Thank you
My campaign to be the next US Senator for Massachusetts is over.
And before I go any farther, I want to say: thank you.
Thank you to my volunteers, who dedicated time and heart and energy to a campaign they always knew faced long odds.
Thank you to my supporters, who dared to believe that change is possible.
Thank you to the people who gave me a chance. To the group organizers – DTC Chairs, Indivisible leaders, and so many others – who gave me the opportunity to share my vision with their members. And thank you to those who came with an open mind, heard me out, then chose not to support me. Our democracy functions best when voters consider all candidates and come to informed decisions.
Thank you to my kids, who – young as they are – cheered me on and never complained about all the missed dinners and bedtimes.
Thank you to my parents, who raised me to stand up and fight for what’s right. Even amid extraordinary demands in their own lives, they were always there for whatever I needed, and I could not have run for office without their guidance, support, and encouragement.
And thank you to my wife, without whom literally none of this would have been possible. Leslie, you, more than anyone else, upended your entire world because you believed in and supported this vision.
Thank you.
It didn’t end the way we hoped, but we also accomplished some incredible things.
Over the course of a year, I drove nearly 20,000 miles around this Commonwealth – the equivalent of driving from Boston to L.A. seven times – to make 235 public appearances, join in over 60 protests, and participate in over 70 town hall-style forums, for a total of more than 175 campaign speeches.
This campaign reached tens of thousands of voters across the state, and our message was resonating. One major poll showed that half of the voters who had heard of me were planning on voting for me in the primary – the highest rate in the poll.
And we did it all with less than 2% of the fundraising of our more prominent competitors.
But more important than the miles, the polling, or the fundraising – I believe this campaign advanced the conversation.
This campaign focused on two main tenets. First, that members of Congress must respond to this administration’s attacks on democracy in stronger and more concrete ways. Second, that structural reform is foundational to achieving policy objectives. That means that Democrats must prioritize Supreme Court reform, campaign finance reform, protecting our elections and the right to vote, and ensuring accountability for those who abuse their power. We also led the way on calling to abolish ICE, for impeachment, and for more vocal defense of the LGBTQ+ community.
A note about money.
We ran a shoestring campaign and were careful with every dollar. We did not, however, raise enough to cover all costs.
Now that this campaign is over, we have cancelled all recurring donations and will not actively fundraise. However, we are permitted to continue accepting donations – so we will leave the donate link active, below, and hope you will consider a final donation.
To everyone who powered this campaign – I am incredibly grateful. I don’t think I will ever be able to describe the feeling of a complete stranger deciding they believed in me enough to invest their discretionary time or income when there are so many other places those resources could go. It’s a profound trust you put in me.