Dear Friends,
Last night, our 100% positive, issue-based campaign carried the day with a resounding victory! I'm humbled and so grateful to supporters like you who made it happen.
With all precincts reporting, we finished well ahead of the rest of the field with 37.3% of the vote. Moreover, our strong margin of victory means that we will avoid a divisive Democrat v. Democrat runoff, which some thought was inevitable under the new "top two" primary system. Congratulations to Republican Dan Roberts, who finished second with 15.3% and will advance to November.
After more than a year of campaigning, the reality of this victory -- the fact that we are a giant leap closer to representing the North Coast in Congress -- is still sinking in for me. There's a saying in Humboldt County, "Onward through the fog." That's going to be my mantra for the next few days!
But one thing is very clear: my enormous gratitude to the thousands of people who contributed in so many ways to this victory. From the bottom of my heart, thank you!
We've set the bar high by running a positive campaign focused on the issues and the importance of getting Congress back to the business of solving problems instead of just fighting about them. We've built an exceptionally broad base of support by reaching out to the whole community and trying to bring people together instead of pitting them against each other.
Now, let's carry these same messages forward to the November election, and ultimately to Congress!
I want to thank all of my opponents in this race. Running for Congress, especially in a huge diverse district like this, is not for the feint of heart. It takes guts, hard work, and a major commitment of time, resources, and emotional capital. Each of my opponents ran with passion and they challenged me to be the best candidate I could be, which in turn will make me a better Congressman. They deserve our respect and appreciation.
Finally, as we turn our focus to November, I have one easy request of all of you to help keep this campaign going strong: Let's be the first campaign to take down our signs! I can't think of a better way to punctuate our clean campaign and set the tone for November. Whether you have a sign in your yard or not, you can help -- please see the side bar for details!
This is an exciting moment, a great honor for me and my family, and a terrific team victory.
Onward through the fog!
My very best to you,
Jared Huffman
