get by in a system that seems to have forgotten who it’s supposed to serve.
I’ve been laid off. I’ve been priced out of my home. I’ve relied on SNAP and Medi-Cal to feed and care for my family. I’ve been denied healthcare. I’ve even been homeless.
So when I say I know what it’s like — I mean it. I’ve lived the fear, the exhaustion, and the endless frustration of doing everything right and still struggling just to make ends meet.
I’m not running for the seat. I’m running for those of us who’ve never had one at the table.
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What I’m Fighting For
I want to take the conversations happening in living rooms, break rooms, and checkout lines — and bring them to the floor of Congress.
Because the things that matter most aren’t partisan issues. They’re people issues.
We need a real living wage — one that keeps pace with inflation, so workers can afford to live where they work.
We need housing that’s truly affordable — not just in theory, but in reality.
We need universal healthcare — because no one should have to choose between paying rent and staying alive.
We need to protect and expand our social safety nets — not cut them to fund tax breaks for billionaires.
And above all, we need empathy — leaders who don’t just talk about "the people," but actually are the people.
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Why I’m Running
I’m running because I’ve lived it.
Because I understand what’s at stake when our government works for corporations instead of communities.
And because I believe in a future where we don’t just survive — we thrive.
I know what it’s like to struggle.
I know what it’s like to feel unseen and unheard.
And that’s exactly why I’m speaking up.
I’m Gwendolyn “Gwen The Dem” Molina, and I’m running to represent California’s 41st District — because I know what it’s like.
And I’ll never stop fighting for people like us.