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A MESSAGE FROM SARA
 Dear Friends,
It's been a month since the election and although my life is not entirely back to normal, I
didn't want too much time to go by without thanking all of for your part in my incredible journey as a candidate for State Senate. If there is anything I know for sure about being a
candidate, it's that you always feel that there is too much to do and not enough time. I can now wake up without my heart racing, feeling like I have somewhere to be—either at a
train station greeting potential voters, checking email to make sure nothing drastic had happened overnight, writing a letter, drafting a speech or studying an issue.
The morning after the election, I sat still – taking in all of the highs, the lows, the
disappointment, the relief, the sadness, and the unknown of what my next steps would be. In one day, it all stopped except for those great notes, encouraging letters and even
flowers from you that kept that day, and many since, moving along.
It was hard to write this letter without thinking of what might have been, but it has also
provided a great opportunity to shed a few tears and smile at some special memories. And
in the quiet came the realization of a gift I hadn't unpacked yet. When I was in college, I was a communications major before going into
psychology. I interned at the local television station in North Carolina and wrote many news pieces and airing a few stories on issues of the
day. At the end of my internship, my supervisor gave me my evaluation and although there were many good points, I only remembered the
negative. He said I wouldn't make it in broadcast journalism because of my Spanish accent. Unfortunately, I believed him and decided to get
out of journalism and into psychology since it had been my minor. I never regretted my choice to enter psychology, but I do regret that I
allowed his judgment about there being only one 'right way' to get from point A to Point B to bring an end to that dream.
I thought I had stopped allowing other people to define me, but, in January, when I decided to run for this seat his voice came back and I
was full of fear for all the reasons why I shouldn't run and how humiliating this whole experience might be for me and my family. But what
could've been a dead end, was a trajectory into one of the greatest experiences of my life, marked by possibility and opportunity. It has been
about the stories of people I had never met who now are part of me. It has been about hope and despair, laughter, exhaustion, fear, joy, and humility. It has been about courage—not just mine - but yours.
It takes commitment and dedication to volunteer for a campaign and faith to work hard for something you're told is against the odds. You
could have easily ignored this call for help, but you didn't. You were there making calls, holding signs, donating money, praying, recruiting
friends and neighbors. I thank you for what you did for me and I am grateful for what you gave my kids. Seeing their mother run for office is
one thing, but they also saw virtual strangers with signs on their lawns, stickers on their cars, and giving up their Saturday mornings to hold
signs for their mother at the dump. For my sons, your actions were a lesson in generosity and community and, for that, I thank you from the
bottom of my heart. Your support, belief, and inspiration have silenced the discouragement of my old supervisor once and for all. You
reminded me that courage is more powerful than fear and much more rewarding and contagious. Thank you for believing in me, for asking how
you could help, and for following this through to the end. I'm especially indebted to my tireless staff and volunteers - many of whom had
never worked on a campaign before. You made each success and small miracle along the way possible. I look forward to our next chapter together.
With gratitude and respect,
Sara
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