District 17 Senate challenger Cheryl Kagan has sent the following email to her supporters after losing a very close race to Senator Jennie Forehand.
Dear Friends:
Now that the Primary Election is behind us, I want to thank you for your support throughout this campaign and for your kind words in the past few days. Both have meant the world to me.
I congratulate Jennie Forehand for her 32 years of service to our district and her victory on Tuesday. I wish her well in these next four years. Surely, they will be challenging ones for the State… and therefore for Montgomery County’s fiscal stake in it.
I continue to be proud to be a Democrat… and a democrat. I am proud of the progressive ideals of our Democratic Party. We stand for justice, equality, compassion, economic opportunity, common sense fiscal solutions, and a commitment to protecting our environment and the people who live in it.
I am also proud that we live in a democracy, where open debate, dissent, and dynamic elections are expected and encouraged.
Thanks to over 1,000 donors and volunteers, we communicated our message to every corner of District 17. The voters in Gaithersburg, Rockville, and Garrett Park were warm and welcoming when I knocked on their doors. They shared their concerns and their hopes for the future. I met so many active, engaged citizens and was always inspired by their stories.
Election Day fell this year in the midst of the Jewish High Holy Days, which are a time to look back to evaluate our behavior and to look forward with hope. This confluence of events was both a challenge and an opportunity. As a candidate it is hard to put aside worldly considerations four days from Election Day. But it was also fitting, because in elections we review history and chart future directions.
My sincerest thanks go out to everyone who contributed their time, money and ideas to our effort. We pulled together a dynamic and diverse community that believed that tough times call for tough choices, hard work, and the effective advocacy needed to bring about change. I hope that each of you will continue to stay engaged in the political process. Our democracy depends on the involvement of talented, thoughtful and caring people like you. And I hope that you will see the extraordinary challenges we face as opportunities for the creative solutions that can result from a fresh look at what is possible and a renewed energy to bring it to fruition.
I will continue to be active in the Party and in our community. Right now, however, I am looking forward to taking some time to relax with my wonderful husband and address a lengthy to-do list that has grown during the months I was on the campaign trail.
I am humbled by the kindness and generosity I have received from so many. Even though we didn’t achieve the result we were hoping for, this is truly one of those efforts in which the journey is an end in itself.
Political campaigns are busy, noisy, exhausting and sometimes bewildering, but in a certain, special way, they are quietly enlightening. Even if you’ve lived there for years, you get to know your district better than you ever did before. Though you’ve studied them in theory, you understand the issues better and in a deeper, more concrete way. And you get to know the people you’re working with– often during 14 hour days, often in difficult circumstances– in a way that’s revealing and endearing and fascinating. For all of that, I am grateful.
Best wishes to you all,
Cheryl