Good evening everyone,
My name is Robyn Elaine Lawrence, and I am running for Florida House of Representatives, District 26.
I’m not a career politician. I’m not someone who has spent years inside governmental offices. I am a middle-class Floridian. I am someone who wakes up every day thinking about how to make ends meet, just like so many of you who are reading this. I know what it feels like to watch prices rise faster than paychecks. I know what it feels like to sit at the kitchen table, bills spread out, and ask yourself, “Which one gets paid first this month?” Because the truth is — sometimes you can’t pay them all.
The rising cost of living is not just a headline. It is not just a talking point. It is real life. Rent is going up. Healthcare costs are going up. Gas prices fluctuate but always seem to hit when we can least afford it. Groceries cost more every single week. Utilities — electricity, water, insurance — everything is increasing. And while all of this is happening, wages are not keeping up. Social Security is not keeping up. People are working harder than ever, and yet somehow falling further behind.
Families across District 26 are making impossible choices. Do I pay the electric bill or buy groceries? Do I fill up the gas tank so I can get to work, or do I pay the prescription co-pay? Do I pay rent on time, or do I make sure my kids have what they need for school? These are decisions no working family should ever have to make, yet they are happening every single day.
I live in a 55 and up manufactured home community. I own my home, but I live on rented land. In January, I personally experienced what so many others are going through. My lot rent increased from $840 a month to $965 a month. That’s a $125 increase overnight. For many people, that might not sound like much, but for seniors living on fixed incomes, that is the difference between stability and crisis.
I have watched neighbors — seniors who worked their entire lives — forced to walk away from their homes. Not because they wanted to. Not because they planned to. But because their rent increase was greater than their Social Security cost-of-living adjustment. Think about that. They did everything right. They worked. They saved. They planned. And now they are being forced to move in with their children because they simply cannot afford to stay in the homes they own.
This is not how retirement is supposed to look. We work our whole lives with the hope that one day we can slow down. Spend time with our grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Travel a little. Enjoy our golden years. That is the American Dream. But right now, that dream is disappearing before our eyes.
The reality is, Americans are staying in the workforce well past retirement age, not because they want to, but because they have to. Social Security doesn’t cover basic needs anymore. It doesn’t leave room for enjoyment. It doesn’t provide the dignity people earned after decades of contributing to this country. People paid into the system their entire adult lives, and yet when they finally need it, it falls short.
These are not problems without solutions. Government can make changes. Government can stabilize housing costs. Government can work to lower prescription drug prices. Government can protect Social Security. Government can expand access to affordable healthcare. But too often, those in power choose not to focus on these issues. Instead of working to improve the daily lives of Americans, they are focused on taking away rights.
We are seeing attacks on women’s rights — the right to make decisions about their own bodies. We are seeing attacks on the LGBTQIA+ community. We are hearing threats about overturning same-sex marriage. We are hearing conversations about giving authorities the power to detain and deport transgender Americans.
Let me say that again — deport American citizens. Not immigrants. Not non-citizens. American citizens. Because of who they are. Because of how they identify. Because of their gender.
Let me share something personal with you. I am a fully post-op transgender woman. I was born with a male body, but I have always been a woman. Gender is not determined by what genitalia is between someone’s legs. That determines sex. Gender is in the mind. It is in the brain. Birth certificates say “sex of baby.” They do not say gender. And yet, there are people who want to erase us. People who want to label us. People who want to target us.
This administration wants to portray transgender people as something to fear. They want to call us names. They want to isolate us. They want to turn neighbors against neighbors. But we are not strangers. We are not outsiders. We are not “freaks.” We are Americans. We are your coworkers. Your friends. Your neighbors. Your family members. We pay taxes. We contribute to our communities. We love this country just like everyone else.
And when any group of Americans is targeted, all Americans should be concerned. Because history has shown us that when rights are taken from one group, it doesn’t stop there. Division weakens us. Fear weakens us. Hate weakens us. But unity — unity makes us strong.
Right now, there is very little that feels united about the United States. We are divided by politics, by identity, by income, by geography. But we don’t have to stay divided. We can choose something different. We can choose compassion. We can choose fairness. We can choose to stand up for each other.
We need to stand up to bullies. And that’s exactly what they are — bullies. Bullies who try to divide us so they can maintain power. Bullies who try to convince working Americans that the problem is their neighbor, instead of the policies that are making life harder. But we know better. We know that the real struggle is making ends meet. The real struggle is affording healthcare. The real struggle is keeping a roof over our heads.
Until we come together, we are simply individual states. There is nothing united about us right now. And that needs to change. That change begins with us. It begins with you. It begins with me. It begins with everyday blue-collar Americans who are tired of being ignored.
I am running for Florida House District 26 because I believe our voices deserve to be heard. I believe working families deserve representation. I believe seniors deserve dignity. I believe healthcare should be affordable. I believe housing should be stable. I believe equality is not optional — it is fundamental.
This campaign is not about me. It’s about all of us. It’s about the single parent working two jobs. It’s about the retiree counting every dollar. It’s about the young couple wondering if they will ever be able to buy a home. It’s about the worker filling their gas tank and hoping the card doesn’t get declined. It’s about the senior deciding whether to refill a prescription or pay the utility bill.
We deserve leaders who understand these struggles because they are living them. Not career politicians isolated from reality. Not people who have forgotten what it’s like to worry about bills. We need representation that reflects real life.
We need to stabilize costs. We need to protect healthcare. We need to protect Social Security. We need to protect civil rights. We to ensure that everyone — regardless of gender, identity, income, or background — is treated with dignity and respect.
And most importantly, we need to remember that we are stronger together. 💙
This is not about red or blue. It’s about right and wrong. It’s about fairness. It’s about ensuring that the American Dream is not just a memory, but a reality for future generations. It’s about making sure our children and grandchildren inherit a country where opportunity exists, where rights are protected, and where hard work is rewarded.
Change doesn’t happen overnight. But it starts with a conversation. It starts with courage. It starts with people willing to stand up and say enough is enough. ✊
I am asking for your support. I am asking for your voice. I am asking you to stand with me so that together we can fight for affordability, equality, dignity, and unity.
Because when everyday Americans come together, the possibilities are endless.
