Friend —

I am so incredibly grateful that the people of this Commonwealth have spoken and decided to send me back to the Senate for another term. While we wait for the national results, I am optimistic that we will see a good outcome for our country.

I think it's safe to say that Election Night this year was different than any other, and that the world looks a lot different than we thought it would nine months ago.

Thank you for your resilience and your dedication. Thank you for making calls, sending texts, and talking with your friends to make sure we got as many Virginians as possible to the polls for this critical election. Thank you for showing up to elect Democrats that will lead our country forward, even in the midst of a global pandemic.

Simply put, thank you for everything. None of this would have been possible without the hard work of countless Virginians who worked their hearts out during this most unusual election.

Seeing all of the people, from all walks of life, who came together to work for a common cause during this election cycle is so heartening. The truth is that, as a country, we've been too divided for too long. Now, we face a pandemic that we're only going to be able to defeat if we're united in our approach. That means we have to turn the page on divisive rhetoric and heal from the name-calling and lies to find paths to work together for the common cause.

If these last nine months have shown us anything, it's that our citizens can more than meet the moment — and we need leaders who are willing to rise to the challenge and lead with integrity and heart. Leaders who accept with grace and peace the verdict of the American people without encouraging violence or seeking to undermine confidence in the results, regardless of the outcome.

We can get through this. We will recover. Our country has seen challenging times before, and we will again. We have always been able to persevere and emerge stronger — and I believe we are seeing the beginning of that hope in our country now.

Brighter days are ahead for Virginia and for our country.

Sincerely,

— Mark Warner