Ceretta Smith has been planning this run since 2015. That was the year she walked into her congressman's office in Washington, D.C., leading a union delegation on veterans' and federal worker issues, and got a polite thanks-for-coming and was shown the door. She looked at her delegation and said, "One day I'm coming for that seat." Eleven years later, she's on the ballot in Georgia's 12th Congressional District, and she brought everything with her. Smith is an Army veteran, a former Physical Evaluation Board Liaison Officer who spent two decades working inside the military healthcare system, an elected official, and a member of the American Federation of Government Employees. She knows what the VA looks like from the inside, what it costs families when it fails, and what it means when 30,000 positions sit vacant by design. In this episode, host Katie Chorbak and panelists Lisa Wohlrab, John Moses, and Bryan C. Winter sit down with Ceretta for a conversation that covers VA staffing, rural healthcare deserts, the balance of power, and what joyful politics actually looks like when you're an African-American woman running in a MAGA district — and winning. Topics covered: VA Healthcare and Rural Healthcare Gaps — Georgia's 12th has 24 counties. Most of them are rural. Two hospitals closed in the district. The nearest VA for some veterans is two and a half hours away. Ceretta breaks down what that means for amputees without transportation, women waiting months for mammograms, and veterans who can't access specialty care at all — and what she'd do about it. Fully Funded, Fully Staffed — Over 30,000 VA vacancies. A brand-new mammogram department with no one to run it. Ceretta argues the understaffing isn't incompetence — it's strategy. Defund it, declare it broken, privatize it. She's not having it. Take Back Congress and the Five Pillars — Ceretta is part of a coalition of over 100 everyday candidates running on a shared reform platform: term limits, overturning Citizens United, banning congressional stock trading, a five-year moratorium on the revolving door to lobbying, and a code of ethics for the Supreme Court. Katie pushes her on the constitutional path to term limits, and Ceretta holds her ground. The Oath and the Balance of Power — Bryan Winter asks her what the oath means for a member of Congress right now, in this moment. Ceretta's answer: there is no compromise on that document, and anyone who thinks otherwise shouldn't be there. Offensive Weapons Funding to Israel — Direct question, direct answer. Stolen Valor and Her Own Opponent — Her opponent has claimed for nearly a decade to be a Gold Star widow. She is not. Ceretta was told not to say anything. She did the interview anyway, and she explains exactly why. Joyful Politics in a MAGA District — She has won elected office in a majority-Republican district, twice, as a Black Democrat. She credits joyful politics — not as softness, but as strategy. On the panel: Katie Chorbak — Host | President, 50501 Veterans | Army veteranLisa Wohlrab — Vice President, 50501 Veterans | Army veteranJohn Moses — Mass 50501 Ambassador | ArmyBryan C. Winter — Mass 50501 Writer | Army Guest: Ceretta Smith — Congressional candidate, Georgia's 12th District | Army veteran | Former PEBLO | AFGE member | Elected official Links: SorettaForGeorgia.com — campaign website and donationVetsAgainstFascism.org — July 4th action, Philadelphia
