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Hey there,
It’s hard to believe, but we have less than two weeks left before the New Year – and with that it’s off to the races as we start looking toward the 2024 election. December is the time of year to reflect on where we’ve been, and begin charting our path for what lies ahead. So here it goes:
One year ago, we were just coming off of our third successful congressional campaign – and our election with the biggest win margin. I was spending time with my family and recharging for another term representing Michigan in the U.S. House.
Then in January, our Senior Senator, the great Debbie Stabenow, announced that she was retiring, and I made the decision to run for Senate to bring a new generation of leadership to Washington. The next six weeks were the equivalent of getting an aircraft off the carrier – it was some of the most intense work I have ever done to launch a statewide campaign with a cold start. If you’re up for a trip down memory lane, then click here to watch my launch video:[link removed]
The first few months of the campaign were spent really getting to know the places in Michigan that I don’t currently represent. That means joining hundreds of community events and meetings with local leaders and elected officials, including over 70 in Detroit.
Then, it was on to summer where I really started to put some miles on my car. My favorite thing about campaigning is traveling across this great state and meeting people face-to-face to engage them on the issues and hear their stories. A close second is what I lovingly call “parade season,” and you can bet Team Slotkin had a presence everywhere we possibly could, from the Coast Guard parade in Grand Haven (with over 100,000 people in attendance!) to the Labor Day parade in Detroit (back after a 3 year hiatus!). This was the first year it felt like community events were getting back to pre-pandemic levels, and it was so great to see folks out and about.
In total, we’ve visited 25 counties, including making our way to the U.P. for the state fair.
Then came the fall, where we had to navigate what it meant to run a statewide campaign in the midst of all the chaos in Washington. In September we were facing a government shutdown, which led to weeks and weeks without a Speaker of the House. Republicans showed the world that they are incapable and unwilling to work together and run our government. We also spent time responding to the devastation of what was happening in the Middle East, which has an outsize impact in Michigan.
In October, I joined the Michigan Education Association for an event in Macomb County where I wholeheartedly accepted their endorsement. It was so great to be joined by so many educators and leaders who are working to better the lives of Michigan students. I also joined legislators in Macomb County to talk about what we need to do to be successful in this area in 2024.
And just last month, my friend Rep. Hillary Scholten announced that she was endorsing my campaign, along with nearly 40 other West Michigan leaders who joined us for an event in Grand Rapids. West Michigan is becoming a political powerhouse of the state and I truly cannot win without building a strong coalition of supporters there.
Now it’s December, and I have been on the road this month doing some of my final campaign stops of the year: We visited Kalamazoo, Grand Haven, Lansing, and last week, I spent more time doing meetings in Detroit, visiting the downtown holiday market to check out some local businesses, and dropping by union holiday parties (to include my first pudding shot!)
Looking back, I am so proud of what this campaign has accomplished in this time. But like I said, running statewide is a different ball game, and we are gearing up for 2024 – where we will hire a lot more staff, build out a robust field program to reach voters across the state, and start airing our TV and digital ads. Our team also just recently invested in a new headquarters.
As we close out this year, I would love to earn your support. We are running a strategic, thoughtful campaign that keeps people at the center of it. Please consider making an end-of-year deadline before December 31st.
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Thank you for being along for the ride with me,
Elissa
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