Alex Wagner

Everyone assumed this was a done deal.

And then two days later, I get a text message asking me to come over to the House side for a closed-door meeting about my bill.

And I remember it like it was yesterday.

Walking in, first person I see is the lobbyist representing these big companies.

And the second person I see is a state representative who's holding my bill, shaking her head.

That state representative is now a member of Congress.

And she's my Republican opponent in November, Ashley Hinson.

And I was in the room and I watched as Ashley Hinson killed my bipartisan bill as a favor to that lobbyist.

And after this was over, I looked up how much money this lobbyist had bundled for her reelection campaign.

You want to guess how much it was?

50 grand.

$1,500.

Cheap date.

And you will never guess, though, who was some of her biggest supporters in her campaign for the U.S.

House or who did a fundraising event for her in the Senate campaign just a few months ago.

So when we talk about this connection between the rigged economy and the corruption of our politics, I saw that firsthand as a freshman legislator.

And look, I will tell you this.

I was excited to run against Joni Ernst.

But when I found out I was going to be running against Ashley Hinson, I jumped out of bed the next morning because this campaign is about a lot of things.

It's about this rigged economy that is benefiting the big investment companies at the expense of people like Candy.