I’m so proud -- I started the Southwest Leadership Fund to give Democrats competing in critical races the grassroots support they need to win, and I’m proud to say that some of Democrats’ biggest and most consequential victories this year were here in the Southwest.

President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris turned New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Nevada blue, and now, they’re heading to the White House to heal our nation and build our country back better and stronger than before. That’s the first time a Democrat has swept all of those Southwestern states since Harry Truman in 1948!

And I’m so proud that Ben Ray Luján brought home a victory for New Mexico and will fill my seat in the Senate this January. Ben Ray embodies our state’s values and is a champion for clean air and water and health care. With Ben Ray as our next senator, I know I’m leaving New Mexicans in good, capable hands.

And as Ben Ray heads to the Senate, his seat in New Mexico’s 3rd Congressional District will be filled by Teresa Leger Fernandez, an exciting new leader for New Mexicans and the first woman to ever represent the district.

Teresa will be joined in the House by Rep. Deb Haaland, who defended her critical blue seat in New Mexico’s 1st District.

Like many of you, I’m disappointed that my friend Congresswoman Xochitl Torres Small did not win a very close election in New Mexico’s red-leaning 2nd District this year but she has a bright future and I hope to see her on the campaign trail again soon.

But we’re not done with the good news! There were even more exciting and important wins outside of New Mexico. John Hickenlooper and Mark Kelly made crucial gains in the Senate for Democrats, turning Colorado and Arizona blue.

Democrats’ victories in the Southwest are victories for working families, health care, our environment, and our democracy. They’re victories for diversity, decency, and unity.

And our victories wouldn’t have been possible without dedicated grassroots supporters like you. I can’t thank you enough for all you did during this incredibly important election.

We have a lot to celebrate, and after a hard-fought election, we deserve to take a moment to do it. But then, we need to get back to work, because we have a lot of big challenges ahead of us, including beating COVID-19, rebuilding our economy, and taking serious climate action.

Because of our victories on election night and because of your commitment and grassroots action, we’re in a stronger position to take them on. As my time in the Senate comes to an end, I’m proud of our work together to ensure the Southwest in a very strong Democratic position for the future.

Cheers,

Tom