To the editor: Thank you for your support in the Vermont Primary

I am deeply grateful to everyone who supported my campaign for Vermont Senate. Your support came in many forms: doors knocked, phone calls made, lawn signs planted, contributions sent  and, maybe most meaningful of all, the countless quiet but heartfelt expressions of encouragement I received along the way.

I entered this race in part because I believed the people of southern Windsor County and Senate District deserve a strong voice for the particular concerns, experiences and perspective of our communities.

The results on Primary Night confirmed that this representation matters. I was humbled to receive the most votes in seven Windsor County towns and the second-most votes in an eighth. My neighbors and my community stood behind this campaign, and I will never forget that.

We were not able to break through sufficiently in the Upper Valley and, in the end, I finished just 146 votes short of becoming one of the three Democratic nominees for the Vermont Senate.

This margin is within the range that could permit a recount. But Vermont’s elections depend upon the extraordinary care and integrity of our town clerks, election officials and poll workers, many of whom labor long hours with little recognition to make our elections safe, fair and reliable. I am grateful for their work, and I respect that Windsor Senate District voters have made their choice.

This election may have ended, but my work does not.

The concerns that brought me into this race remain, as do the communities whose voices deserve to be heard in Montpelier. I will find new pathways to give voice to the unique hopes and challenges of southern Windsor County.

Campaigns may be measured in votes, but they are remembered in honest conversations in kitchens and on porches, at town meetings and transfer stations, on sidewalks and dirt roads. I leave this campaign grateful for those conversations, deeply proud of the support we earned, and more convinced than ever that southern Windsor County has something important to contribute.

Finally, I want to congratulate the Democratic nominees on their Primary wins. I wish them the best as they proceed to the General Election.