Christina Hines
June 18, 2026 · Newsletter
There and Back Again: A Candidate’s Tale
I’m about to nerd out, so if you are not interested in a good Lord of the Rings conversation, you might want to skip this one!
I first read The Lord of the Rings in middle school — right after I saw The Fellowship of the Ring in theaters with my family.
I didn’t expect to fall in love with it the way I did. I’m not entirely sure why, but for some reason, I thought that because I loved Harry Potter so much, I wouldn’t be able to fall in love with another fantasy universe. But it was love. I remember wondering how much longer I was going to be learning the story of the Ents at the start of Two Towers, but when I was reading, I had a lot of time on my hands since I didn’t get my Hogwarts letter.
Anyway, I loved and still love this story — the courage, the life and death scenarios, and the journey of unlikely heroes. It got into my bones and never left. I have since read and listened to this series several times. I’ve also read The Hobbit aloud to my boys — their favorite part was when Bilbo tricked Gollum!
I self-identify as a “huge nerd,” and I love talking about my favorite fictional universes. Like many of you cool cats out there, I was at the midnight premieres of Harry Potter dressed up with my friends. My husband and I have seen every MCU movie in theaters — and then we made a magnetic board to rank our favorites and bests to the end of phase 3 (IYKYK). We are also now watching the MCU with the boys — trying to get them all in before the new Spiderman movie comes out.
I recently started relistening to the Lord of the Rings — the version narrated by Rob Inglis — just for some extra comfort in the chaos, and I was caught by this quote by Sam in Chapter 3:
“I don’t know how to say it, but after last night I feel different. I seem to see ahead, in a kind of way. I know we are going to take a very long road, into darkness; but I know I can’t turn back. It isn’t right to see Elves now, nor dragons, nor mountains, that I want — I don’t rightly know what I want: but I have something to do before the end, and it lies ahead, not in the Shire. I must see it through, sir, if you understand me.”
This quote hit me, and it made me want to write this article. Buckle up, though. Inspired by Tolkien, this one is a bit long.
We need more “Ordinary Folk That Keep the Darkness at Bay”
Sam and Frodo were hobbits who loved their homes, friends, food, and gardening. Still, when the moment came — when the world was on the edge of ruin — they answered their calling.
I also feel called to face down an actual Nazgûl, Donald Trump. Just kidding, just kidding. But running for Congress in 2026 does kind of feel like that. There’s no glory — most folks pretty much hate Congress, and most Democrats are very angry at other Democrats or the party in general.
At the same time, just like Sam and Frodo, I feel a deep love for the place I call home, for my community, and for a country that I see being consumed by darkness and hatred right now. For many of us, the darkness in our politics right now is overwhelming. We are seeing:
A Congress that punishes the poor and rewards the ultra-wealthy.
Government power being weaponized and used to intimidate rather than serve.
Congress gutting programs like Medicaid and Social Security, while working families can’t afford child care, groceries, healthcare, or their next electric bill.
Public education being attacked and defunded while our kids are already facing the most significant mental health challenges in decades.
Another. Endless. War.
It’s enough to make you want to stay in the Shire. I am a millennial woman — I’d love to be embracing all of my granny hobbies right now — gardening, chickens, quilting, sourdough, etc. Unfortunately, that’s not the calling right now, and we don’t have that luxury.
This is the moment where ordinary people like you and me need to get off the bench and each do our part to fight for our rights and freedoms in this country.
Mount Doom Is Far, and the Road Is Ugly. But only the faithless say farewell when the road darkens.
Running for Congress, especially when you’re not backed by billionaires or party elites, means long days, late nights, tired feet, and a few orcs along the way. (Not literal orcs, but the folks who live in the social media comments pretty much qualify).
We knock a lot of doors — our team has hit over 7000 already! We are definitely not getting enough sleep: there are multiple days a week I put the kids to bed and then spend more hours working or calling the West Coast to ask for support in flipping this seat.
But we have a whole fellowship and many armies!
We have our neighbor carrying the burden by helping with social media posts. We have so many volunteers who collected petition signatures and who make phone calls or send texts after work. We have so many ordinary people who still believe their voice matters, even when everything around them says it doesn’t, and amazing people across the country who have stepped up to donate.
To all of the people who choose love and hope in the dark times — I am incredibly grateful.
Some folks have tried to use this story for their own selfish aggrandizement and hollow brand of heroism (I’m looking at you, JD Vance). But Frodo wasn’t carrying the ring to save the hobbits — he was doing it to save everyone — specifically from Mordor’s creeping authoritarianism and hate. LOTR belongs to ALL OF US — folks of all stripes who believe in hope, alliance, and resisting evil.
Furthermore, I think a major difference here in interpretation is that I think we all are the heroes of this story. Everyone showing up at protests, volunteering (for any change-bringing candidate/cause!), or donating, anyone holding the line and fighting for what is right: WE are all the heroes.
The only person truly identifiable to me is that my husband is definitely Aragorn. I might have to expand on this for Father’s Day… loyal, brave, steady, and incredibly sexy. I’d rather share one lifetime with you than face all the ages of this world alone.
To the Tom Bombadils Out There: We Need You Too
One more thing — I can’t stop thinking about Tom Bombadil these days. For those of you who have only watched the movies, Tom Bombadil is powerful — and it is said that the ring had no power over him, but when evil creeps in, he... stays home. He sings. He tends his trees. He doesn’t engage in the war for Middle-earth, even though his strength could tip the balance.
I can’t help but see echoes of that today. There are a lot of good, wise, principled people who are opting to sit it out. Frustrated with Democrats. Choosing their own space of peace over politics.
I get the urge, and I want folks to take care of their mental health. But everyone has a role to play in this resistance and in building an America that we believe in. We can’t afford for anyone to stay in the forest right now.
If you have power, use it. If you have hope, share it. EVERYONE needs to find their place in this journey, because the country won’t save itself. WE NEED EVERYONE.
There’s Still Some Good in This Country — And It’s Worth Fighting For
You know, the famous line Sam says when everything feels lost:
“There’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it’s worth fighting for.”
I believe that. I’ve said from the beginning that I’m running to make sure the next generation has the same rights, freedoms, and opportunities — or more — than we had growing up.
That’s why I’m fighting for Social Security and to expand access to healthcare, for public education, and to bring costs down so that working families can actually get by.
The journey isn’t easy. Not only are we fighting for our rights and freedoms in this country, but we are all doing so in the midst of our personal challenges — a tough diagnosis, grief, job loss, and the daily struggles of life.
But truly, our country has been through darkness before, and the way we got through it was by millions of people coming together to march forward together. If we want to flip this seat — one of only two OPEN flip seats in the country — and restore a Democratic majority to the U.S. House of Representatives, then we need to come together, and that means that WE NEED YOU.
👉 Share this with someone who loves LOTR or our country.
👉 Chip in what you can — hobbits need supplies!
👉 Knock doors, send texts, raise your voice, and let’s keep going, together.
This isn’t about fantasy. It’s about facing the darkness with clear eyes and choosing to fight for the light anyway.
Namárië, my friends.