Raymond Baker (Pennsylvania)

I'm a twenty-seven year old Asisstant District Attorney in Berks County specializing in DUI and Addiction (Specifically DUI) Treatment Court. I have been employed by the DA's Office since my Graduation from the Dickinson School of Law in 2017. Before that I attended University at the University of Baltimore where I majored in Criminal Justice, and Community College at the College of Southern Maryland where I graduated in 2014 & 2012 Respectively. I'm the son of working middle class parents a garbage man turned cop and house-wife turned teacher.

• We must fight to save our planet at the State Level, I will fight to close all Fossil Fuel power plants by 2040 and ban Fracking to guarantee this
• We must fight for better education for poor & urban students. I will fight to restructure the school districts so they are equal in size and in funding
• We must fight to reinvigorate our small cities. I will push for my Small Cities Initiative to empower mayors, City Councils, and City Managers so they can fight back against decades old malaise that's taken over cities like Reading

I'm must interested in Climate Change, School District Structure, Criminal Law Reform, and Poverty Reform.

I look up to former President Jimmy Carter above all. Jimmy Carter embodied everything the Democratic Party used to represent and what we need to get back to. President Carter wasn't afraid over 40 Years ago to tell America it's time to get our house in order and save the planet, sadly the nation didn't listen. He not only walked the walk, and talked the talk. He didn't just retire to an estate to play golf, rub elbows with the elite, and give expensive speaking tours. President Carter has eliminate the Guinea Worm, built homes, and elevated the 3rd World nations as best he could. In times like these it's important to remember the good ones. Jimmy Carter is what Americans imagine themselves to be at their best. And I try to follow his example as best I can and hope with whatever gifts I've been given I can help those around me.

Honesty, Candor, and a Steadfastness in your beliefs.

However, on the final one an elected official must be willing to learn from what they are wrong about. There's nothing wrong with believing something in error and changing your mind, so long as it is for truth not to win votes.

My ability to be honest with everyone I know will make me good in that the people will know where I stand on certain issues and that those will be the issues I

My understanding of my own faults, so that I will be able to surround myself with people who see them and can make sure that those faults do not harm my district and my city.

My passion and ability to fight forever when I think I'm right. Since I was a child I've had the ability to stand my ground whenever I believed I was in the right. No one to my left or right in Harrisburg will be able to shake that from me. Even if it makes me unpopular I will stand by that.

The Impeachment of President Bill Clinton. I was 7 when it began.

I worked at the 7-11 Convenience Store as a Cashier/Clerk for a little over a year when I was 16.

Breakin' the Chains of Love - Fitz & the Tantrums

In Pennsylvania there is not much of a difference between the two chambers. The largest difference is the size and years between elections as unlike the Congress both deal with the budget. However, similar to the Federal Government the House must draft articles of impeachment and vote to impeach while the Senate will hold the trial to remove.

I think that it can be helpful, but it is always good to have other experience and other backgrounds. As one's own biases and backgrounds prevent you from seeing everything necessary

We must deal with the crisis of Climate Change as it is already effecting the Commonwealth and it's effects on our largest city in Philadelphia will be massive as the sea levels rise. We must also deal with the growing wealth inequality that is being exacerbated by the poor tax structure that benefits the wealthy

I believe the ideal relationship is one of professional cooperation. Similar to my work as a prosecutor things work out best when you get along with cordially and respectfully with defense counsel. We won't always agree on everything and will but heads in cases that will lead to trials and hearings, but at the end of the day there is a level of respect enjoyed by all parties.

I believe it should be a goal of all legislators to try their best to develop good relationships across the aisle and within one's party. However, in modern times to me this looks to be more and more of an impossibility. Within one's party the benefit will be people better listening to your needs and working with you, across the aisle it can be vital to pick up votes. However, unlike statements from some politicians I will always work to replace my Republican colleagues with Democratic ones every election without question.

Urban Affairs - As I will be representing the 5th largest city in the Commonwealth

Government Oversight - As I would like to get into the nitty-gritty of what can be done to improve the state legislative structure

Education - As I will be fighting to better guarantee equal education and to fight the structure of charter schools in the Commonwealth

Judiciary - As I work in Criminal Law and could bring my experience to better create laws to rehabilitate those who have committed crimes.

While I would appreciate and enjoy such a role I would be a freshman legislator. I would push to empower the younger, diverse, and progressive members of our caucus as Millenials and Gen - Xers must take the reigns of power to lead the Country and the Commonwealth into a brighter future that will protect all people.

I would model myself after Senator Bernie Sanders. He is a man who has done everything to fight for working people of all backgrounds for decades, whether popular or not. He kept fighting year in and year out for everything from straightening Unions, protecting women's rights, to LGBTQ protections even back in the 90s. It would be my goal to stand hard and fast at the progressive vision of our future whether popular with the Democratic Party or not.

Maybe in the future someday, I won't rule it out, since I would only be 28 when sworn into office, but much like I couldn't have predicted I'd be running for office in 2020 ten years ago, I won't predict where I'll be in 2030.

While working the polls on Election Day in 2019 I met a young man by the name of Luis. He was being paid to work the Polls for the Leinbach/Rivera Commissioner campaign. While we spoke, he told me his dream of opening up a business here in our city and that's why he was going to school. What I realized while talking to him is that he had been funneled by his charter school into a private community college which charged way more for a two-year degree than the local public community college down the block. What bothered me is members of our own community riddled this man with 4 times the debt I received in attending community college because it offered a benefit to that charter school. A young man from Reading with all the dreams in the world we want to see in our young boys is going to be tens of thousands of dollars behind because someone wanted to make a quick buck off his education.