Primary Election Night Speech – Say “No More” to Far Right Fran

Are you ready to tell the Gold Dome that big change is coming?

I’m ready too.  I’ll tell you why.

Our community is diverse and thrives on embracing diversity. And yet, our legislators put forward legislation that threatens immigrants and makes it harder for minorities to vote.

Our community values the freedom to live our lives without discrimination. And yet, our State Senate voted to legalize discrimination against LGBTQ families who foster and adopt children in Georgia.

We cherish our children. And yet, our legislators have made it clear that they consider the murder of our children an acceptable sacrifice for their freedom to carry AR-15s — weapons of war — into schools, bars, churches, and businesses.

How has our leadership become so out-of-touch with humanity? Why do they ignore our voices when we say we want change?

Extreme partisan gerrymandering has pushed our democracy into dysfunction.

We need to take redistricting out of the hands of the legislature and into the hands of a non-partisan commission. We need to restore integrity to our elections by demanding a paper trail of our votes and making voting easier, not harder, for working people.

We must address our country’s wealth inequality by ensuring affordable housing and childcare, jobs that pay a living wage, and debt-free higher education that can be paid for with a minimum wage job.

Every single K – 12 school needs the resources to provide a safe, quality education no matter the neighborhood it serves.

We need to expand Medicaid to include more families, and create a public option buy-in that allows anyone to purchase government healthcare when the cost of their private policy jeopardizes their financial well-being.

We need to end the War on Drugs, decriminalize marijuana, and stop the gravy train for for-profit prisons by rolling back mass incarceration.

We need leaders who will call out systemic racism, and work to address inequalities.

We need leaders who will say that Black Lives Matter!

Mine is not the only candidacy seeking to repair the extraordinary damage that Sen. Fran Millar and other pro-Trump politicians are causing. Candidates all over the state have stepped up to win this fight.

Why? Because we refuse to let our leaders drag our laws back in time to the pre-civil rights era. We don’t all come from the same backgrounds or share the same challenges. We don’t all start life on the same playing field. If elected to represent you in the Georgia Senate, I promise you this:

I will work for you. I will ask hard questions to keep the promise of equality and progress that our people value. I will demand that your representatives treat you with respect, and address your fears.

Above all else, I will stand up and fight systemic oppression – including the lack of action in the face of the massacre of our schoolchildren. I will not stand for miscarriages of justice, where poor citizens are treated like the enemy. I will fight the denial of basic rights, like those of our citizens to vote. I will not accept the inattention and lack of compassion for the needs of women, children, and the elderly.

Together, we can achieve healthcare for all. We can raise the minimum wage. We can end the War on Drugs. We can provide affordable education. We can prevent school shootings.

We say “no more” to the far-right and to Fran Millar. We say it’s time for a change. We are ready to help Fran Millar box up his office at the Capitol.

We have some work ahead of us. If you can, make a donation and/or sign up to volunteer today to help us hit the ground running.

—Sally

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We Did It!

Our hard work has paid off. Results came in slowly last night, but by the early morning hours it became clear we had won — with 67% of the vote! And Democrat turnout shattered all expectations, pulling far ahead of Republicans in the district.

And we did it with a team of over 100 volunteers. Data analysts, communication specialists, fundraisers, canvassers, phone bankers, postcard writers, meet & greet hosts, and social media specialists, to name a few. And we had fun doing it!

Winning the primary is just the beginning. Now we will regroup and set our strategy to win in the most flippable State Senate district in Georgia.

Thank you to everyone who helped, including all who have donated money and/or time.

—Sally

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Primaries Make Us Stronger

On May 23rd, Georgia’s 2018 primary will be over. And if you’re feeling like me (and you probably are), you’re ready to put this stage behind you.

Through the years, I’ve seen Democrats fight hard to avoid having primaries. For one, primaries cost money – money that could be used to fight far-right Republican agendas. We need to get ready for the upcoming BIG fight and you can help us start strong! Please make a donation today to help us refill the coffers: Click to Donate.

Secondly, primaries can get ugly, as I know we’re all painfully aware. While there’s no denying that in the short term, difficult primaries can be energy draining, in the long term, I believe that primaries can strengthen parties. Primaries make us think about what we value most. Primaries make us interact — and build something new together, even when we disagree. In the long term, I’d even say that primaries make us better public servants and a better community.

For the last three months, my husband Jay and I, along with dozens of volunteers, have been running a primary campaign. By the time it’s all over, we will have held 25 Meet & Greets and events in people’s homes throughout State Senate District 40. And I have personally spoken with hundreds of our most active community members. We’ve energized each other; we have learned from each other.

During this process, I learned that the values that I hold dear resonate even more now than they did when I entered the Georgia House for the first time in 1999.

There is a rising chorus of voices who believe now more than ever that there IS a positive role for a state government that puts people first; that state government protection IS critical for our those of our citizens who are threatened with racism, xenophobia, and homophobia.

We agree that laws don’t have to choose between self interest and selflessness. Our state laws should enable good opportunities for our community and DO good for our community.

I’ve learned that residents of State Senate District 40 really care about protecting public education, providing affordable healthcare to all, and coming together to deal with our traffic woes.

I’ve also added a few things to the list from our discussions: People in communities across Senate District 40 want to make sure affordable housing remains available. They want better schools and smaller prisons, and decriminalization of marijuana. They demand social justice for the incarcerated and improved public safety. They strongly believe in common sense gun reform. And they want our senior citizens and our citizens with disabilities to be cared for in a dignified, compassionate way.

They want to show the rest of the country and the world, who Georgians really are – kind, entrepreneurial, hard working, and welcoming.

No matter the outcome of the primary election, the benefits of these gatherings have made a lasting impact on me, and I hope the direction of our party.

Are you ready for May 22 and the important work we all have to do after?

I am. Let’s do this.

—Sally

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