My Friends and Family,
I hope this finds you healthy, happy, and prosperous. Its been ages since we last conversed -- and for that I apologize. Since the campaign ended I've returned to a semi-normal life of planning our upcoming wedding, job hunting, and fulfilling various commitments to the US Army Reserve. And though I've been distracted with the daily grind of my own life, service to my country continues to guide my thoughts.
Almost immediately after conceding the election to Tom Reed, my supporters began imploring me to run again. For months I've dismissed calls to do so for a number of reasons, the most politically important being the fact that redistricting has yet to happen (i.e. God only knows what district I'll end up in).
Recent votes out of Congress (the Ryan Budget) and the complete failure of Tom Reed to adequately perform his duties as Congressman (he continues to cancel public forums and reschedule them with minimal notice, so as to attract the smallest crowd possible) have compelled me to seriously consider another run. Simply put, I ran the first time because I wanted to hand a better country to my future children than the one we currently have. Our current national leaders continue to fail to leave our nation better than they found it -- we can and must do better.
So here's where you come in. As you know, running for Congress takes a lot of money. Before I commit myself and my family to another run, I'd like to solicit you, my closest friends and family. Is this a good idea? Should I do it? And, perhaps most importantly, if I do, will you contribute immediately? To do this and have another serious shot, I'd have to raise a substantial amount of money in the initial weeks (money that I'd use to re-establish the campaign committee, put the website back online, and show the national party that I mean business). Can you commit to a donation on day 1 and if so, at what amount? The more money I initially raise, the faster I can get started and the more likely the national party will throw their weight behind me. And, if you represent a group that has a PAC, the same question applies -- will your PAC commit to a financial contribution today?
In the 2010 election, we got left out on our own -- it simply wasn't my party's year. And despite the drubbing Democrats took at the polls, OUR campaign nearly pulled off the impossible. We got outspent 2-1. We had ZERO financial or political support from the national party. We had six months to fund raise to establish a campaign, whereas my opponent campaigned non-stop for almost two years. We had the legacy of our previous representative hanging over us at every turn. And yet, we only lost by 11,000 votes (9%). I'm haunted by the idea that we probably would have won had we only had more time and had it not been the Year of the Republican Tsunami.
2012 is shaping up to be a far better year for independent leaders like me. The party knows I'm my own man and will continue to be so. In 2010, we made a name for our brand of moderate, pragmatic leadership. People took note that we never ran a negative ad and campaigned solely on the issues and our vision for a better America and a better NY. If I run again in 2012, I'll continue that ethos in any future campaign.
Thus, I await your responses. I thank you in advance for your advice and counsel and look forward to what the future brings.
One Team, One Fight.
-Cheers,
Matt