Not included here is that I ended with a strong statement that I won’t give up and asking the voters not to give up either.

I got into the race to be a catalyst to try to get people to act for what we need now in a major election year when it can have a greater chance of creating needed changes. That prompting has worked in getting people to consider not just supporting business as usual. Without me in the race, we need to make this into an opportunity for all of us to move for more fundamental changes of direction in our state as whole. Lets not miss this opportunity even if it is not by working to get me elected (although, believe it or not, there are those who want to push a draft-Grace, write-in campaign…)

The anger on the ground is real – and I am asking you to help us shift the ground under the feet of our present leaders. I am asking you to stay in the organizing and electoral work needed to bring the attention of all our sisters and brothers in the Commonwealth back onto a demand for shared responsibility and the common good.

• Please contact us if you want me to speak anywhere or join your efforts to improve some aspect of our lives. • Please consider purchasing my book, Main Street Smarts, when it is published in the coming weeks. • Don’t allow the conversations around you to become about blaming different groups – help shift them toward demanding that our government become about the needs of regular people again. • Don’t allow government leaders to tell you there is not enough money or jobs to meet the needs of regular people until they stop the tax breaks to big corporations – especially if the executives of those corporations then give them money! • Don’t allow government leaders to say we have to cut healthcare or housing or jobs and services until they have moved to policies like medicare-for-all, end the policies that let lenders destroy our neighbors and our neighborhoods, and other reforms that improve quality while decreasing costs. • And please, be in touch if you are willing to join our efforts to get real affordable healthcare for ALL of us, reverse the foreclosure crisis and fight for a healthier environment.

I am not going away and don’t you either! I will have more thoughts as this settles down, but I am also going to put a significant push into getting the book published so I can get out talking to people again!

IF YOU ARE A DELEGATE: We still need a presence at the Democratic Convention – there are votes there we are going to care about. PLEASE be in touch with us – email campaign@graceross.net so we can make sure you are engaged!

IF YOU CAN VOLUNTEER – we have administrative work, thank-yous and lots of phone calls, driving & other follow-up to complete – PLEASE be in touch!