Thank you for everything we've built together.

I want to start with one simple thing: thank you.

To everyone who voted for me, volunteered, donated, hosted a salon, or had a conversation with a neighbor—this campaign was only possible because of you.

Together, we built something extraordinary the Northside hasn’t seen in over 50 years.

We knocked on more than 80,000 doors.

We hosted 261 salons and community gatherings across the 6th District.

In living rooms, coffee shops, community spaces—and yes, a few actual salons—we came together again and again to talk about our neighborhoods and the future we want to build together.

While last night was not the result we hoped for, what we accomplished matters.

For the first time in decades, this district had a real conversation about what kind of Democrat should represent it in the State Senate. We pushed this race into the open. We elevated issues like housing affordability, public transit, and dark money in politics. And we pushed an incumbent and the Democratic Party of Illinois to pay attention.

We proved that even against all odds—against a 30-year incumbent, against corporate interests, and outside spending—a grassroots campaign can bring people together and demand more from our politics.

My path to this moment started when I was an English major who believed in the power of storytelling. That belief led me into organizing after Donald Trump’s election, and later to work on a campaign where people said change wasn’t possible.

They were wrong then—and I still believe in that same possibility now.

Because the truth is: this movement doesn’t end with an election result.

Throughout this campaign, I’ve talked about Major Love Always—the idea that our politics should be rooted in compassion, courage, and a deep commitment to one another.

That’s what you showed me every single day of this campaign.

I’m incredibly proud of the community we built together. I’m proud of the conversations we started. And I’m proud of the relationships that will carry forward long after this election.

I also want to congratulate Senator Sara Feigenholtz on her victory and thank her for her decades of service to our district and to Illinois. This campaign made clear how much people are looking for a stronger, more visible presence in their neighborhoods, and I look forward to seeing that kind of engagement continue and grow in the years ahead.

To everyone who believed in this campaign, thank you. This may not have been the ending we hoped for—but it is far from the end of the story.