To The Editor:

Twenty votes. That’s how close we came!

As a first-time candidate who only started knocking on doors a few months ago, this result fills me with pride. But honestly, I’m not thinking about the 20 votes. I’m thinking about the 400+ Newtowners who showed up on a weeknight to take part in real, in-person democracy. It was standing room only at the middle school, and it meant the world to me to see our town take this caucus so seriously.

When I said I was running because I care so deeply about our town and our values, I wasn’t kidding. That is why I am proudly, and with a full heart, ending my campaign for state representative.

I cannot sufficiently express my gratitude to the people who filled our campaign with so much energy. There are SO many to thank, but a few poured absolutely obscene amounts of work into our crazy endeavor. Jill Soderholm, Agni Pavlidou, John Fletcher, Dan & Susan Welsh, Christine & Olivia McAndrew, Jed Devillers, and, of course, my husband Mike: I am in awe of your generosity. This is a debt I can never repay, but I’ll certainly try with NewSylum or Reverie beers anytime you ask!

To Michelle Embree Ku, congratulations. I proudly endorse you, and you have me and my entire team behind you from today until election day.

To all my supporters, especially the NHS and college students, you are the reason any of this was possible. You gave your nights, weekends, and whole hearts to something bigger than yourselves. This is not the end. Do not get disillusioned. There is so much work to do, and we need every one of you in this fight.

To the countless Newtowners who urged me to keep going and push on until August, thank you for your passion and zeal. I will channel your energy into Democratic victories up and down the ballot this November.

To any Democrat who fought hard in the primary, I hope you will fight even harder in the general election. We need you.

And to Mitch Bolinsky and the Republican party insiders in town, you are now up against a united Democratic Party. My team and I remain fully invested in flipping this seat, and you have never faced Newtown Democrats as energized as we are today.

So although I won’t be on the ballot this time, I am not going anywhere! Newtown is my home and it always will be. I stand shoulder to shoulder with Newtowners today and I always will.

Thank you, Newtown, from the bottom of my heart for joining me on this wild journey fighting for our town.

Brandon Moore

Newtown