Patrick Murphy

“Florida has been, and will continue to be, a swing state.”

“I don't think 'my way or the highway' works, that mentality. And that's what the Tea Party has done: drawn a line in the sand. I'm sorry - that doesn't work in business, that doesn't work in your family, it certainly doesn't work in government and our Congress.”

“I worked as a day laborer throughout college, worked for Deloitte and Touche, got my CPA.”

“The closely divided presidential election of 2000 - in which George W. Bush defeated Al Gore by the slimmest of margins in Florida - forever implanted the divide between red states and blue states in our political consciousness.”

“The decision in Citizens United said that money equals speech, a position that I - and a vast majority of Americans, in poll after poll - could not disagree with more.”

“The Citizens United decision dramatically intensified the political gridlock in our country.”

“My dad's a Republican. My dad's my mentor. When I was 18 or whatever it was and I decided to register to vote. My dad's Republican, so that's what I decided to register as.”

“Whether it's threats to Medicare, cuts in education spending, or Internet privacy, the ramifications got young people out to vote and should be enough to keep them involved in our political system.”

“As the country's third-largest state by population, Florida is the crown jewel in the Electoral College among swing states.”

“The political process does not end on Election Day. Young people need to stay involved in the process by continuing to pay attention to the conversation and holding their leaders accountable for the decisions they make.”

“There can be no more burying our heads in the sand by being afraid to even mention the words 'climate change' aloud.”

“America needs a long-term vision.”

“Politically speaking, Miami-Dade was once a Republican stronghold, thanks in large part to older Cuban voters who became more politically influential following the Bay of Pigs invasion. In contrast, Democrats used to rely on votes in North Florida and the Space Coast in an era of much softer partisanship.”

“Young people deserve stable employment opportunities and not mountains of debt. When young people can access the middle class, America is strengthened.”

“I was as middle class as it comes.”

“Citizens United was no victory for free speech.”

“No matter which party is in the White House, doubt in America's democratic institutions rattles our nation to its core. This should not be a partisan issue for any reason, as any candidate or party could be on the receiving end of a hack at any time.”

“Voters want to get things done.”

“Way too many voters are apathetic and don't do their research and are on the sidelines.”

“As a 9-year-old child, I vividly remember the day Hurricane Andrew touched down in 1992. My family was living in the Upper Florida Keys at the time, and we soon realized its utter devastation to South Florida, with entire blocks leveled by Andrew's vicious winds.”