Dear friends,
I am writing to tell you that I am proud of you, I am grateful for you, and we will persevere.
I know we are all disappointed with the outcome of the election, both my own and nationally. But I am proud to stand with you and grateful that you stood with me at this juncture in history.
Throughout our nation’s history there have been dark days and dark decades where America has grappled with her identity and selfish ambition has tried to snuff out justice.
Although we lost the election, I’m proud we took up the mantle of justice and fought. We were not bystanders when our democracy came under threat. We worked and stood on the side of justice, democracy and freedom. And we will continue this work.
I stepped into this race because our democracy and our community was in peril. I stepped in because we have a historic mandate to reinforce the foundations of our democracy from rule of law to civil rights, to women’s rights. We sounded the alarm, mobilized neighbors and awoke civic engagement in our community.
I know it feels like a red tsunami has come to wipe out our freedoms. But our work over the previous years has helped reinforce the foundations of our democracy, making us strong and safe against the coming onslaught.
We ran a campaign to help heal and uplift our democracy. We ran a campaign to help our community know that they are not alone and that those who feel oppressed have champions. We ran this campaign to tell women that even in the face of our rights and freedoms eroding, we won't go back. The organizing and civil society we have built will be urgently needed in the coming years. And while I don’t know the next steps in this fight, I know that we have a firm foundation and a just mission.
Generations worked tirelessly to give us the rights and freedoms we have today. They didn’t win every election, court ruling or legislative vote. They lost quite a few. But they persevered and with grit, toil and heart, they secured the everyday freedoms we take for granted from clean air to the right to vote to gender and racial equality. And while we still have miles to go to fully realize these freedoms, we will keep fighting. We will go forward together. And we will prevail.
Thank you for your courage, tenacity and grace.
Onward,
Jessica
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