The results of the election were not what any of us hoped for or expected. I understand the disappointment, uncertainty and deep concern that many feel this morning, because I feel it too.  

I am struggling with wanting to scream at the dawn of this new morning while, at the same time, recognizing that in campaigns, sometimes the other side wins. I am torn by wanting to roll over and hope it all goes away while understanding that democracy is hard and its cornerstone -- despite having lived through the very opposite four years ago -- is accepting defeat with a peaceful transfer of power.

I am also having a hard time reconciling such a beautiful morning with the storm we experienced last night. But, as with every storm, there is much to do the day after, taking stock and repairing breaches, mourning losses and rebuilding.  

Today, it is clear there is much work to do. That work must be conducted with a touch of humility. While we can be proud of our performance here at home, sending Senator Warren and our Democratic congressional delegation back to Washington and maintaining wide majorities in both houses of the state legislature, it is OK to recognize that we were not prepared for the outcome nationally. You can curse the storm, but it does no good. We cannot create the better nation we all seek if we fail to understand one another. As a party, we must be open to listening and finding the lessons from this defeat.

There will be time for all that. First and foremost, I know many of you are hurting and that pain is very real and needs its space.

An election was lost but the campaign was one I will always be proud to have waged together with you. This outcome does not change the fact that our values and our commitment to building a just and inclusive society are as important as ever.

This is a time to reflect, connect with loved ones and renew our dedication to the things that unite us: compassion, fairness and equal opportunity for all. Those things are still there, guiding us, and in need of our help now more than yesterday and tomorrow more than today.  It is on mornings like this that we need to come together, support one another and push forward.

Because of people like you, I remain hopeful. You believe in America and our democracy even at the hardest of times when it feels like our politics do not believe in you.

Our nation has survived struggles and threats more grave than today’s but that doesn’t matter when the struggle is yours and the threat feels so very real.

On days like this, after an election like this, I know it is hard to do but I am going to ask you to believe again in the promise of America. We simply must maintain belief in our collective ability to make change – person by person, block by block, issue by issue – until our energy and passion breaks through and sweeps down the mightiest walls of oppression.  

I can’t help but recall what Ted Kennedy said in the face of his own devastating loss in 1980 when he finished his speech with “for me, a few hours ago, this campaign came to an end, but for those whose cares have become our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives and the dream shall never die.”

The dream we all worked for in this campaign is alive in all of us. It can only truly die when the last of us gives up the fight. We must hold on to faith in our democracy. Whenever tested, it endures and lights the way forward. Change does not always happen as we’d like, but each effort brings us closer to that brighter future. Let’s keep working towards that, engaging in our communities with an open ear to voices that yearn to be heard.

Thank you for your steadfast commitment. Together, we will continue this journey, lifting each other up and holding true to our shared vision for a stronger, more inclusive America.

In solidarity,

Steve Kerrigan