11/01/2026
COMMON SENSE: Honoring Our Foundations. Building Our Future.
Nearly 250 years ago, Thomas Paine published a pamphlet that helped change the course of American history. He called it Common Sense.
His message was simple but powerful: the future of this nation should belong to its people, not to those who hold power over them.
That idea helped inspire a revolution. More importantly, it helped establish a belief that remains at the heart of our American experiment: government derives its authority from the people it serves.
That belief is what inspired the name of my independent ballot line, Common Sense.
I chose that name not because I believe we should return to the past, but because I believe we must remember what made our nation worth building in the first place.
Our country was founded on the courage to question the status quo, the willingness to challenge established power, and the conviction that ordinary people could shape an extraordinary future.
Those principles belong to all of us, regardless of political party.
Today, many Americans feel disconnected from their government. They work hard, raise families, support their communities, and do their best to build a better life, yet often wonder whether anyone in government is truly listening.
I understand that frustration. And I believe we can aspire to something better.
We can honor our history without being trapped by it. We can respect our differences without allowing them to divide us. We can preserve the principles that built this country while finding new solutions to the challenges facing the next generation.
Our founders did not leave us a finished nation. They left us the responsibility to keep building one.
That responsibility belongs not to a political party, but to every citizen who believes our future is worth investing in.
The Common Sense line represents that historical inspiration and my belief that public service must always begin with the people.
As Election Day approaches, I ask every citizen to remember something important: the principles our founders fought to establish only endure when each generation chooses to uphold them.
Democracy is not something we simply inherit. It is something we must protect, practice, and pass forward.
On November 3, take the time to learn about the candidates, reflect on the future you want for your family and community, and make your voice heard at the ballot box.
My name, Joseph Lamanna, appears on the Common Sense line for New York State Assembly in the 130th District.
The next chapter of our history has not yet been written. It belongs to the people who will live it, the families who will shape it, and the generations who will inherit it.
Let us be worthy of the freedoms we inherited, mindful of the responsibilities we carry, and determined to leave the next generation a future they can believe in.
Honor our foundations. Take responsibility for our future. Make your voice count.
