Illinois Democratic congressional candidate Sol Flores is trying to take her #MeToo experience and turn it into a governing philosophy.
On Monday, Flores released an ad that focuses on a painful part of her past – the abuse she suffered as a young girl by a man living with her family.
“My art teacher asked why I was building a chest,” Flores says in the ad. “I was 11 and I didn’t tell anyone that a man living with us would come into my bedroom when I was asleep and lift my nightgown.”
Flores details how she would place the chest against the door and fill it with the heaviest things she could find to wake herself up when the man would try to enter her room.
“I’ll fight as hard for you in Congress as I did to protect myself,” Flores says.
Flores is the founder of La Casa Norte, a Chicago nonprofit aimed at reducing homelessness. She is running in the Democratic primary against Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, a Cook County commissioner, and police Sgt. Richard Gonzalez for the chance to succeed retiring Democratic Rep. Luis Gutierrez in the 4th District.
Gutierrez endorsed Garcia, as has Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Flores, meanwhile, received the endorsement of EMILY’s List, an organization dedicated to supporting and electing Democratic women who support abortion rights.
The Illinois primary is set for March 20.
CORRECTION: This story has been updated to correctly state the ad’s release date.
CNN’s Devan Cole contributed to this report.
