Following the results of the preliminary mayoral election, Amy Sangiolo said this to her supporters last night:
“Thank you friends and family for your support, friendship and love throughout this campaign and throughout the years. Together we were able to harness our collective energy, passion and commitment for this City and move our campaign forward. We got a late start but we’ve finished strong. Stronger than many would have thought – running on a shoestring budget but most of all running on our core values – caring about the future of our children, our seniors, our neighborhoods and our environment.
Congratulations to tonight’s victors — Ruthanne Fuller and Scott Lennon. I know you’ll both take the challenge of becoming Mayor of this great city seriously. We’ll all be watching closely.
While we came up short of making it through to the next round, I could not be more proud of the work we’ve done together- speaking with thousands of voters on our collective vision of open, honest, and accountable leadership to bring this city together around the tough concerns we share.
It was your hard work that kept this campaign going, and I am humbled by the stories you’ve shared, the time and money you’ve donated, and the support you’ve shown me and this campaign.
Twenty years on the city council has taught me that the work of making Newton stronger does not begin and end with the Mayor- it begins and grows with all of you. We brought together people from all walks of life and we mustn’t give up on what we believe in. I know that with hard work we can achieve progressive victories over time. And while today wasn’t one of those days, the causes we fight for continue.
We now know that thousands of Newton residents support our effort to defend local representation; to fight for smarter sustainable environmental practices; to adopt fair, smart, resident-sensitive development; to deliver better services to our seniors and being candid about the cost; and finally, transparency in government. The coalition built through this campaign must continue working together to ensure that these issues are prominent part of the public discussion.
Again, I thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for all you’ve done for me, for us, and for Newton.”
What a joy it was to back Amy. What a magnificent public figure. What a class act. I hoisted one sign for her and another for the No side at Hyde School for several hours yesterday and then went home to take a short nap before going to join her supporters to watch the returns. Unfortunately, I fell asleep and didn’t wake up until 6:30 this morning to see she didn’t quite make the cut. Not a huge surprise, but she really is in the catbird’s seat because, hopefully, many other candidates, up and down the ballot, will be quick to touch base with a lot of her positions. She came out of this campaign looking good with a lot of good will across the board.
Wow. Very gracious and heartwarming.
Thank you, Amy, for raising the level of discussion in the preliminary campaign.
Amy came in to the race late after a tough year personally, and worked tirelessly and with great spirit. Whether you agreed with her or not, she always challenged the status quo and made you think.
Thank you Amy.
Amy, you’re a class act!!!
Thank you so much, Amy. I hope all residents (and especially the final two candidates) take to heart the issues you brought to the table. A better Newton depends on greater accountability to voters and you led the way to that discussion. Kudos to you.