Eric Massa's Concession

[NOTE: Taken from Eric Massa's campaign website]

A Brighter Future

Now that the vast majority of the votes have been re-canvassed, and the counting of the absentee ballots is well underway, it is clear that the initial results of the election will not change. The owners of this democracy have spoken and I would like to wish Congressman Kuhl and his team the best of luck with the important work that still lies ahead.

Two years ago, when we started this journey, no one believed we would come this far. Regardless of the outcome, I still feel that this election has been a victory for all of us who believe in a brighter future for the 29th District and for the United States of America.

This was a district where a single party felt comfortable for two decades—this district had even been redrawn to make it more reliably partisan—but we proved everyone wrong. Regardless of what the pundits in Washington say, we proved that this is not a country divided between those with Democratic values and those with Republican values. This is a country united behind American values.

We changed the way politics work in this District. We raised more money than any Democrat has ever raised in the New York 29th. We raised more money than any House race has ever raised without taking donations from corporate PACs. We proved that you can run a clean race, focus on the issues, and reach out across party lines—and still be competitive.

Even though we did not retake this seat, our efforts in this campaign were not in vain. We were an integral part of the nationwide momentum that has once again allowed the Democrats to retake the Congress. Single-party rule has ended. The Bush Administration’s radical agenda will be subject to Congressional scrutiny and oversight. Rubber-stamp representation will be replaced by real accountability. That is something of which we can all truly be proud.

I look forward to continuing the work we started. This is still my home and I remain completely committed to doing everything within my power to make this a better place to live, learn, and work. My reasons for running have not changed—I still believe that our troops deserve leadership that understands the costs of war; I still believe that we have a duty to honor and care for our veterans; I still believe we should ensure health care for all Americans; I still believe we need to create more living wage jobs here at home. As I look to the weeks and months ahead, I hope to find a way that I can continue to work on behalf of our community.

Once more, thank you to everyone who supported my campaign. Thank you for your time, your contributions, your labor, and your enthusiasm. Thank you for believing in a new course for this country and a brighter future for this district. Thank you, most of all, for getting involved in the process. It is people like you who make the system work—who make democracy possible—and it is to you that we all owe a great debt.

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