Hello. My name is Thomas Witkop. I am running to represent Florida’s 21st District and to be your voice in the U.S. House of Representatives. Here’s a bit about me.

Growing up in Montgomery County, Maryland, I developed an appreciation for the U.S. Constitution and American democracy. My mother, a local activist for the environment and fair public school policy, and my father, a criminal defense attorney, bestowed in me a drive to give voice to those most vulnerable and a willingness to listen to all viewpoints. They taught me that participating in our democracy is our most powerful tool to effect change and support solutions.

At St. Mary’s College of Maryland, I worked as a Resident Assistant and in the Title IX Office to engage students in their community, to reduce sexual violence, and to help pay for my education. Upon graduating with majors in Political Science and Latin American Studies, I worked in a refugee community in the Canary Islands where I taught English and shared my piece of American culture. My girlfriend and I have made South Florida our home where she teaches at a public high school and I help the vulnerable in society find work, learn English, and gain self-sufficiency. As a Volunteer Coordinator at a local Jupiter non-profit, I pioneered programs such as Homework Club which connected retirees in our area to struggling students to improve their English and to help them succeed in school. 

I believe strongly in the American Dream and understand our democracy is a central component of that Dream. While I understand that many feel disillusioned with our current system and its ability to solve problems, I believe we cannot give up on the oldest existing democracy in the world. Instead of addressing pressing issues like infrastructure repair and creating new jobs for the American people, our current leadership stokes partisan division and encourages distrust in our democracy by rejecting compromise, supporting election fraud claims, and blindly following party demagogues. District 21 needs a leader willing to represent all the people of St. Lucie, Martin, and northern Palm Beach counties, not just the very rich or the very partisan. 

To solve the difficult challenges we face, I know we must build trust in our democracy. We can do that by voting and productively exchanging ideas with people who have different viewpoints. I have worked with diverse populations overseas and at El Sol in Jupiter to build communities, and I plan to continue using this approach on a national level.  If elected, I pledge to certify our free and fair elections, protect the reproductive rights of women, and support legislation that addresses climate change.