Cegelis wishes Duckworth luck. ``She's going to need it.'' [View All]

Thank You

First, let me say how much I appreciate every single one of you who have been part of this amazing journey. The hours that you put in, the energy and enthusiasm you brought to this campaign, the affection that you showed me, the encouragement, the prayers, and the trust that you placed in me.

It's been an incredible experience – for all of us. The fact that we're all still standing after everything that we've been through together is a miracle in itself.

But the biggest miracle of all is you. Whatever the numbers show, you have won. Some of you didn't even know each other a few months ago. Some of you have never been involved in a political campaign in your life. Some of you felt disenfranchised or ignored or you just had no faith in the political process. Some of you were there two years ago when I ran the first time, and you're still here.

All of you – old friends, new friends, good friends, best friends – all of you proved something over these past many months. You proved that you are a political force to be reckoned with, and anybody who ignores that fact does so at their own peril. You sent a loud and clear message to the Republican Party and to the Democratic Party.

The Republicans had better watch out in November. And the Democrat leadership had better recognize right now that the real future of this Party isn't going to be determined in Chicago or in Springfield or in Washington .

You and everyone else who's been part of this campaign and who voted for me – YOU are the future of the Democratic Party, and you are the best hope that this nation has to reverse all of the wrong directions that we've been going in.

I spoke with Tammy this morning and wished her luck. She's going to need it. Because she's going to be running against the full force and weight of the Republican Party – not just Peter Roskam, but Dick Cheney, George Bush, Karl Rove, Ken Mehlman and every other Republican leader and every Republican dollar they can get their hands on.

It's not going to be easy. Compared with the general election campaign ahead, this primary campaign was a walk in the park. I had hoped that I would be the one walking out of that park and into the general election, but I wasn't.

I was ready for it…I was ready for anything – because I had you behind me. For that, I will be forever grateful and forever deeply and sincerely amazed.

We can't let whatever it was that brought us all together to somehow get lost or fade away. It was special and it was important because it was real people, average Americans, men and women young and old, with the unmitigated audacity to believe that this was their Congressional District and their country. Imagine that: people trying to take control of their government.

It's still our District, and it's still our country, and, at least on paper, the government still belongs to us. We have to take it back. If not this time, next time. If not then, then the time after. Until then, whenever it is, we just have to keep working at it because if we don't take control, someone else will.

I love all of you, but even more than that, I admire you and I respect you. Let's not lose what we've found. It took too long -- far too long -- to find it in the first place.

Thank you. For everything.

Christine Cegelis
Your Friend & Neighbor

http://www.cegelisforcongress.com/