On Thursday, February 5th, I learned that Alan Augustson, my principal opponent in the special Green primary in Illinois’s 5th congressional district, has decided to drop out of the race due to personal family issues.
I would like to extend my best wishes to Alan and his wife as they navigate these trying times, and I look forward to working with him in the future on our common goals of peace, workers’ rights and economic and ecological sustainability.
His departure from the race leaves my campaign as the clear-cut favorite to win the Green primary. This also means that we have lots of work to do. It is up to us to carry on Alan’s work of developing the Green Party both locally and nationally. It is our responsibility to campaign vigorously in these coming weeks, so as to give visibility to the aforementioned issues.
I know that my organization will rise to the occasion and successfully run one of the most effective Green campaigns for Congress this nation has ever seen. We will continue to build broad-reaching alliances of people opposed to empire, opposed to these criminal Wall St. bailouts, and opposed to the continuous assaults on our civil liberties. Together, we will knock on every door in the district, we will be present at community functions from bowling nights to ward meetings, and we will raise the stakes and threaten the Democrats on April 7th.
When people ask what my goal is in this election, I respond: "I am in it to win it, and I will be America’s first Green Congressman."
Thank you for your continued interest in this campaign.
Sincerely,
Matt Reichel
matt@mattreichel.us