It's Official -- Meek Is In

From the press release:

Congressman Kendrick B. Meek (D-FL) announced this morning that he is running for Florida’s open U.S. Senate seat in 2010.

Joined by his family outside his home in North Miami-Dade County, Congressman Meek laid out his vision for the future of Florida by emphasizing his commitment to alleviating current problems such as the increase of foreclosures throughout Florida, rising unemployment rates, the loss of senior citizens’ retirement funds, ending the war in Iraq, and resolving healthcare inequalities.

“Public service and a commitment to make a better life for the people of Florida has been my mission. I've given Florida a strong voice on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee and was appointed by the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives to the House Leadership,” said Congressman Kendrick Meek. “But never in my
lifetime have the people of Florida been faced with so many big problems. Our state needs bold leadership at every level, and that is why I've made the decision to run as a candidate for the United States Senate. This race is not about me -- it is about Floridians. I am running for Florida, and I am asking Floridians to run with us in this race.”

“Thanks to the leadership of President-Elect Obama, change has come to Washington. But it won’t be easy. There will be opposition from many powerful forces who have stopped us before. We cannot let obstructionists stand in the way of helping the people of Florida,” Congressman Meek added. “I want to be a fighter for Florida with a
strong voice that won’t let the special interests stand in the way of what’s right. Too many in our country are hurting. Too much is at stake. We have no time to waste.”

Congressman Meek was first elected to public office at the age of 27. He is currently serving in his fourth term in the U.S. House of Representatives. Congressman Meek is the lone Democratic Floridian sitting on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, is a member of the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, and also serves on
the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. Congressman Meek is the Co-Chair of Speaker Pelosi’s “30-Something” Working Group, which articulates Democratic positions to the public on critical issues before the U.S. Congress.

Prior to his election to the U.S. Congress, Congressman Meek served eight years in the Florida House and Senate and was a captain in the Florida Highway Patrol. He graduated from the Miami-Dade Public School System and received his bachelor’s degree from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University.

Congressman Meek is married to the former Leslie Dixon of Brooklyn, New York for seventeen years, and they have two children, Lauren and Kendrick Jr. Congressman Meek is the son of former Congresswoman Carrie P. Meek.

The complete text of Congressman Meek’s statement appears below. Remarks of Congressman Kendrick Meek (as prepared for delivery):

Thank you everyone for coming here today. This is a day of great joy and emotion for my entire family.

Earlier this morning, pastors and faith leaders gathered here in our Florida home to pray and reflect on this momentous occasion, and more
importantly, for those who are hurting in our state and country.

Today I stand before you…

• A son of Florida, born and raised in Miami
• Educated in our public schools and a graduate of Florida A & M University
• Who proudly wore the uniform of the Florida Highway Patrol
• Who served in both the state House and Senate
• And for the last six years served the people of this 17th District in Congress

Public service and a commitment to make a better life for the people of Florida has been my mission. I've given Florida a strong voice on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee and was appointed by the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives to the House Leadership.

But never in my lifetime have the people of Florida been faced with so many big problems. Our state needs bold leadership at every level, and that and it is why I've made the decision to run as a candidate for the United States Senate.

This race is not about me -- it is about Floridians. I am running for Florida, and I am asking Floridians to run with us in this race.

Around our dinner table, we gather to bless our food, give thanks to this country, and hold conversations like every family does who see an uncertain future

We know that so many Floridians don't know who to turn to for answers.

The high school senior who asks their principal, how can I afford college tuition?

The service industry worker who asks their union leadership, can I ever rebuild my retirement account?

The senior on a fixed income who asks their doctor, how can I afford my health care coverage and the medications I need to get healthy?

The father and mother who asks their lender, how can we save our home and avoid foreclosure?

In the last eight years, we have seen incompetence and bad decision-making by too many in Washington. We have sacrificed our children and grandchildren's future by saddling them with unprecedented deficits. We borrow money from foreign countries in order to give tax breaks to the wealthiest people. And now we have
corporate bailouts with some CEOs abusing tax-payer dollars, continuing with their multi-million dollar salaries, bonuses, corporate jets – and yet they refuse to be accountable to how OUR tax dollars are being used to bail them out.

Today, I call on those corporate leaders to not take one dime in salary or bonus until their business is back on solid ground and they have paid the government back every dollar.

As we vote on public policy in the Congress, I have always put the public first. And as we set forward on a course for change, so ably lead by our new President-elect, all of us who serve this country need to set our own agendas aside, work together, and make bold decisions that help everyday Americans.

We must work quickly to see that no more Florida families are the victims of foreclosure. We must create good paying jobs and put people back to work. And we have to stop the bleeding as millions of people have seen their hard-earned retirement funds take a disturbing hit.

These have to be the guiding principals in any stimulus plan that we pass in Congress.

I'm anxious to work closely with Senator Daschle to finally achieve access to health care for all Americans.

We must work urgently to solve the increasing problem of Climate Change – before it's too late.

Immigration reform must be handled appropriately and compassionately.

And as soon as it is safe to do so, we must bring our soldiers home from Iraq. And we must pay close attention to the unrest that we see
in Pakistan, Afghanistan and the Middle East.

Thanks to the leadership of President-Elect Obama, change has come to Washington. But it won't be easy. There will be opposition from many powerful forces who have stopped us before. We cannot let obstructionists stand in the way of helping the people of Florida.

This is why I've decided to run for the U.S. Senate – to be a fighter for Florida with a strong voice that won't let the special interests stand in the way of what's right.

I stand here today, with my wife Leslie, our children Lauren and Kendrick Jr., my mother Carrie Meek, my sister Lucia Raiford and mother-in-law Lois Johnson.

We gather here as a family because public service is our family's calling.

So, after extensive conversations with Floridians all across our state, I am running for the U.S. Senate.

Too many in our country are hurting. Too much is at stake. And we have no time to waste.

Thank you.