Thank you

No matter how many times I step to the podium or go to the voting booth, I never take it for granted. [Jumaane for Governor of New York](#) {NAME}, Thank you! No matter how many times I step to the podium or go to the voting booth, I never take it for granted. The office I hold, the people who have helped me to get there, who put their faith and their love and their time and their effort into changing New York for the better. I can’t thank you all enough for this privilege, to be your voice and vessel for change through public service. My pride and gratitude at all we’ve accomplished together so far is matched only by my excitement and determination toward what we can and must and will do moving forward. We knew from Day 1 that this campaign would be an uphill climb. But every path I’ve taken, every campaign I’ve run, has been uphill. It’ll always be that way. The path to progress is always an uphill one, because when it comes to the challenges facing working families across our state, uphill is where the source of those struggles reside. It's where the power has been concentrated for so long. As I look across the state and nation, I’m fearful for the future, for my family and for families across New York. The gravity of the moment threatens to pull us further down the hill, and especially now, it can feel like every day we take a step back, every day we have to fight harder not just to move forward, but to hold onto what we have against attacks from the right wing and a court that executes their right-wing agenda. That’s why I undertook this campaign, and why even as it’s ending, the work continues. I said at the start of this journey that I’m always moving -- and I’m going to keep moving. I'm committed to moving us forward, while some are trying to drag us back and others are content with the status quo. I won’t settle for less than what each and every person in our state deserves. I won’t let injustice and inequity shape the world my daughters will soon inherit. In the face of the problems before us it can be hard to see the progress of the past. But in the dozen years since I took office, we have come so far together. We have done so much together. We have headed uphill and surmounted obstacles to create change and pursue justice together. And, if past is prologue, we have so much more to do, and to win, together. It’s humbling to be a member of this movement. My first campaign was for school board, and I came in 12th out of 13. My first race for Council, I wore holes in my only pair of nice shoes from walking the block, introducing myself to the neighborhood. Yesterday, I voted for myself for Governor of the State of New York. So did more than 165,000 New Yorkers. More than 165,000 New Yorkers voted for transformational change. We know that Governor Hochul will be the candidate representing the Democratic Party on the ballot this fall. But it’s also clear that as Democrats, we need to redefine what we represent. We can’t just be not-Republicans -- we have to be unafraid to say what we believe, what we envision, what we’ll work for. As we’ve seen in just the last few days, we can’t rely on being reactive. We have to be proactive -- we have to be progressive. I’m a Democrat because I believe that government can be a force for good in people’s lives. I’m a Working Families Democrat because I believe it has an obligation to do so, with equity and justice at its center. And I believe, as a member of the party, that we can be better. That we have to be. We can create transformational change in the state by changing the way politics works in our party and our state. I hope that this campaign has been part of that, and that true reform is coming. It is a privilege to serve New York, and I’m committed to using my own privilege to be the voice of the people. I’m your Public Advocate, and in that role, I’m going to continue to work. To reimagine public safety, so that New Yorkers feel safe and ARE safe. To build a transformative economy that centers working people, not just the wealthy. I don’t know exactly what the future holds for New York, but I know where I’ll be -- in my office and in the streets, using what I have to offer to do the most good for the most people. Today, we can feel disappointed -- that’s okay. Tomorrow we have to take the cause back uphill -- we cannot wait, we cannot stand still, because the challenges our city faces are too great. Before I sign off on this long but personal message to you, {NAME}, and all our incredible supporters in this campaign, I hope you’ll give me a little more space to share some thanks. I have so much gratitude that I need to get out. I thank my mom -- my own personal advocate -- my sister, Jeanine, my wife India, my two beautiful daughters and my father who transitioned years ago but who I know would be proud today. I want to thank all of the elected leaders who stood with me in this race. Thank you to my incredible campaign staff, who fought this fight with less sleep and more passion and dedication than you can imagine. Thanks to the community leaders, organizations, political clubs, and newspapers that gave me their endorsement, including my friends at the Working Families Party. Thank you to my incredible running mate, Ana María Archila, for coming on this journey and bringing radical energy and joy to this campaign. As Democrats, we stand with the people that our systems have left behind. With workers. With LGBTQ New Yorkers. With immigrants. With parents. With women. With communities of more color and less resources. With students and teachers. And with all New Yorkers asking for better. We stand for justice. For livable wages and liveable neighborhoods. For environmental and economic justice. For abortion rights. For quality transportation. For true public safety and public accountability. For justice. For an end to gun violence. For deeply affordable housing. We stand with the powerless and up to the powerful. And when someone is under attack -- we stand in the way. I will not stand still. WE will not stand still. And as we stand, looking up that hill, ready to continue our climb, that march -- I’m so moved. Because in this movement, we’re standing together. Thank you for all you did for our campaign and for everything you do in the fight for change. -Jumaane Paid for by PAID FOR BY JUMAANE FOR NEW YORK P.O. Box 100323, Brooklyn, NY 11210  Sent via [ActionNetwork.org](. To update your email address, change your name or address, or to stop receiving emails from Jumaane For New York, please [click here](.