Lucas,
You may know how hard I’ve worked to campaign for many of the remarkable women running for the House and Senate this year. However, I’m writing you today to enthusiastically throw my full support behind a truly remarkable man – Mike Derrick.
Mike is running in the region I served in the House of Representatives – the eastern Adirondacks, from Lake Placid to Glens Falls. This district is very near and dear to my heart. Mike grew up there, his family lives there, and no matter where he was stationed in the military, he managed to maintain life-long ties and never forgot where he was from.
I really believe in Mike as a candidate, and I believe in his core values. Mike has demonstrated his support for women his entire career. In fact, in the middle of his service, Mike left active duty and transferred to the Army Reserves to become a stay-at-home dad for his four young children. He did this so his wife, Kathy, could also serve out her Army career.
He supports equal pay for equal work and paid family leave. He supports funding for reproductive care, availability of contraception, and preventative health checkups for women. Most importantly to me, Mike supports my efforts to eliminate sexual assault in the military – which is very powerful, coming from the expertise of a retired Army colonel.
I am thankful for Mike Derrick’s service, and so proud to endorse his campaign. When it comes to protecting our families, our veterans, and Fort Drum -- Mike is the kind of leader I know I’ll be able to work with, here at home and in Washington.
I hope you will join me in supporting Mike’s campaign and contributing to his efforts today. He’s in a tough race, and the impact you can make here goes a long way. We need Mike!
-- Kirsten [Gillibrand]