Friend,

Together we built a lasting movement for progressive change in MA-01.

I am proud of everything we accomplished and built in these last 14 months, and am so grateful for your support. We would not have gotten here without the dedication of the people of Holyoke and throughout the entire district and country.

And this was all just the beginning. As I’ve said, this grassroots movement doesn’t start or end with me. It has always been all of us. We were fighting for more than an election, we fought for the working people of this country who have been left behind for decades.

Some people in our district have a nostalgia for what was, but I remember what it was like growing up in a town where people had given up on it. Where people had resigned themselves to the idea that the best days were behind us.

I mounted my campaign for mayor at 21. They told me the same thing then that they told me 14 months ago: that you don’t run against power, you sit down, keep your head down and wait your turn. Instead, we accomplished what they said we couldn’t here in Holyoke. We opened the doors to City Hall, we made historic investments in affordable housing and local business, we reduced unemployment and made it an inclusive community.

And then we think of our broken federal government, where over 60% of our federal budget goes to war and defense, and pennies go to our healthcare, education, and transportation systems. We live in a country where working families are forced to breathe in dirty air, drink dirty water, and send their children to crumbling public schools.

So when people asked me, well why are you running for Congress? I told them that this movement wasn’t about me. It was about the future of the Democratic Party, the future of this region, and what kind of country we want to be.

When I think about what we fought for, I don’t have a single regret. And the fight continues. We will keep fighting for universal healthcare, for affordable housing, to protect our environment, and get money out of politics. This election might be over, but the fight for these core values continues.

And together we will continue to move progressive values and priorities forward to build the better future our communities deserve.

Ultimately, while we may not have won, we have built a movement that will outlast this election. And it has been my honor to share this journey with you.

And if one thing is clear, I know that we’re not done yet.

Thank you,

Alex