When I was elected to the United States Senate in 2010, I set a steadfast objective for myself while in office: to help bring the American Dream back into reach of those who feel it is slipping away. That’s the goal line I strive toward with my every effort, and it’s the measure I use to keep score.

The reason I’m so passionate about restoring the American Dream is because I’ve lived it myself. My parents came to America from Cuba in 1956 and earned their way to the middle class working humble jobs – my father as a bartender in hotels and my mom as a maid, cashier and retail clerk. By their loving and powerful example, I learned the importance of work and family, and developed the belief that all things are possible in America.

I have spent most of my life in West Miami, and live there today with my wife Jeanette and our four children. One of the reasons I love this South Florida community so much is the incredible diversity of people I count as my neighbors. There are those in the middle class, those striving to make it there, and those fortunate enough to have climbed beyond it. There are homes led by heroic single moms, two hard working parents, and even homes with multiple generations living together, like my sister’s, which houses not only her husband and children but also my mother.

My neighbors helped shape my impression of the American Dream, and it wasn’t long after I earned my bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida and my juris doctor from the University of Miami Law School that I felt drawn to serve them in public office.

I started as a City Commissioner for West Miami before being elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2000, and then Speaker in November 2006. Before taking this post, I authored the book 100 Innovative Ideas for Florida's Future, which was based on conversations I had with Floridians at "idearaisers" that my colleagues and I hosted around the state. As Speaker, I helped enact many of the ideas in this book.