In the lead up to Virginia’s elections, I read with great interest and admiration the multiple diaries by SquireForYou, aka Kellen Squire, candidate for Virginia House of Delegates District 58. His belief in the importance of delivering a Democratic message to voters, even in rural conservative territory, was inspiring. And I was struck by his observation that many of the people to whom he spoke had never considered voting for a Democrat in large part because — before him — no Democrat had bothered to ask them for their vote.
I wish the election for District 58 had the perfect Hollywood ending with Squire pulling out a shocking victory to win the seat in Republican territory. That wasn’t the case, as incumbent Robert Bell won 62%-38%. But yesterday was still a victory for Kellen Squire and what he fought for.
He gave 11,788 Virginians in his district the chance to vote for Democratic values. And presumably, nearly all of those 11,788 voters that he gave voice to were part of building the statewide wave that carried Democrats to victory in the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Attorney General races.
He forced Republicans to defend one of their strongholds in District 58, which means the GOP had to spread its resources more broadly, likely helping with other competitive races which may give Democrats a tie or even control of the House of Delegates.
He helped give voice to Democratic values as part of a broader statewide conversation — and that conversation led to those values winning overwhelmingly last night.
Howard Dean was an advocate for the 50 state strategy. We need to take that mindset and apply it not just in all 50 states but in every district and county across the country. When Democrats compete for elections and put our vision out as an alternative to Trumpism; when we take that fight and that message to every part of our country; and when we do the hard work of turning our voters out — we WILL win. Not every battle, but we can win the war.
Yesterday was a great victory for Democrats in Virginia and beyond — and Kellen Squire (along with colleagues fighting similar uphill battles in neighboring districts) was a vital part of making it happen.
SquireForYou — thank you for the blood, sweat and tears you put into this campaign. Walking a district, knocking on doors, and fighting for Democratic values in heavily Republican territory must often feel like a thankless job. It shouldn’t be thankless. So from this Kossack in Colorado (but who formerly worked in NoVa and has family in SW Virginia) — THANK YOU!
Wednesday, Nov 8, 2017 · 5:32:34 PM +00:00
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RockyMtnHigh
Kellen Squire sent the following message to his supporters (thanks fcvaguy for sharing in the comments):
To everyone who donated to my campaign, knocked doors, made phone calls, wrote postcards, and brought a friend to the poll, I want to express my sincere thanks. Although we fell short of winning the House of Delegates seat in Virginia's 58th district, we made a difference.
We built a team and trained volunteers who will carry that knowledge to the next race progressives decide to challenge. And our run was a wake-up call to the incumbent, who was not used to being challenged. Because we ran, he spent approximately half a million dollars defending his seat— money that would have gone to other statewide Republican candidates. And it looks like the Democrats may pick up 16 house seats, in addition to holding the Governorship, Lt. Governorship, and Attorney General spots. While I'm personally disappointed, it was still a great night for Virginia!
I am going to take some time off to spend with my wife and children and catch up on things before I think about what the future might hold. I'm grateful for your support.
Sincerely,
Kellen Squire, RN