A few hours ago, Donald Trump was sworn in as President.

While this is not what we hoped for, we aren’t election deniers and support free and fair elections — even when they don’t go our way.

Today is a hard day for so many — particularly for our most targeted communities. But that means we cannot throw in the towel and give up on the future we’ve worked so hard for. Today is the day to recommit ourselves to the fight.

The next four years will be some of our most important. We know that Donald Trump and his allies in Congress will attack our freedoms, undermine our democracy, and roll back the progress we’ve made — they haven’t kept those plans a secret. That means we have to stay engaged and be ready to fight back.

No matter what lies ahead for our country, I will continue to have your back in Congress. I will keep pushing for policies that level the playing field for regular people, protect our most fundamental freedoms, and invest in the communities that are oftentimes left behind.

It’s no secret that the vast majority of Americans want their leaders in government to put their differences aside and work together to address our most pressing challenges. That’s why I have always been willing to work with members of both parties to pass effective, common-sense legislation — all while staying true to our shared values.

You’ll be hearing more from me and my team soon, but for now, I wanted to say thank you one more time. Thanks to your support, I can continue our fight in Washington.

I’m grateful to have you on this team,

Brittany Pettersen