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A special thank you message from Scudder Parker
It’s hard to believe, and a bit terrifying, that the decision that my wife Susan and I made twenty months ago to run for Governor grew into something that has involved thousands of Vermonters. And yet, at the same time, it is an amazing gift.
I started on this journey because I was motivated by a desire to help change people's lives for the better. As the momentum grew, family members, friends, volunteers, donors and folks on other campaigns joined me. And because of you and many others, over 1,500 volunteers and 3,100 donors supported my campaign.
When I think of all the people I have met, that we have worked with: the volunteers, the legislators, the donors, the folks on other campaigns, our friends and family members – I think about all the people we have touched and inspired, learned from and connected with. All of you, all of us, have become part of our effort.
From the beginning, this campaign has been a grassroots effort – truly powered by the people of Vermont. I am deeply grateful for every Vermonter who decided it was time for a change and took action. I want to thank all of you for your support, your courage and your untiring work. It has been an unbelievable source of amazement, delight, and joy to work with all of you.
The past 18 months have been full of conversations about what is right in Vermont today and what we need to do to face our challenges and protect and build our future. Despite the frustrations we heard along the way, in every town and city we were overwhelmed by the hope and determination we experienced.
I believe that this campaign has helped to counter the terrible disillusionment that has been seeping into our nation's soul over the last six years – a disillusionment that has led too many of us to give up on ourselves and each other.
Despite the result of this election, in my opinion it would only be a real loss if we had run away from the hope that makes losing so painful. To me, the only failure would have been turning away – turning away from the possibility of grief, and thus not responding to our shared, underlying passion to make things right. We can't be real "warriors" unless we also embrace the risks we take by going into battle. And so we rolled up our sleeves and got to work all those months ago. This campaign has been about a shared commitment to justice and equality, and our shared hope for the future.
We knew this would be an uphill fight, but we are turning the tide. On Election Day we scored important victories, and assured that Vermont’s strong voice will continue to be heard in the US House and Senate. Here at home we still have work to do, and I remain convinced that the next two years hold real opportunity.
As a matter of fact, thanks to the hard work and support of voters and volunteers across the state, there is now a veto-proof majority in the state legislature, making real progress possible.
There is still important work to be done. Vermonters deserve real solutions when it comes to health care, energy, education, agriculture and all the other critical issues facing our state. Our focus must now shift to the work done in the Statehouse. By staying engaged, connecting with your state legislators, and speaking out, you can shape the critical pieces of legislation that will be drafting in the coming weeks and months. We don’t have to wait to make progress – change starts with each and every one of us.
Thank you. Whether you gave your time, energy, or dollars to the effort, I am honored that you made the choice to support my campaign. To all of you who have shown how much you believe in me, please know that I believe in you. I believe in Vermont. We are a great state of wonderful, resourceful, inventive, compassionate people. I am proud to be a Vermonter. |
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