Archive for November, 2006
Please join me in congratulating Senator-elect Jim Webb and Democratic challengers and activists across the country! Thanks in no small part to the hard work of legions of grassroots volunteers like you who gave their time and energy to this fight for progress, the American people have taken the first steps toward putting our country back on track. Not only did we win decisive control of the House of Representatives, but Jim Webb’s victory over George Allen was the final step toward winning back control of the Senate. (While a recount is almost certain, I’m confident in Jim Webb’s victory.) Our challenge now is to govern well and to show the American people that competent leaders focused on sound, compassionate, progressive public policy can strengthen our country and improve people’s lives.
My own joy over yesterday’s result is tempered by our failure to defeat Question 1. Dozens of Team Englin’s grassroots volunteers made thousands of phone calls from our home trying to beat back this bigotry. It means so much to our family that so many of you were willing to give your time and energy to come to our home and fight for basic human dignity and freedom. While our side lost the fight on Tuesday, this is just the beginning. When the General Assembly convenes in January, I will sponsor a constitutional amendment to repeal this one . I expect it will died in subcommittee, but we’ve got to start somewhere, and it’s important for people to know that this isn’t the last word. We have now activated thousands of pro-equality grassroots volunteers across the state whom we will tap into to make progress on these issues as we move forward, which gives me great hope for the future.
As we now look to the future, we must never forget that we’re all in this together, bound to one another, and together we must make government work for people to strengthen our country and our communities and make real the promise of freedom.
As always, if there’s ever anything I can do to serve you better, don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Sincerely Yours,
Campaign Central was bursting at the seams last night with grassroots volunteers making hundreds of phone calls to get out the vote to defeat Question 1. Many thanks to Karen Gautney, Claire Dunn, and other volunteers from the Alexandria Office on Women, who sponsored the evening, which saw nearly 30 people — including more than a dozen new volunteers — doing the hard grassroots work necessary to win.
“It means so much to our family that you’re willing to give your time and energy to come to our home and fight for the future,” said David, thanking the volunteers. “The momentum is shifting, and thanks to you doing the hard — and often tedious — work necessary to reach out to individual voters, I’m confident 
that we’re going to surprise a lot of people on Tuesday. Thank you for everything you’re doing to push Virginia and America to live up to our founding creed.”
Join us at Campaign Central (1505 Wayne Street, Alexandria) on Sunday and Monday evenings to Get Out the Vote! Contact us at info@davidenglin.org to let us know you’re coming.
