It is difficult to wrap-up a year’s worth of work and a personal dream to change Georgia through elected office in one email. But I write to share some thoughts and say thank you to all the supporters, volunteers, staff and voters who helped make this campaign for Georgia Secretary of State one of the greatest experiences of my life.
I launched the campaign a year ago, offering a vision of a “new way forward” for voters in Georgia. My candidacy was met with a range of skepticism and curiosity having never run for office before, setting off without the support of major party figures or the personal war chest that other candidates would dump into the race. But in just one year we built a grassroots movement that inspired people to believe candidates exist who care about making a difference and offer plans to make Georgia better in real ways.
The support of tireless volunteers and staff inspired me to keep going, traveling more than 33,000 miles across Georgia and finding out what people really needed. Our state truly is extraordinary, with great diversity among our people and physical spaces. But as I grew fond of saying, no matter how different, Georgians are all the same. We want safe families, good jobs and a future that is better than our past.
The hard work paid off, leading to numerous endorsements, support from unexpected corners and 53,001 votes on Election Day. I entered the race to win and become the Democratic nominee. So earning 15.5 percent of the vote is a tough pill to swallow. But the countless calls, emails and Facebook posts this past week helped me to realize that my odyssey was impressive considering we were outspent nearly three-to-one by the top vote getters and began without the name identification associated with their political resumes.
Results aside, I prefer to think of this race in terms of the profound impact it had on my life. I’ve spent a career trying to engage people in the civic process, lecturing that people participate when they feel a connection to something – they will take action when government has meaning to their daily lives and offers tangible solutions to the problems in their world. We didn’t have the money for robo-calls or newspaper, TV or radio advertising. We relied on the Internet and kneecap-to-kneecap conversations to share my vision with voters.
I saw firsthand how discussing Georgia’s challenges and tangible solutions excited people and got them to support my campaign. And that is what led to receiving more than 50,000 votes – real people talking about real problems and real solutions. Voter turnout was low, which is a troubling indicator of civic health. But I am buoyed that people do care and will participate because of what I saw first-hand on the campaign trail.
Increased civic participation will not result unless government and our politics change. It’s time for citizens to challenge the candidates running for office in the General Election. Share your concerns, ask tough questions and force them to provide real solutions to the problems facing Georgia – not partisanship and platitudes. We have tremendous chances to regain the moniker “engine of the new south.” But it will require real leadership and active participation from every citizen across Georgia.
I am not sure what is next for me personally and will be certain to keep you posted. I turn the page and enter the next chapter after what was simultaneously the most challenging and rewarding year of my life. I will always remember the kind words and truly unexpected displays of support from so many people in this state. We started with nothing but a vision and a commitment to run a positive, issues-driven campaign. In the end, I gained far more than was sacrificed – new friends, memories and renewed confidence that individuals can make a difference in politics, policy and peoples’ lives.
Thank you for all the support, it means more to me than you will likely ever know. And I hope you will continue to engage in the civic process – voting, getting involved in community groups and standing up to demand more from your elected officials. That is how we will make Georgia better. That is how we deliver a new way forward.
Retire the Debt
The Primary Election consumed all our human and financial capital and we ended up over-extending in the fight to win the Democratic nomination. We ultimately have a $6,645 budget deficit. Please consider making a donation today to help retire the Mills campaign debt.