Friends,

I’m writing to share with you a brief update on COVID-19 and our campaign.

Last week was a dizzying time in the South Sound. As the reality of our public health crisis came into sharper focus, I started hearing a rising sense of anxiety in the voices of people I spoke with.

I will readily admit to feeling the same way. While we can’t let an instinct to panic immobilize us, right now we should all feel concerned about the health of our loved ones and ourselves.

I’ll also admit to feeling flummoxed about how our campaign should proceed in the middle of this national emergency. Hundreds and hundreds of people have decided to step up and join our campaign. I wanted to make the best decisions for their safety and for the long-term success of our campaign.

Some decisions were easy. For example, we’ve postponed the town hall-style events we scheduled for our end-of-quarter fundraising surge. Public health must come first.

Other decisions were more difficult. In times of crisis, engaging in the civic traditions of our democracy can feel inconsiderate and self-absorbed. We can’t ignore what’s happening around us as we grow our campaign, so we need to make adjustments to our strategy.

In the next couple days, we’ll be rewriting our campaign plans to reflect our new reality. Our guiding principles will be simple and true:

- Our democracy will outlast this pandemic, and so will our campaign.

- We still need to take back our government, and we still need to take back our future.

To that end, you’ll continue receiving updates on our campaign, and in the weeks ahead you’ll be invited to participate in our campaign in new ways. I hope you’ll join us.

I also hope you’ll continue supporting us to whatever degree you can. The professional staff who make this operation function still need to be paid, and our campaign needs to be ready to scale back up at full speed when the time comes -- and the time will come.

The next few months will be tough. Many people will be stretched to their limits, especially our neighbors who were already at vulnerable places in their lives. They will still need our help. In addition to supporting our campaign, I hope you’ll find ways to help your neighbors and community members.

I also hope you’ll support our healthcare workers. All of us have things we were looking forward to that now need to be put on hold. All of us have a loved one or friend we are worried about right now. Our healthcare workers are bearing these two burdens and more. I’m grateful for their service and for the service of all our public safety professionals.

That’s all for now. More soon. Please wash your hands, stay home, and do your part to flatten the curve. We’re all in this together.

Take care,
Phil






Paid for by Phil Gardner for Congress
Phil Gardner for Congress
P.O. Box 2766
Olympia, WA 98507
United States
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