It's a complicated Thanksgiving season this year. We're facing extraordinary hardships and a long road to recovery, but our country feels more hopeful than it has in the past four years.

On one hand, COVID-19 cases are spiking for the third time, hospitals are more crowded than ever, and our nurses and first responders are stretched far too thin. While Wall Street celebrates its massive profits and corporate CEOs once again award themselves huge bonuses, working families are wondering how they'll keep food on the table and pay the rent during a historic recession.

On the other hand, our country is finally emerging from the shadow of the most corrupt, dangerous, greedy, and cruel administration of the modern era. Donald Trump's attempts to steal the election are failing daily, and more and more people are seeing through his lies.

This week, I'm focusing on that sense of renewed hope and taking time to appreciate all that we accomplished this summer and fall.

Faced with a coordinated assault by national Republicans and wealthy special interests, our movement came together to defend our democracy and the fight for working Oregonians. Even though we were outspent in the most expensive race in Oregon history, we never gave up. Through phone calls and fundraising, lawn signs and letter writing, this grassroots movement pulled together to make more than 272,000 contacts with voters.

That's democracy in action, and that's why our progressive values came out on top.

Yesterday, when Myrnie and I sat down to the quietest Thanksgiving of our lives, I took a moment of gratitude for my family, for our essential workers, and for you. Thank you once again for standing with us.

Have a safe holiday weekend,

Peter