Press Conference Statement
I’d like to thank you all for attending today.
After reviewing all the information available to us post-election, I have decided not to pursue an election challenge, and I am conceding the April 4th election to Mr. Koos. I congratulate him on his victory and I thank him for his patience as we took steps to evaluate many aspects surrounding the narrow vote margin.
There were many legitimate, unanswered questions concerning the under-voted ballots, and the work we did answered them all. I hope that the steps I and my supporters took to evaluate the results, perform the legal research, and conduct the painstaking analysis serve to reassure the entire community that we have a solid outcome we can depend upon—I want everyone to know that I feel confident of the outcome of the April 4th race.
We approached this task from a research perspective. Our mission during the time we were allotted was to gather information that would be interpreted later. We did not wish to jump to early conclusions. Instead, we took our time to study what we saw, confirm the analysis among several observers, and then frame the most consistent picture we could. From there we decided what the most appropriate next steps would be.
I want to emphasize that at no point did we ever suspect fraudulent behavior. That was never a question, and it was never the purpose of the discovery recount. The integrity of the election has been and is still intact thanks to the careful and deliberate efforts of the county clerk’s office. there is no need for anyone in this community to consider otherwise.
A stated goal of my campaign was to increase voter turnout. We did that by bringing nearly forty percent more people to the polls than in 2013. Another was to raise awareness and understanding of the issues. We succeeded in running an issue- and policy-based campaign that never got personal, and we were able to engage the voters in conversations about our community’s most pressing concerns. The increase we saw in voter count and the close election displayed the success of those goals, and I’m happy about that. The third goal was to win. Well, two out of three ain’t bad!
There is still a third area of success, though. Many people from both campaigns and the clerk’s office commented positively about gaining interesting new insights into our electoral system as a result of this process. So on a personal note, as a teacher, I’m all for experiences that help educate, and opportunities that help us grow and learn. An election as uncomfortably close as this was may not have been anyone’s chosen method of learning. And yet, we can clearly see it as just such an opportunity: If we didn’t know before, we certainly do now, that every vote counts.
In addition, we should note that fifty percent of the voters in this election displayed a different perspective than that of the last Town Council. Those voters have surely gained a voice in the decision-making process, one that should not be lightly discarded. But do not mistake their different perspective for sheer divisiveness. Healthy disagreement can energize a community. It can raise awareness and cast new, fresh light on previous patterns of thinking and planning. To discard such disagreement by simply viewing it negatively robs the community members of deeper engagement. Disagreement is not irresponsible. Disagreement shows interest, passion, and drive. Let’s not discourage it or feel threatened by it, but rather, let’s explore it, be open to it, and see where it can take us.
For the discovery recount process, I want to commend McLean County Clerk Kathy Michael, as well as the Director of Elections Denise Cesario, and their staff for their diligent, focused efforts and their professionalism and courtesy to all parties during this process.
For the campaign, I want to thank my supporters, my contributors, and all the volunteers who worked so hard both during the campaign, and even after that, as we went through the discovery recount.
Thank you to my campaign manager Kyle Casteel for all of his hard work and for rallying his own small army of volunteers. Their energy was a lot of fun and they are a great example of how people with different ideologies can still care about and support one another. They keep me hopeful about our future!
Thank you to our friends and our family members for their prayers and encouragement. Their kindness and love got Tracy and me through at times when we took some political heat.
Finally, I especially want to thank my awesome, amazing, and brilliant wife Tracy, who is still waiting on all the pretty things I promised her, and that day at the spa, which is WAY overdue. She was an essential part of this campaign and she was also my biggest critic. Fortunately, she was also my biggest supporter. I am a far better person because of her. Yep, I’d better get her some pretty things soon.
Again, thank you all. I can’t fully express how deep my appreciation is for all who supported us.
Onward!
After reviewing all the information available to us post-election, I have decided not to pursue an election challenge, and I am conceding the April 4th election to Mr. Koos. I congratulate him on his victory and I thank him for his patience as we took steps to evaluate many aspects surrounding the narrow vote margin.
There were many legitimate, unanswered questions concerning the under-voted ballots, and the work we did answered them all. I hope that the steps I and my supporters took to evaluate the results, perform the legal research, and conduct the painstaking analysis serve to reassure the entire community that we have a solid outcome we can depend upon—I want everyone to know that I feel confident of the outcome of the April 4th race.
We approached this task from a research perspective. Our mission during the time we were allotted was to gather information that would be interpreted later. We did not wish to jump to early conclusions. Instead, we took our time to study what we saw, confirm the analysis among several observers, and then frame the most consistent picture we could. From there we decided what the most appropriate next steps would be.
I want to emphasize that at no point did we ever suspect fraudulent behavior. That was never a question, and it was never the purpose of the discovery recount. The integrity of the election has been and is still intact thanks to the careful and deliberate efforts of the county clerk’s office. there is no need for anyone in this community to consider otherwise.
A stated goal of my campaign was to increase voter turnout. We did that by bringing nearly forty percent more people to the polls than in 2013. Another was to raise awareness and understanding of the issues. We succeeded in running an issue- and policy-based campaign that never got personal, and we were able to engage the voters in conversations about our community’s most pressing concerns. The increase we saw in voter count and the close election displayed the success of those goals, and I’m happy about that. The third goal was to win. Well, two out of three ain’t bad!
There is still a third area of success, though. Many people from both campaigns and the clerk’s office commented positively about gaining interesting new insights into our electoral system as a result of this process. So on a personal note, as a teacher, I’m all for experiences that help educate, and opportunities that help us grow and learn. An election as uncomfortably close as this was may not have been anyone’s chosen method of learning. And yet, we can clearly see it as just such an opportunity: If we didn’t know before, we certainly do now, that every vote counts.
In addition, we should note that fifty percent of the voters in this election displayed a different perspective than that of the last Town Council. Those voters have surely gained a voice in the decision-making process, one that should not be lightly discarded. But do not mistake their different perspective for sheer divisiveness. Healthy disagreement can energize a community. It can raise awareness and cast new, fresh light on previous patterns of thinking and planning. To discard such disagreement by simply viewing it negatively robs the community members of deeper engagement. Disagreement is not irresponsible. Disagreement shows interest, passion, and drive. Let’s not discourage it or feel threatened by it, but rather, let’s explore it, be open to it, and see where it can take us.
For the discovery recount process, I want to commend McLean County Clerk Kathy Michael, as well as the Director of Elections Denise Cesario, and their staff for their diligent, focused efforts and their professionalism and courtesy to all parties during this process.
For the campaign, I want to thank my supporters, my contributors, and all the volunteers who worked so hard both during the campaign, and even after that, as we went through the discovery recount.
Thank you to my campaign manager Kyle Casteel for all of his hard work and for rallying his own small army of volunteers. Their energy was a lot of fun and they are a great example of how people with different ideologies can still care about and support one another. They keep me hopeful about our future!
Thank you to our friends and our family members for their prayers and encouragement. Their kindness and love got Tracy and me through at times when we took some political heat.
Finally, I especially want to thank my awesome, amazing, and brilliant wife Tracy, who is still waiting on all the pretty things I promised her, and that day at the spa, which is WAY overdue. She was an essential part of this campaign and she was also my biggest critic. Fortunately, she was also my biggest supporter. I am a far better person because of her. Yep, I’d better get her some pretty things soon.
Again, thank you all. I can’t fully express how deep my appreciation is for all who supported us.
Onward!