My name is Leslie Knope.

Pawnee runs in my veins. I was born here*. I grew up here. I was educated here. I made friends here. I fell off my bike here and scraped my knee here. I ate my first waffle here (thanks, JJ!) - and will eat my last one here, too. I fell in love here. I work here. I live here. 24 hours a day, I live for Pawnee.

I look around and see all the wonderful things we can still do. We can create more parks - lush, green places for all of us to relax and play and grow. We can make our schools better, our sidewalks safer, and our libraries fewer. We can create more jobs. We can finally repave Grand Avenue. (Can you imagine that? Driving down Grand Ave. without the fear of blowing out a tire?) We can even eliminate our raccoon problem**.

I want to lead this great city into the future. I can see its future as clearly as you read this sentence, right now, in this moment.

I'm Leslie Knope, and I'm running for City Council in Pawnee, Indiana.

*Yes, okay, fine, technically I was born in Eagleton. Nice work, smartypants. The point is, I have lived in Pawnee all my life, and I love it.

**Truth be told, we probably cannot ever eliminate our raccoon problem. I know I'm supposed to just make that campaign promise, like every politician does, but let's be honest - those suckers aren't going anywhere.