How Deja Foxx Raised $700K in 90 Days 🔥 I DSH #1439

Summary

Podcast Summary: Digital Social Hour Episode: How Deja Foxx Raised $700K in 90 Days 🔥 I DSH #1439
Release Date: July 9, 2025
Host: Sean Kelly
Guest: Deja Foxx

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1. Introduction to Deja Foxx's Campaign

In this compelling episode of Digital Social Hour, host Sean Kelly engages in an in-depth conversation with Deja Foxx, a young and dynamic candidate running in a special congressional election in Arizona. The discussion centers around Deja's remarkable achievement of raising $700,000 in just 90 days, primarily through small-dollar donations.

Notable Quote:

[00:27] B: "Deja Fox here. Big couple weeks coming up for her, so thanks for making the time. I'm sure you're staying up all night these days."

[00:39] A: "We have a special election July 15, so we're in the final stretch."

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2. Fundraising Strategy and Success

Deja Foxx attributes her fundraising success to innovative, grassroots strategies. Starting with no email list or phone numbers, she built her campaign entirely from her bedroom, leveraging social media to connect with voters.

Key Points:

• Raised over $700,000 in three months.
• 99% of donations came from small-dollar donors, averaging $27.73 each.
• Utilized social media platforms and personal storytelling to engage supporters.

Notable Quote:

[00:53] A: "I was literally filling out my candidate paperwork alone in my bedroom on April 2nd. That was like 90 days ago. And in the span of those three months, we have raised over $700,000, and 99% of our donors are small dollar donors."

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3. Grassroots Engagement and Storytelling

Deja emphasizes the importance of personal connection with voters. By sharing her own experiences and actively engaging with supporters on platforms like TikTok and Substack, she has built a strong, loyal base.

Key Points:

• Direct communication through social media allows her to understand and address voters' concerns.
• Stories from donors highlight their struggles and motivations for supporting her campaign.
• Emphasizes accountability and representation for families similar to her own.

Notable Quote:

[02:26] A: "These are folks who on Substack Live will let me know they're barely making rent, but they are gonna cash in their coin jar to be in this fight with us."

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4. Challenges of the Special Election

Running in a special election presented unique challenges, including limited time for filing and campaigning. Deja discusses how early voting and the absence of established candidates impacted the race.

Key Points:

• Special election triggered by the death of the incumbent in March.
• Limited time frame of approximately 100 days to run the campaign.
• Early voting began on June 18th, before all candidates filed and fundraising data was available.

Notable Quote:

[01:17] A: "It's a special election because my member of Congress died in March, leaving a vacancy and giving us about 100 days to run this race."

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5. Policy Positions and Advocacy

Deja Foxx is a staunch advocate for healthcare as a human right and opposes the current Republican budget bill that threatens to cut essential social services. She articulates her vision for equitable healthcare and comprehensive support systems.

Key Points:

• Supports Medicare for All.
• Advocates for access to abortion and comprehensive sex education.
• Opposes policies that impose work requirements on healthcare eligibility.

Notable Quote:

[17:36] A: "I believe that health care is a human right and that includes access to abortion. I believe in Medicare for all in one of the richest countries in the world."

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6. Opposition to Current Budget Bill

A significant portion of the conversation revolves around Deja's opposition to a proposed budget bill that would reduce funding for social services, impacting Medicaid, food stamps, and other essential programs.

Key Points:

• The budget bill threatens to strip healthcare and social support from thousands in Arizona.
• Deja highlights personal and community stories affected by these potential cuts.
• Criticizes the bill as a massive wealth transfer favoring billionaires over struggling families.

Notable Quotes:

[10:55] A: "This is the kind of stuff that balloons the debt lines the pockets of billionaires at the expense of families like the one that raised me right."
[20:59] B: "So millions of people will lose their health care. Wow, I didn't know that."
[21:07] A: "That is the kind of barriers they're trying to erect between working class folks and basic human rights like healthcare."

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7. Personal Background and Activism

Deja shares her inspiring personal journey from growing up in challenging circumstances to becoming an activist and political candidate. Her early involvement in advocacy work showcases her long-standing commitment to social justice.

Key Points:

• Raised by a single mother in Section 8 housing, reliant on food stamps and Medicaid.
• Began activism at age 15, fighting for better sex education.
• First viral moment at 16 challenging Senator Jeff Flake on Planned Parenthood funding.

Notable Quote:

[09:24] A: "I was running against one of my school board members in this congressional race. But that being said, I scaled up my work."
[13:20] B: "You'll be the youngest one if you pull this off. That's right, right."

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8. Use of Social Media and Digital Strategies

Deja highlights how modern digital tools have revolutionized political campaigning. Her experience working on Kamala Harris's 2020 campaign provided her with valuable skills in leveraging social media influencers and surrogate strategists.

Key Points:

• Utilizes TikTok, Instagram, and Substack to engage with voters.
• Employs storytelling and authentic dialogue to build trust and support.
• Substack allows for deeper, uncensored communication on essential campaign issues.

Notable Quote:

[28:52] B: "Are you on the TikTok live wave?"
[28:54] A: "I try to be. We go live from a lot of our campaign stops."

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9. Future Steps and How to Support

Deja outlines the next steps in her campaign, encouraging listeners to support her through volunteering, donating, and spreading the word. She emphasizes the importance of collective effort to achieve meaningful change.

Key Points:

• Encourages signing up to volunteer both locally in Southern Arizona and virtually.
• Promotes her online platforms for updates and deeper engagement.
• Continues to focus on small-dollar donations to maintain campaign independence.

Notable Quote:

[29:43] B: "Well done. What's next for you? Where can people support you and follow your journey?"
[29:47] A: "You can sign up to volunteer if you're in Southern Arizona. Knock the doors with me. ... You can do phone banking, text banking. Sign [e-mail] or you feel really compelled. You can pitch in."

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Conclusion

Deja Foxx's journey is a testament to the power of grassroots activism and the impact of authentic storytelling in modern political campaigns. By leveraging social media and maintaining a steadfast commitment to her principles, Deja has successfully mobilized a diverse and dedicated supporter base. Her candidacy embodies the shift towards a more inclusive and representative political landscape, challenging traditional norms and paving the way for future generations of leaders.

Final Notable Quote:

[30:31] B: "Yep. Check her out, guys. See you next time. Sam."

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For more information or to support Deja Foxx’s campaign, visit AsiaFox.com and follow her on TikTok, Instagram, Substack, and Facebook.

Transcript

[A]

Donald Trump has been running for President of the United States basically since I was 15 years old. And I'm really clear on his game. He's not interested in your safety. He's not interested in making your life better. This is not a man who knows the cost of eggs. He's someone who's never done his own grocery shopping. Like, let's be so fucking for real. And he is somebody who governs by spectac.

[B]

Okay, guys, Deja Fox here. Big couple weeks coming up for her, so thanks for making the time. I'm sure you're staying up all night these days.

[A]

Oh, yeah. Every hour counts. We have a special election July 15, so we're in the final stretch.

[B]

Yeah. And you just climbed 25 points in the past five weeks, which is unheard of, so congrats on that.

[A]

Thank you. It's hard work, but it's good work. And we've been thinking outside the box because we have to, and it's showing in the results.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. Your fundraising came from small donors.

[A]

Totally. Yeah. We started out with no email list, no phone numbers. I was literally filling out my candidate paperwork alone in my bedroom on April 2nd. That was like 90 days ago. And in the span of those three months, we have raised over $700,000, and 99% of our donors are small dollar donors.

[B]

Incredible. Is your opponent complete opposite of that?

[A]

Well, you know, one of the interesting things about this race, it's a special election because my member of Congress died in March, leaving a vacancy and giving us about 100 days to run this race. So we actually haven't had a filing, a public filing yet. We haven't been able to see everybody's financial reports, and voting has already started. It was June 18th. We've had something like half of voters, likely voters, already cast their vote, and we haven't even seen people's fundraising numbers or where their funding comes from.

[B]

Wow. I feel like that that's a disadvantage, right?

[A]

Yeah, in some ways for a grassroots candidate like me. But we've been really transparent about our numbers. 99% of our donors being small dollar donors. Our average Contribution is like $27.73. It's not like $27.73. It is, and I check it regularly, but it takes tens of thousands of people to make that happen. And I don't come from a legacy, last name or money. I was raised by a single mom. And, you know, it takes being scrappy, working hard, and connecting with people, often on social media.

[B]

Nice. What are the biggest concerns you're seeing from people that donate to you, what do they want you to accomplish?

[A]

Yeah, one of the other benefits of social media is that I get to talk directly to these folks. I know their stories. These are folks who on Substack Live will let me know they're barely making rent, but they are gonna cash in their coin jar to be in this fight with us. It's men like Gav who's often in my TikTok comments, who drives doordash after work to make 20 bucks to pitch in. It's single moms in Texas who pitch in $10, all the extra that they have because they believe that we need to do things differently, that we need a new kind of leader in Congress. And in so many ways, their families, like mine. I was raised by a single mom in section 8 housing. We relied on food stamps and Medicaid just to get by. And for us, I mean, the people who were making decisions about the things we needed to just get by felt really far away. And I'm proud to say that we are accountable to families like mine. And we don't just say that. We walk that walk through the way we fundraise.

[B]

Right. I think people relate to you. Right. You grew up same way they're growing up.

[A]

Yeah, I like to think so. I mean, I know when I was growing up, I didn't feel like the people in D.C. who were debating the things I needed to just live, understood what was going on in my house.

[B]

They call it a bubble for a reason.

[A]

Yeah, that's right. And it is. Most of these people have never lived the policies they debate. Most of them have never even had a real job. I worked at a gas station cleaning toilets for $10 an hour. That'll teach you something about raising the federal minimum wage. All right. But that's the kind of experience that is lacking in D.C. and it's the experience we uniquely bring to this role. And it's why so many folks, when they come out and they canvas for us, knock doors or to our rallies. I always ask people, raise your hand if you've never been to a political event before. Raise your hand if you've never volunteered for a political campaign. And almost every time, it's something like half of the room.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

We are doing the hard work to bring new people into this party and into this process. And by and large, it's young people and it's working class folks who have been left behind.

[B]

There do seem to be a lot of younger people interested in. In politics these days.

[A]

Yeah. And the question is now. Will it turn into votes? Right? It's one thing to share something on your story, it's another to make a plan to vote in a special election primary buried in the middle of summer in an off year in Arizona. That's a much higher bar. But I have faith that we are turning people out and giving them the tools they need to participate and change. Who represents them?

[B]

When I was in high school and college, I don't remember a single conversation about politics. The Trilite from Therasage is no joke. Medical grade red and near infrared light with three frequencies per light. Deep healing, real results and totally portable. It's legit photo biomodulation tech in a flexible on body panel. This is the Tri Light from therassage and it's next level red light therapy. It's got 118 high powered polychromatic lights each delivering three healing frequencies, red and near infrared from 580 to 980 nanometers. Optimal penetration, enhanced energy, skin rejuvenation, pain relief, better performance, quicker recovery and so much more. Therassage has been leading the game for over 25 years and this panel is FDA listed and USB powered. Ultra soft and flexible and ultra portable on body Red light therapy. I use daily and I take it everywhere I travel. This is the Thera 03 ozone module from Therasoge. It's a portable ozone and negative ion therapy in one. It boosts oxygen, clears and sanitizes the air and even helps your mood. It's a total game changer at home or on the go. This little Device is the Thera03 ozone module by TheraSock and it's one of my favorite wellness tools in the sauna. It boosts ozone absorption through your skin up to 10 times, oxygenating your blood and supporting deep detox outside the sauna. It purifies the air, killing germs, bacteria, viruses and mold and it improves mood and sleep with negative ion therapy. It's compact, rechargeable and perfect for travel, planes, offices, hotel rooms, you name it. It's like carrying clean energy wherever you go. This Thera H2 go from Therasage, the only bottle with molecular hydrogen, structured water and red light in one. It hydrates, energizes and detoxes water upgrades. The Thera H2 Go from Therasage isn't just a water bottle. It's next level hydration. It infuses your water with molecular hydrogen, one of the most powerful antioxidants out there. That means less oxidative stress, more energy and faster Recovery. But here's what makes it stand out. It's the only bottle that also structures your water and adds red light to supercharge it. It's sleek, portable, and honestly, I don't go anywhere without it. It's dead ass. Like, I can't even think of one.

[A]

Where'd you grow up?

[B]

Jersey.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

I went to Rutgers. Grew up like middle upper class.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But yeah, no one talked about it. Now I feel like every campus has, like, someone sitting there debating people about it.

[A]

You know, Charlie Kirk, for better, for worse. Right. And I like to think that our campaign makes the world better. Every day we're in it. And it's because we're not just debating policy. We are absolutely talking about policy. But we're talking about it through the lens of personal stories. Right. That I lived it. I lived good policy. It's what made it possible for me to be the first in my family to go to college. Right. And every day when I'm on the trail and we've been on tour for something like five days, we went down to the border. We represent hundreds of miles of the US Mexico border towns like Nogales, San Luis, Douglas. We went up to Phoenix. Parts of our district are there in Tucson. And people tell me time and time again, you know, I came out today because when am I ever gonna meet a member of Congress again? Or I've never met someone running for Congress, which is a shame. You should see your member of Congress out in your district. That's what democracy and representation can and should look like. And it's how we start good conversations and keep people talking, keep them engaged.

[B]

Giving a voice to the small town people. Right. Everyday people.

[A]

Absolutely. They're part of this. They're part of this, you know, and they share a lot of the same concerns. Actually, you know, we saw a really exciting race in New York where loud and clear people said legacy last names and establishment Democrats aren't cutting it. And we want newer and younger voices, real progressive champions. And we're seeing that same dynamic play out in our race in small towns all across Arizona. And it just speaks to a larger energy in this country right now for change candidates.

[B]

Yeah. What's going on in New York right now? I keep seeing that one guy all over my Instagram feed. Is that the mayor race I'm seeing?

[A]

Yeah, exactly. The mayoral primary.

[B]

He's going off, huh?

[A]

Yeah. Yeah. And we're proud to be endorsed by leaders. We deserve an organization that has also endorsed Mamdani in the mayoral primary. Again, I think there's a larger wave across this country from big cities, small towns in Arizona where people want to see change, candidates, people are pushing back against the establishment.

[B]

Absolutely. I did want to get your side on the arrest and what happened after.

[A]

Sure, yeah. I can set the tone a little bit here. I am, 25 years old and running for Congress, but I'm not new to this work. I got my start when I was 15 years old fighting for better sex ed in my school district because I was homeless. My mom was struggling with addiction, and I was on my own, living with a boyfriend and his family. And the sex ed I got in school last updated in the 80s, didn't mention consent. Medically inaccurate, Taught by the baseball coach.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

Right? Quality stuff. And I started showing up to my school board meetings and demanding that they do better. In fact, I am running against one of my school board members in this congressional race. But that being said, I scaled up my work. Donald Trump has been running for president since I was 15 years old. And under his first administration, I fought back against Republicans who tried to defund Planned Parenthood centers in Arizona, and that fight has continued. Just a few Years ago, Roe vs Wade was overturned in the summer, and I showed up to D.C. alongside other movement leaders and activists, and in act of civil disobedience, we shut down streets, and we were arrested because of it. And when I look at this run for Congress, I think about what this job demands, and it is not what it was 10 years ago. If we were gonna stand up to Donald Trump and these MAGA extremists, we need people in office who are willing to risk something. And I've proven that I am.

[B]

You still really oppose Trump, though?

[A]

Absolutely. This guy. I mean, this budget bill, literally today.

[B]

I'm actually not a fan of that bill.

[A]

Yeah, I mean, this is the kind of stuff that, I mean, balloons the debt lines the pockets of billionaires at the expense of families like the one that raised me right. Single moms who are just trying to put food on the table, who just want to take their kids to the doctors. It is one of the biggest wealth transfers in our nation's history, and it's deeply unfair.

[B]

It's gonna have a big effect on Vegas if it passes, because even if you lose in gambling, you're still gonna have to pay taxes now. So it's gonna ruin Vegas. That's a big revenue stream for Vegas.

[A]

Yeah. I mean, everybody is gonna have their own unique impacts. I know in Arizona, we're looking at thousands of people in our district, tens of thousands Losing health care. And that's gonna have major impacts if you can't go to the doctors when you're sick. Right. If you can't. For me, I remember I grew up on Medicaid. It was how I went and got a physical when I wanted to play sports in school. Right. Just those really basic things people often take for granted. And you know, no matter how you feel about social services, I'm proof positive that I was a young person who, or rather I was a kid. I couldn't control my circumstances, but I still deserved to have a roof over my head through section 8 housing and food on the table because of SNAP benefits or food stamps or go to the doctor when I was sick. And it was because I had access to those social services that I was able to have what I needed to get by and then go on to be the first in my family to go to college now run for Congress. That's what we should want here in America, is that kind of pipeline.

[B]

Yeah. Without those services, your life would be a lot different, I'd imagine.

[A]

Oh my God, it would be unimaginably different. And I know there's a version of my younger self out there right now. Right. That 16 year old girl who's working at the gas station, who's experiencing homelessness, who deserves to be fought for. And it's why I'm in this race.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I could be doing what every other 25 year old is doing right about now.

[B]

Drinking, partying.

[A]

Right. What else?

[B]

Drugs.

[A]

But I'm running for Congress. Right. And that is because I believe that that version of myself that's out there right now, that teenager, that teenage girl deserves to have somebody fighting for her and she can't wait.

[B]

You'll be the youngest one if you pull this off. That's right, right.

[A]

Since the 1800s. But I'd be the youngest one in there presently. Yeah.

[B]

Well done.

[A]

And I'd be the first woman of our generation. Gen Z.

[B]

Nice represent. I'm actually a millennial, I think.

[A]

Are you really?

[B]

Depending on the website. I'm 28, but depending on the site, I think. 97. Yeah, whatever that. I like that I'll start saying that word. Did dogeco any of those services that you just mentioned?

[A]

Yeah. I mean, I have had conversations with people in my district who work in administering these social services and they've talked about how personnel cuts are completely changing the experience of people who go in and apply for things like food stamps or Medicaid. Right. People who need help, who have fallen through the Cracks, maybe They lost a job recently. Right. And doge, in part, slashed so many of the personnel that had that institutional knowledge. And now people are being stretched really thin within these organizations, and it's affecting people's ability to get the resources they need to just stay on their feet.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. I see this crazy stats online, but it hit me last week, my Uber driver told me he got dosed. I was like, damn, that's. That's crazy. In Vegas, this is happening. And he said his whole department wiped out. There's only 104 arbitrators in the country, and all of them got fired.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And then they had to bring them back because they couldn't accomplish what they needed to without them. So now I think they brought back, like, 25 of them. But it's just kind of messy, right?

[A]

It's messy. And it's because for so many of these folks in D.C. i hope you.

[B]

Guys are enjoying the show. Please don't forget to like and subscribe. It helps the show a lot with the algorithm. Thank you.

[A]

Whether it's those DOGE boys or the MAGA extremists in Congress and the Senate who are trying to push through this budget bill, they see these as line items on a spreadsheet. But for people like me who have lived off these social services, who have relied on them to just get by, we know better. And they're just scratching them off, you know, crossing them out without any regard for their real impacts on people.

[B]

Yeah, I think. I think the idea, when it first came out, I was like, oh, that's interesting. I could get behind it, but just seeing how quickly they're pulling the trigger on some of these departments and then rehiring them, it just sounds really messy. I don't know.

[A]

You know, how I think about it is that Donald Trump has been running for President of the United States basically since I was 15 years old. And I'm really clear on his game. He's not interested in your safety. He's not interested in making your life better. This is not a man who knows the cost of eggs. He's someone who's never done his own grocery shopping, like, let's be so fucking for real. And he is somebody who governs by spectacle. He thinks only about the headlines, only about perception, not about his impact. And that's because he's a reality TV show host by trade. He knows entertainment, not policy.

[B]

Anything with him you agree on at all, Trump?

[A]

That's a good question. I want to be careful how I phrase this.

[B]

Fair.

[A]

Like I said he is someone who has been running for president since I was 15, 10 years, a decade. He has characterized the political understanding of an entire generation of people. And I believe that because I have been standing up to him for the last 10 years. My first viral moment was when I was 16 years old going toe to toe with a Republican senator about Planned Parenthood.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

I've been getting death threats since I'm battle tested. But I know his game, like I said. And so do I agree with him on things. Now that's a no. But do I know how he plays? Yes. Do I know how to stand up to him? Absolutely. And that's something Democrats could learn something from. Right. I don't intend to go to D.C. and fight with a bunch of Democrats. The Republicans are the ones trying to take health care and food away from families like mine. But I do intend to show Democrats how to stand up and fight back.

[B]

Respect. What do you think the fix for health care is? Or do you think the current system is as good as is?

[A]

I believe that health care is a human right and that includes access to abortion. I believe in Medicare for all in one of the richest countries in the world. I think it is a moral failing that we do not have health care for everybody. That not everybody is housed, fed and healed. Right. That's a moral failing on behalf of our country and has nothing to do with money. It has everything to do with the priorities of the people in power.

[B]

Yeah, I pay a thousand a month. Let's be honest. Most people can't afford that.

[A]

I'm uninsured. Presently I'm uninsured and running for Congress.

[B]

Yeah. So I was under my mom Till I was 26 and then I was uninsured because I didn't want to pay for it. It's so expensive. But then I got some money. But yeah, a thousand a month. Most people can't afford that.

[A]

No way. Most people can't afford a $400 emergency. Most people are one car breakdown away from not making rent and one health care emergency away from bankruptcy. Again in one of the richest countries in the world.

[B]

Yeah, it is concerning. I just wonder if free health care is the solution though.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Because you see Canada and there's a six month wait. Do you want to get certain procedures? So I don't know.

[A]

I mean a perfect system, a good system, a better system. For me, I have an eye on equity. Right. I think that everybody should be able to get care if they need it and it shouldn't bankrupt them. And I don't think that's radical or revolutionary, though. In some. Some circles it might be.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But on a global scale, it's not.

[B]

It's just crazy because, like, when I'm in an ambulance, I'm thinking about the.

[A]

Bill and I feel like, put me in the Uber instead.

[B]

I live in America now. When I get injured, I'm like, no, don't call an ambulance. Like, just Dr. Me at the er.

[A]

Right. That is a uniquely American experience.

[B]

Like, I don't want to pay $3,000.

[A]

That's culture. Yeah.

[B]

But it's ironic, right? Like, we're in one of the best countries and we're worried about an ER bill from the ambulance. Shouldn't be that way.

[A]

It really shouldn't. And I actually don't think that that's, like, even a partisan thing to say. I think most people, red or blue, rural or urban, would agree that when they are sick, they won't care and that they shouldn't have to worry about if they have enough in their bank account to do it. You know, I think about my mom got a skin cancer diagnosis this year, and she is still on Medicaid, and she was able to get that treated in a timely way. And now I, her daughter, am not in medical debt because of it. Right. And that's not the case for everybody. I recently hosted a listening session in my living room with people who would be impacted or have been impacted by health care cuts. And I sat with a young woman who. Eldest immigrant daughter. You know, the vibes. A lot of responsibility on her shoulders. Was talking to me about how when her mom got diagnosed with cancer, her family had to decide between making the bills that month or delaying care. Right. The cost of living or care.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

They delayed care. And her mom is no longer with us.

[B]

Damn, that's sad.

[A]

And millions of people stand to lose their health care right now through this budget bill. Those kind of stories do not have anything to do with if you vote red or blue. And they're going to be all too common in our neighborhoods, in our families, if this passes.

[B]

So millions of people will lose their health care. Wow, I didn't know that.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

What's he proposing for the alternative for the healthcare?

[A]

Well, the idea is that you should have to fill out paperwork proving why you maybe haven't worked. Right. And you can imagine what this looks like. It's those inefficiencies that they're creating, in fact, barriers to getting care, getting coverage, and they're sort of masquerading it as this work requirement that you need to earn your healthcare. And in effect, what it actually looks like is stacking more paperwork on top of people who are barely making it by, who are already working probably long hours, who are sick, who are strained. And the effect is that people are gonna fall off because they just can't keep up with it. I heard an analogy that it would be like filing your taxes every month.

[B]

Right?

[A]

Yeah. You know about that, right? As an independent contractor, that can be tough. But that's the kind of barriers they're trying to erect between working class folks and basic human rights like healthcare.

[B]

Interesting. We'll see if it passes. It already passed the first stage. Right.

[A]

So when is this gonna air?

[B]

A week.

[A]

Okay, so then we'll be in a completely different political situation by then.

[B]

That moves out fast.

[A]

Yeah, exactly. So, you know, what I can say though, on the procedural piece is that at first it started in the House. Right. And this budget bill passed the House by a single vote. We have three vacancies in the House of Representatives right now because three members of the Democratic Party have died while in office in the last few months. One of them my member of Congress in March, which is why I am now running in a special election to represent Southern Arizona coming up fast on July 15th. But you can do that math. We lost that budget bill by one vote. We had three vacancies because we failed to have a hard conversation about age and members passed away while in their seats, leaving vacancies.

[B]

So pretty much it wouldn't have passed if those two or three stayed alive.

[A]

Or had planned ahead. Right. Had hard conversations in our party about succession, about a next generation of leadership.

[B]

Right.

[A]

That's the point I'm trying to make.

[B]

How common is that? Do they usually pass away for us or do they success, like pass it over to someone else?

[A]

I can tell you that of the last 10 members to die, eight of them have been Democrats. It is our party that's failing to have a hard conversation about age and succession and a next generation of leadership. And you know, everybody in this party gets up and gives their stump speech and says, we want a new generation of leaders. And yet when newer and younger comes around with 10 years of advocacy experience, I've watched as people in my own party have put their thumb on the scale in an open seat primary to put new barriers in front of somebody like me to run.

[B]

Wow. Ageism.

[A]

Something like that.

[B]

Should there be an age limit, you think?

[A]

It's a good question. I think we could talk about if it should be age limits or if it should be term limits. But I think the situation we are in has proven that we need to have that conversation on a large scale, not just as a party, but on a systems level.

[B]

Yeah. Maybe not age, because we're rapidly advancing our health, but some sort of limit or tests or something. It's like getting your driver's license again when you're old. That should be a test, too.

[A]

Sure. And I think maybe term limits are a better way to get there.

[B]

Yeah, I agree. I did want to ask about working for Kamala in 2020 on her campaign. You must have learned a lot through that process. Right. What were your takeaways from that experience?

[A]

I was the first in my family to go to college. Like I said. I got a full ride to Columbia University, and I showed up in New York. I had never been there. When I agreed, I signed my binding agreement to go. And I did my first year on campus. It's hard. I showed up from Arizona, like I said. I'd worked at a gas station. I'd been homeless. My mom had done every odd job you could imagine, Delivered flowers, worked at a post office, caregiver for the elderly. And when I arrived at Columbia, I was confronted with a kind of wealth I didn't even know existed. It rocked my worldview. So that sets the scene that when I started moving into my sophomore year dorm, I was, like, literally hanging up my clothes. I got a DM on Instagram from somebody on the campaign for Kamala Harris, her first presidential run in a crowded Democratic primary. 20 people running for the Democratic nomination. And it was just a job description on the digital team. And I messaged back, hey, I have some friends that just graduated last year that I think would be a great fit. And they were like, no, I am asking you to apply for this job, which, you know that that's pretty. For any of the girls that are watching, they're like, yeah, I get that. So I did. And two weeks later, I was packing up my dorm. I was moving to a city I had never been to, Baltimore. I signed a lease on an apartment I could not afford, and I started a job that did not exist before I got there. On a presidential campaign, I was the influencer and surrogate strategist. So essentially, I. I thought about, how do we use new media trusted messengers, online content creators as effective messengers on a campaign? And I learned so much. I was able to build strategies that maybe in 2019, 2020 were a little early, but we really saw play out in 2024, and that I'm now using in My own campaign in 2025.

[B]

Wow. Yeah. Because now the influencer route is almost necessary for running, right?

[A]

That's absolutely right. I mean, for us, I'm running against one person who takes corporate PAC money. I absolutely do not run against somebody else who's. The former congressman's daughter inherited his fundraising list. I had none of those advantages. I have built this campaign alongside my team and supporters in 90 days, in large part because we're able to connect with people through good storytelling on social media platforms for free. And we've been able to raise at scale over $700,000 and 99% from small dollar donors. It's a different way of doing politics that isn't just possible, but necessary.

[B]

Yeah, it's leveled the field almost. Right. Social media.

[A]

Yeah. And I actually. It's an interesting full circle moment in some ways because that first viral video I ever had, When I was 16, I was at a town hall with my senator, Jeff Flake, back when Republicans still hosted those. And I went and asked him the question, you know, why are you, as a middle aged white man, voting against my access to care? He had voted to strip birth control funding from Planned Parenthood centers where I got care when I had no money, no parents and no insurance. And he told me, I support policies that support the American dream, whatever that means. And I asked him then, why would you deny me the American dream if birth control is helping me to be successful, reach for higher education and Planned Parenthood is doing that as well, why would you deny me the American dream? And he said, thank you. I said, no thank you. And I woke up the next day and millions of people had seen that video. Millions. I was on even footing. A 16 year old girl, homeless, working at the gas station. On even footing in the public discourse with the United States Senator. That is unheard of in the history of, of this country. It is remarkable, the times we live in. And it is in large part because of good storytelling and social media. And it's the same thing that's powering this campaign against establishment candidates.

[B]

Beautiful. Are you on the TikTok live wave?

[A]

I try to be. We go live from a lot of our campaign stops.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

But we're also on Substack. That's been a really interesting way to raise campaign funds and give a really behind the scenes look.

[B]

I haven't heard of that strategy yet. Substack.

[A]

Yeah, substack. You know, because you've probably encountered this. There are some words that TikTok and Instagram don't love, like abortion, vote election.

[B]

The V word. Right.

[A]

Exactly. And those are essential pieces of this campaign. Sex. Sex ed. Right. So Substack has been a really interesting additional venue for us to really say it, say it plain. Build a audience that's deeply connected and give them a more behind the scenes look at our run.

[B]

Well done. What's next for you? Where can people support you and follow your journey?

[A]

Yeah, you can find us Asiafox on TikTok, Instagram, Substack, Facebook, if you're still over there. [e-mail], you can read more about our story, see where we land on the issues you care most about. You can sign up to volunteer if you're in Southern Arizona. Knock the doors with me. It's 110 degrees out, but we got to get after it. Or you can volunteer virtually from anywhere. You can do phone banking, tax banking. Sign [e-mail] or you feel really compelled. You can pitch in. Like I said, our average contribution is $27.73. So if you have $30 to spare you, my friend could be one of our big dollar donors.

[B]

Thanks for coming on. Good luck and we'll see what happens.

[A]

I appreciate it.

[B]

Yep. Check her out, guys. See you next time. Sam.