Well, the results came in yesterday, and it didn't seem like we reached enough voters in time- I won't be moving past the primary.  But still, coming within 50 votes of the 3 establishment candidates who have lived in the ward for ten to twenty times longer than I have, on my first try, is something to be proud of.

Thank you to everyone who helped my campaign, and thank you especially to the people who voted for me.  One young lady, Miranda, stopped by at the polls and told me that this was the first time she had voted, and the reason she did is because I had personally stopped at her house, something no other politician had ever done. 

Because of people like Miranda, who would never have seen anyone running for state rep except for at the polls waving a sign, I've made a decision. 

Even though we didn't pass the primary, this site will stay up.  I'll keep updating it and my public facebook account, so Ward 4 voters will have SOMEPLACE to share their concerns and receive information. 

And, come spring, I'm going to keep walking the ward, talking to voters, hearing their concerns and solving their problems, where I can.  We're going into very tough times, where hard decisions that have been put off for years or decades will have to be made.  That means we will have to know our neighbors and be prepared to help out, and let state government know where our priorities are, loudly and clearly.

So for now, my wife and I will return home and do the things which we've put off for the last 3 months of the campaign, things that give life purpose.  All in all, it's been great fun meeting citizens of the ward face to face, hearing their stories, and finding common ground.  So I plan to keep doing it. 

Anyone is free to contact me with Ward issues they would like discussed, and we'll go from there. 

-Shuvom