Editor, Manteca Bulletin,

As we get closer to election day I notice an up-tick in articles favorable to Josh Harder’s opponent. His opponent was born in Hawthorne, CA in the L.A. Basin. He attended Atascadero and Morro High schools in San Luis Obispo County.  He graduated from Cal Poly. 

Josh, on the other hand, was born in Turlock, went to Turlock schools, Graduated from Modesto H.S. in the International Baccalaureate Program, then graduated from Stanford and later Harvard.  He is home grown and he has a very good understanding of local issues, including issues related to agriculture and water.  He is no less educated about our water issues than his opponent and he is fervently going to protect our water supplies when he is elected.  To say otherwise is ludicrous.  

We need a new face to represent us in Congressional District 10 and Josh is just the man to do it.  He is committed to all of his constituents and has done 16 town halls so far. His opponent has continually ducked his constituents in this campaign.  Why, because he knows that his record is weak and that he is taking lots of money from PACs, the NRA, and moneyed interests that will want something for their financial support.  Josh Harder is accepting no PAC money and is dependent on donations from his local supporters.

His opponent has tried to paint Josh as tied to the Bay Area where he lived for 7 months of his life. His opponent has lived in Virginia for years now and comes to the district essentially at election time and then only to talk to those who will not question his record.  Every time he touts himself as a farmer his nose gets a little bit longer.  He says he proudly voted to take health care away from 20,000 residents of his district and would vote to do so again.  When the deficit was $18 trillion he claimed During the Obama Administration that the debt was, and I quote, “a threat to our democracy.” He then voted for the Trump Tax Cuts that will increase the national debt to somewhere in the neighborhood of $20 trillion. Quite a flip-flopper on that. He will vote with this administration to cut Social Security, Medicare, vote more tax cuts for the rich and corporations, and vote again to destroy the Affordable Care Act which provides life and bankruptcy saving health care.  

Voters should be wary of last minute claims form Josh’s opponent that cannot be verified or disproved before the vote, as that is a tactic of a politician who is afraid he is very vulnerable in a close election.  Josh Harder is supported by the National Committee to Protect Social Security and Medicare and is the best candidate to represent all of the members of our district.  A vote for Josh is a vote for returning sanity to Washington, D.C. 

Mike Killingsworth

Manteca