A final word of thanks, and a request

Dear Friends,

After a harrowing week of dealing with major Election Day mishaps, the last of the provisional votes has finally been counted. The official results are now posted, and unfortunately our campaign for the House of Delegates has fallen just a little short.

I want to thank you again, from the bottom of my heart.

In the final tally, we lost by less than two percent of the vote. This is a tremendous moral victory for a first-time candidate running a grassroots campaign against several formidable opponents.
I want to salute all of the other candidates, and I look forward to joining together with them to continue our fight for education, traffic relief, public safety, the environment, health care, and civil rights. I am very grateful to the thousands of voters who shared their thoughts with me as I walked door- to-door across Rockville, Gaithersburg, and Garrett Park. I am grateful to the organizations and individuals who endorsed me -- including the Washington Post, the National Organization for Women of Montgomery County, NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland, the Montgomery College Democrats, and former Rockville Mayor Steve VanGrack. And I am extraordinarily grateful to the scores of people who offered their volunteer time and their financial support.

In a recent Gazette article, incumbent Delegate Luiz Simmons was kind enough to express his confidence that I will "one day" be a wonderful addition to the delegation in Annapolis. Until then, I will be working to elect our Democratic nominees this November and beyond. While I congratulate and support all of our nominees, I strongly encourage you to support two candidates who face particularly close races: Ben Cardin for the United States Senate and Martin O'Malley for governor. The future of our state depends on their victory.

As an election law advocate and an attorney, I also strongly urge you to consider voting by Absentee Ballot this November. It is the only way to ensure a paper trail for your vote. And in light of the major Election Day debacle in September, there is no guarantee that Election Day in November will go smoothly. Click here to apply for an Absentee Ballot. (It only takes a minute.)

I look back upon this campaign with no regrets, remembering Teddy Roosevelt's famous quote about the "man in the arena." Please stay in touch, and I look forward to seeing you out in our community as we work together to improve the quality of life for Montgomery County and Maryland. Again, thank you for all your support.

Sincerely,
 

Ryan S. Spiegel
Democrat for Maryland House of Delegates, District 17