Tuesday’s election is an important one and I think it’s about time there were some changes.

We don’t have to be rocket scientists to know that politicians are corrupt. The belief that our elected officials are above the law runs strongly throughout our government. I don’t have to show you examples of this, just open the news, follow the money, read many of the comments on social media.

It takes a lot of hard work, dedication, and “tough” to even make it on the ballot in this state if you aren’t a part of the machine. This is especially true if you have a message and a platform that speaks to people where it matters- that addresses the issues we are all facing as community members, parents, and concerned citizens. If you do make it through, it’s been proven that the party in power will stop at NOTHING to make sure that you, the voters, don’t get to see that there is another choice besides a “D” or an “R”. The life long career politicians will take you to court, break the rules, and try to intimidate you into submission. This is done all to give you an illusion that you only have two choices. You have more than two choices. You should be able to evaluate all of them and come to your decision.

I am writing this because one of my best friends in the world, Gigi “Georgina” Bowman is running to represent us in the NY Senate in District 5 against 20 year incumbent Carl Marcellino. Gigi has worked TIRELESSLY as an advocate for our liberties here in NY and in Huntington, and she is a citizen candidate. She is one of us. She is a mom, a real estate agent, a substitute teacher. She is what government is supposed to look like. Not ribbon cuttings and photo ops, not corporatists and backed by lobbyists dollars- one of us.

She is running because she lived through the horrible tragedy of her daughter committing suicide in 2003. Her daughter was prescribed pharmaceutical meds for depression that Gigi later found out were not approved for a child her daughter’s age. Again, the money corrupted the government which corrupted the doctors, and they didn’t keep her family safe. Since then she has advocated for parents and all of us alike on a host of issues, from GMO foods, to eradicating Common Core (She is endorsed by Charlotte Iserbyt) to smart meters on our homes, to our 2nd amendment rights, and beyond. She doesn’t have a ton of money, and she did this all on her own, with the help of her loving husband, so that she could have the chance to represent YOU.

She has fought long and hard just to be on the ballot and get elected so that she can give us a first hand look at what really goes on in government, and represent NORMAL everyday people like you and I. She is one of my heroes. I would do anything for Gigi, and I know I am not alone.

I am not here to tell you how to vote, however, I IMPLORE you to do some research on Gigi before you make the decision to fill in the bubble for Marcellino or his “lifelong republican” democratic challenger on Tuesday.

She is a mom, a wife, a concerned citizen, an activist, and they sued her all the way up until the highest court in the state trying to STOP YOU FROM HAVING THE CHOICE to vote for her. She has to be doing something right. Thanks for listening, all. And please consider voting for Gigi on Tuesday. She is one of the last shots we have left at saving our town, our Island, and our State.