Another election is behind us: all of the races on the ballot in the 64th District have been decided (though some were close), while others in the state and in other parts of the country still hang in the balance. Turnout was strong for a midterm election in general (unofficial results show approximately 11,600 people voted in this district), though the numbers were down from the highs of 2018.
I am incredibly honored to have been re-elected to a third term by the voters of the 64th District, which now includes Washington and all of Goshen (in addition to Salisbury, Sharon, Kent, Cornwall, Falls Village, North Canaan, and Norfolk), and I look forward to the work ahead. That work began last night, when the House Democratic Caucus held its traditional first caucus, at which we met the many new members joining us this year, and re-elected our excellent leadership in Representative Matt Ritter as Speaker of the House and Representative Jason Rojas as Majority Leader.
It is worth taking a moment to acknowledge how smoothly, methodically, and transparently the process of electing our leaders worked, once again, this year, and to thank everyone who worked at the polls to make sure that happened, engendering trust in the system which underpins our form of government. Some of them worked especially hard this year and well into the early morning hours to ensure that everyone’s vote was counted. While we should expect free and fair elections as citizens of a democracy, we should not take them for granted.
Today is Veterans’ Day, an occasion to honor and celebrate the service and sacrifice of our veterans, for our country and our communities. I attended a ceremony outside Town Hall in Salisbury this year, featuring a beautiful rendition of God Bless America. Coming, as it does, on the heels of our election feels particularly meaningful. As David Bayersdorfer said in his speech, we can all honor the service of our veterans by voting, and by fighting to protect free and fair elections throughout our country.
We owe our veterans a deep debt of gratitude, this day and every day, for the service they have given, and for the model they set in our communities.
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