Chelsea Manning has shared her first campaign video after declaring her intention to run for a US Senate seat.
Manning announced on Saturday that she would be challenging second-term Democrat Benjamin Cardin for the Maryland Senate seat in November 2018
The transgender activist shared the video on Twitter on Sunday, in which she says: “We live in trying times. Times of fear, of suppression, of hate.
We don’t need more, or better leaders. We need someone willing to fight.
yup, we're running for senate 😎🌈💕 #WeGotThis https://t.co/ynFv6w32np
— Chelsea E. Manning (@xychelsea) January 14, 2018
“We need to stop asking them to give us our rights. They won’t support us, they won’t compromise.”
Twitter users have already begun to use the campaign hashtag, #WeGotThis, to show support for Manning.
#WeGotThis https://t.co/kBfsnuzTZ9
— Bheema Bachus 💜🌹☮️ (@BheemaBachus) January 15, 2018
@xychelsea I'm 34 and just realized that I've never been excited about a candidate before now. This is how it starts. You're amazing. #WeGotThis
— 🌊RIPGOP 1854-2018🌊 (@MikeMcDonald83) January 15, 2018
However, others online were not so supportive, mentioning her lack of political experience and urging her not to split the Democratic vote.
NO. You'll split the liberal vote and we'll lose a seat we now hold with a fine Senator. Let go of this. Go challenge a House seat where the liberals need a candidate, if you must.
— Lee in Iowa (@Lee_in_Iowa) January 15, 2018
Yeah… No Chelsea. Not yet. You are not qualified yet. Hang in there and get some experience under your belt with local politics.
— 🌊 Tacere🍃 (@Tacere69) January 15, 2018
The former Army intelligence analyst was convicted of leaking classified documents to WikiLeaks and sentenced to 35 years in prison in 2013. She was granted clemency by president Barack Obama in January last year.
