Where I Stand After Learning My Children Are AI Generated

By Curtis Campogni, Candidate for Pinellas County School Board (District 3 – At-Large)

This morning, while going through social media comments and responding to people across my campaign platforms, someone commented that my children are AI-generated.

Naturally, this was difficult news for our family.

We are taking time to process it together.

😂

But in all seriousness, moments like this have taught me a lot during this campaign, not just about politics, but about people, leadership, and what it actually means to serve a community.

About once or twice a week, I intentionally sit down and go through comments across all my platforms. Some are supportive. Some are critical. Some are thoughtful. And some are genuinely confusing.

Over time, I have realized something important:

How we communicate with each other matters.

Especially in local races.

Because school board races are different than national politics. At least, they should be.

This is not Washington, D.C. These are our neighborhoods. Our schools. Our teachers. Our children.

At the end of the day, we still see each other at grocery stores, football games, school events, restaurants, and community functions.

We still have to live together after the election season ends.

And honestly, that reality has forced me to think deeply about what kind of candidate, and more importantly, what kind of person, I want to be during this process.

Do I want to be the candidate who lashes out anytime someone questions me?

The candidate who immediately dismisses someone because of political party or ideology?

The candidate who avoids difficult conversations altogether because they may later become politically inconvenient?

Or do I want to be the kind of leader who is willing to engage, listen, explain, disagree respectfully, and still move the conversation forward?

For me, the answer is simple.

Because in full transparency, I cannot separate the candidate from the person.

The same way I treat people online is the same way I will treat people in meetings, public discussions, school conversations, and community decisions.

I may lose money. I may lose time. I may ultimately lose this race.

But I will never lose who I am or the principles I stand for.

And that matters.

Not because I expect everyone to agree with me, they won’t.

But because leadership is not tested when everyone agrees with you. Leadership is tested when people criticize you, question you, challenge you, or completely misunderstand you.

That is when character shows up.

One thing I have noticed in politics lately is that people often talk about civility and decorum. And to be clear, I absolutely believe those things matter.

But I also think there is a difference between civility and avoidance.

Real leadership sometimes requires uncomfortable conversations.

It requires hearing criticism without immediately becoming defensive. It requires engaging with people who think differently than you. It requires enough confidence to answer hard questions without viewing every disagreement as an attack.

And honestly, I think many people are starving for that right now.

Not perfection. Not polished talking points. Not politicians who pretend criticism does not exist.

Just real people willing to communicate honestly.

Because behind every comment, every post, every criticism, and every opinion is still a real person with experiences, fears, beliefs, frustrations, and hopes.

And when we forget that, politics stops becoming public service and starts becoming performance.

That is not the kind of leader I want to be.

So when all is said and done, I’m here for it: your ideas, your criticisms, your concerns, and your core beliefs.

And truthfully, I believe that willingness to engage, even when perspectives differ, is one of the things that separates me from much of the field.

If you agree, I invite you to follow along, visit the website, and most importantly, meet me in person somewhere along the campaign trail.

Because at the end of the day, I don’t just want your vote.

I want the conversation.

Even if, apparently, my children are robots.

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are solely those of Curtis Campogni, Candidate for Pinellas County School Board, District 3 (At-Large), and do not represent the official position of any organization or governing body.