Ambrose

[Lee Trucks]

I sent this to Ben Ambrose's campaign.  Maybe it will help.

Ben Ambrose for Congress — Stump Speech

Thank you. Thank you all for being here.

I want to start by telling you where I come from, because it explains everything about where I want to take us.

I grew up on a small farm in Hesperia, Michigan. And on a farm, you learn certain things early — you learn that the ground doesn't care about your excuses, that the work gets done because you show up and do it, and that your word is the most valuable thing you own. Out here, a handshake still means something. That's the bond that holds us together — it's why you shovel your neighbor's driveway before they even ask, why you show up to the fish fry to help fry the perch and wash the dishes after. That's West Michigan. That's who we are.

I always knew I wanted to serve this country. So six days — six days — after I walked across that stage at my high school graduation, I shipped out to become a United States Marine.

I served nearly twenty years as a Marine infantryman. I did multiple combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, and I took part in humanitarian operations around the world. I watched young men and women from towns just like Hesperia — from every corner of this country — carry each other through the worst days imaginable, because that's what Marines do. You do the right thing even when nobody's watching. You never leave anyone behind. And you never, ever go back on your word.

After my time in uniform, I went to work in Washington as a Congressional aide. And I want to tell you something I learned there, because it's the reason I'm standing in front of you today: I watched, up close, members of Congress talk a good game about standing up for working families — and then turn around and vote to line the pockets of billionaires and corporations because a big campaign check was on the line. I watched integrity get traded away, piece by piece, for access and money. And I decided I wasn't going to just watch it anymore. I was going to do something about it.

That's why I'm running for Congress.

Just as I was committed to making sure every one of my Marines came home, I am committed to fighting for every family in West Michigan. That means:

Making life more affordable — so a paycheck actually covers rent, groceries, and gas, not just some of them.

Strengthening our public schools — so every kid in West Michigan, whether they're in a small town like Hesperia or a city block, gets a real shot at a future.

Championing Medicare for All — because your health, and the health of your kids, should never depend on the size of your bank account.

Fighting for those who fought for us — because I've seen firsthand what our veterans sacrifice, and I will never stop fighting to make sure they get the care, the benefits, and the respect they earned.

Protecting our natural environment — our lakes, our farmland, our forests. This land raised me, and I intend to make sure it's still here, still clean, and still productive for the next generation of Michigan families.

Keeping our communities safe — not with empty slogans, but with real investment in the people and resources that make our neighborhoods strong.

I'm not running because I want a title. I'm running because I made a promise to myself a long time ago — on a farm, and again in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan — that I would always do right by the people counting on me.

In the Marine Corps, I learned that trust isn't given. It's earned, one decision at a time, one person at a time. I'm not going to ask you to just take my word for it. I'm going to ask you to watch what I do, hold me to it, and let me earn your trust every single day I have the honor of representing you.

Integrity. Commitment. Trust.

That's what I carried with me through nearly twenty years in the Marine Corps. That's what I carried with me in Washington. And that's exactly what I will carry with me to Congress — for you, for West Michigan, and for the country we all love.

Thank you, and let's get to work.

[Judy Cunningham]

It’s the best stump speech I’ve ever read. 

Thanks Lee. 

Sent from my iPhone

Judy Cunningham 

Straw Bale Builder

On Jul 18, 2026, at 4:23 PM, Lee Trucks <ltr...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Tim Joseph]

What Judy said.   This is what people need to hear..

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