Why Paola Branda Is Running for Congress

People keep asking me the same question: Why are you doing this?

The honest answer is simple.

Freedom Is Personal

We are in a defining moment for our nation. Freedom is no longer something we can take for granted. And I refuse to sit on the sidelines while the country that gave my family a second chance is pulled in the wrong direction.

I know what happens when government grows too powerful. I lived it.

My family fled Venezuela after socialism dismantled the country we loved. I watched opportunity disappear, institutions collapse, and ordinary people lose the ability to speak freely or provide for their children. My father, a pastor, taught me that faith and hard work can rebuild anything, but only if you still have the freedom to try. In America, we did.

We came here legally, seeking safety, faith, and the chance to start over. This country delivered. It gave us the dignity of work, the right to raise our children in peace, and the freedom to live according to our beliefs. That is not a slogan to me. It is my life story.

My faith in Jesus Christ and our Judeo-Christian values anchors that conviction. They remind me that our rights come from God, not government, and that liberty, responsibility, and faith are the foundation of a free nation.

Leadership Built Through Service

I am a wife and mother of two. I earned a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and spent more than fifteen years in classrooms as a teacher and World Languages Department Head. I have led business operations, helped lead international humanitarian aid work for families affected by Venezuela's crisis, and founded Crescendo Step to help students who needed extra support.

In every one of those roles, I learned the same truth: leadership begins by listening, telling the truth, and following through.

A Strong Voice for Florida's 23rd District

Now I look at Florida's 23rd District and see families facing higher costs, an unsecured border, schools under pressure, and a Washington political class too focused on itself to deliver results for the people it serves.

I am running because I will not accept that future for my children or for the families of Palm Beach County.

I am running to support President Trump's America First agenda and make sure Florida's 23rd District has a strong, unapologetic voice in Washington. I will fight for lower costs that actually put money back in working families' pockets. Secure borders and a legal immigration system that works. Strong schools that respect parents and demand excellence. Real security for seniors. Religious liberty. Clean water and Florida's natural treasures. And a government that is finally accountable to the taxpayers who fund it.

Not a Career Politician

I am not running as a career politician. I am running as a mother who still has to explain to her kids why things cost more, as an educator who has seen what happens when standards fall, and as a legal immigrant who knows the difference between a country that protects freedom and one that slowly destroys it.

The choice in front of us is clear. We can continue down the path of bigger government, higher costs, and weaker borders, the same path that ruined the country my family left behind. Or we can choose America First: secure borders, strong families, responsible government, and the freedom that made this the greatest country on earth.

I Choose America

I choose America.

That is why I am running for Congress.

America First. Freedom Always.

God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.

If you believe Florida's 23rd District deserves a representative who has lived the cost of losing freedom and is determined to defend it here, join us. Make your vote plan for the August 18 primary, volunteer, or help us reach more families who still believe this country is worth fighting for.