An accountant got $20,000 in student debt wiped out. 5 months later, he quit his job and ran for office.
O'Keefe is more than grateful to be free of that burden — but he wishes more people could say the same.
O'Keefe made those payments — and then some. Due to interest that kept accumulating, he paid off $60,000 and was still left with $20,338.42 a decade later, even though he originally borrowed $61,236. Now he was free to chase his dream. Three years ago, O'Keefe started thinking about running for office. Although he'd worked as an accountant for 15 years and made a comfortable salary, he'd started to become more involved in local issues. That helped him realize he didn't feel fulfilled from his job — but his student debt was holding him back from making any significant life changes.
Once O'Keefe found out he would not longer be footing a $600 monthly bill, he and his wife decided they had the financial security to pursue a run for office"to make a bigger impact and be more useful to more people," he said. He's now gearing up for the primary election in August and is a member of— the nation's first debtor's union that advocates for cancellation of all forms of debt.
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