05/22/2024
To say that I am disappointed in the outcome of yesterday’s election is an understatement, but I am not disappointed in myself, or the campaign I ran. I campaigned as I served, first on the Smyrna City Council, and for the past 7 years in the Georgia House: with integrity, with honesty, with fairness, with intelligence – and with a lot of hard work.
This is a setback, but as far as setbacks go, things could be a whole lot worse. When I entered politics, I was heavily pregnant with my second child. That tiny baby girl turned sixteen years ago a few months ago, and she will always serve as a reminder to me of not only why I ran for office in the first place, but why it is critical that we – as a community, as a state, and as a nation – continue to fight for the rights of every girl and woman in our society. My prayer for my colleagues in the Georgia House of Representatives is that they continue this relentless work on my behalf.
Democracy is not a meritocracy, and with this loss, I am indeed in good company. This will be a transition for me, but I have no doubt that I will continue to work for Georgians, and for the Smyrna and Cobb community that I so love, and that has given me so much.
Upon this reflection, I’m reminded of the late Texas Governor Ann Richards. Witnessing her political ascent when I was a teenage girl in Texas changed the course of my life, and I will continue to look to her as a model as I discern what’s next for me.
In a 1995 speech (so, after her reelection loss to George W. Bush), she quoted Virginia Woolf, who wrote, "There they go -- our brothers, mounting those steps, passing in and out of those doors, ascending those pulpits teaching, preaching, administering justice, making money -- a procession like that is always a solemn sight. And there traipsing along at the tail end we go. And that makes a difference. We too can lead the house, can mount those steps, can pass in and out of those doors and administer justice and make money, but we have got to ask ourselves on what terms shall we join this procession?"
Ann Richards continued, “In an incredibly short time, we have moved from watching at the end of the procession, and now we move with our brothers to the head of the procession into leadership. And what, Virginia might ask, are our terms? Of the procession we ask only that our perspective as women be valued. But of ourselves we ask that our participation make our society more just, make it more humane, make our government more determined to meet the needs of all human beings who live in it…it is not matriarchy we're after. It is something far more important. It is a better world for ourselves, for our daughters, for our granddaughters and for our sons.”
My service to my community helped make Georgia a more just and humane society, and for that I will always be proud.
Thank you, most of all, to my husband and to my children, who have sacrificed the most on my behalf. Thanks to all of you for your support, for the outpouring of love I have received from my friends and colleagues, and thank you to the incredible team that I am so fortunate to have worked alongside these past few months. I love you all.
