Hello friends,
I have been in avoidance mode for the better part of the past three days. How are you doing? It feels like life is a mixed bag of emotions right now as race results continue to settle, so I’ll take this Rundown to outline mine.
I am PROUD of the work of every Democratic candidate, the volunteers, and the supporting unions and organizations. You should know how hard everyone worked to connect with voters, every day, without fail. In 115-degree heat, from dawn till dusk, in nearly every neighborhood around the state, these campaigns were powered by passion and devotion to equitable progress. Elections are won and elections are lost, this is the game. But how you carry yourself and who you are fighting for lives beyond the timeline of any individual race. Arizona lost the opportunity to be led by some of the smartest and most caring people, and I hope they get a chance to shine and run again.
What differentiates this election’s morning-after reaction from 2016’s is less disbelief and more of shell shocked sadness. We entered this election knowing full well where the candidates stood. We have the felony convictions, the sound bites, and Project 2025’s horrific playbook - which was literally named for the year they will implement it. I am admittedly HEARTBROKEN for the hurt that is to come. Pain that will not be equally distributed - with women, LGBTQ+ friends and family, our black and brown neighbors, and the poor and middle class bearing the brunt of it. As Tucson journalist Matt Rosenblum writes, “Americans wanted a man with a bat, not a woman with joy.”
Thank you to those who have reached out and shared your feelings with me as I process mine. I have received messages and had conversations from people who are scared, sad, and fired up to defend against the oncoming hate. But I have yet to talk to a voter, on any side, that expected these results. How this happened and how Democrats lost up and down the ticket is and will be dissected. What I am focused on is where we go from here. People want us to govern on the issues that affect their lives. This is something my Democratic colleagues and I have been shouting on repeat for years. Housing, workforce development, childcare access, affordable healthcare, education, paid family leave, better paying jobs…these are the policies we fight to get heard at the legislature. I am COMMITTED to standing tall and in front of those in harms way of this new administration. Trump is what drove me to action the first time, so this fire I feel now is nothing new. Our commitment to our community remains steadfast. This foundation isn’t shaken by a single result; it’s fortified by each of you.
As you can tell from my quote this week I have been rewatching Gladiator. (Fall of Rome, anyone?) In one scene, the gladiators are huddling in the middle of the coliseum as the doors open and an arsenal of armed fighters is unleashed, surrounding them. Maximus shouts to the group, who is certain their death is near, “We’ve got a better chance of survival if we work together.”
We have faced hard fights before, and this one has heavier consequences but is no different. Though the future may seem uncertain, we can draw COURAGE from each other, from our values, and from our shared purpose. Like Maximus, I believe our strength lies in our unity. So let’s lean in, support one another, and keep moving forward with conviction. We’ve got work to do, and we’ve got each other.
With my deepest thanks,
Sarah
