THANK YOU!
My parents instilled in me at an early age to not give up on something when the going gets tough. After only winning on the Republican ballot during the primary, I knew my odds of winning yesterday were slim. Although those were the facts, I was not prepared to drop my name from the ballot and admit defeat before the General Election.
Although my team and I pushed forward, the circumstances we faced were too insurmountable to overcome. While I was the fifth highest vote-getter, only the top four candidates are labeled winners.
I did come-up short yesterday, but the experience has been worth all the sacrifices I have made. Not every 19-year-old gets to run for public office. On top of that, not every student studying Political Science gets to run for public office. I am fortunate to have been exposed to the process of running for local office. What I have learned is hard to describe, but, by far, the most valuable lesson was discovering the type of person I do not want to become. I now have a clearer vision of my future and what if will take to get there. Not all college students can say the same, so for that, I am lucky.
Again, I am only 19 -years-old. I am not going anywhere anytime soon. I do not know what my political future holds, but I can say I plan on staying involved in the Norristown community. For now, I will go back to living as a regular college student and use the knowledge I learned outside the classroom, to propel myself academically.
My success during the Primary and efforts yesterday were not possible without a list of people and organizations. Everyone I am about to list served in different capacities, but as a collective whole made this campaign possible.
First and most importantly, I thank anyone who believed in my campaign enough to cast their vote for me in the Primary or yesterday. I do not share my thanks lightly. A vote can be incredibly personal. I am humbled by the number of votes I received.
To anyone who contributed to my campaign, I am forever indebted to you. Even the most local races for public office require some money, this race more so than usual. Any campaign literature my team and I gave to voters, hung on doors, or gave out at polls was possible because of you. The awesome yard signs that were placed throughout the district was again only possible because of you. Thank you for taking such an active role in our democracy.
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There were several people who helped me strategize throughout the entire process, both outwardly and behind the scenes. Former Philadelphia Mayor John Street has served as a vital mentor over the past few months and will be going forward. His experiences and knowledge are one of a kind and I am glad he got to share that information with me. I am fortunate to have a relationship with such a memorable public servant. I must also thank another public servant, George Kennedy of the NASD School Board. George believed in me the very first night we met and did all he could to help my campaign. He is full of knowledge and undoubtedly committed to the NASD and community. I am glad to call him a friend. Also, I must spread my thanks to the number of people who advised me behind the scenes. Although I cannot share some of their names, I want them to know they are irreplaceable.
I was endorsed by the Education Association of Norristown Area and CWA Local 13000. I thank all members of the EANA for supporting me. I was the only candidate endorsed by the EANA. I did not take the importance of their endorsement for granted. Thank you to the members who served on the endorsement panel. Also, to all the members who helped the campaign be successful on social media. I must specifically thank Maria Loebig, for her commitment to helping my campaign. The intricacies of the endorsement process are time-consuming, but she did not shy away. Had it not been for her, I do not know if the endorsement would have existed. Mrs. Loebig, you are an awesome teacher and union leader! I must extend big thanks to Eddie Mooney of the CWA. He led the charge for my CWA endorsement, which was crucial and made a lot of things possible.
To all my close friends and family members who knocked doors for me and worked the polls, I owe you. I want to name just a few, Sam Arizpe, Milo Dominguez, and Brianna Kelly. My campaign aimed to engage younger people in the local political process and I think we were successful. I also had a few family-friends and family members work the polls for me for the Primary and General Election. Your love is unforgettable.
Now onto my immediate family — my parents and sister. The night I told my parents I wanted to run for school board, they did not hesitate for a moment. They automatically stood behind my decision. My parents knew I was a full-time student, busy with schoolwork and other commitments. Yet, they still knew how serious I was and supported me the entire way. They worked the polls for me all day during the Primary and yesterday, standing outside in the cold and rain. My sister Rachel, did the same and knocked doors for me during the Primary. She also constantly helped spread the word over social media. What I asked of my family was a lot. I am not surprised how they handled my candidacy but reminded how much love we have for one another.
Another family I do not really know how to thank because words are not enough — the Baltrus family. Mrs. Baltrus, when I asked you to serve as the treasurer of my committee, you were on board right away. I asked a lot of you and you never said no to anything. Your ideas and willingness to talk favorably of me to voters were crucial, helping propel the campaign forward the whole time. You worked the polls for hours, which is not an easy task. I am so glad I had someone like you on my team! Mr. Baltrus, I feel the same way about you. Your ideas were always thoughtful. You also dedicated hours of your time at the polls for me, probably talking to hundreds of voters. Finally, I must extend a special thank you to Grammy. She is responsible for getting my name on the Republican ballot, which proved to be crucial. I know you take who you politically support seriously, so I am honored you were supportive of me from the beginning. Very little would have been possible without the entire Baltrus family.
I need to share my biggest thanks to one more Baltrus family member — Drew Baltrus. Drew served as the campaign manager and chairman of the campaign. More importantly, he is the one who initially encouraged me to run for school board. I was hesitant at first, but he was persistent. I am sure glad I decided to listen to him. Had it not been for Drew, I do not think I would have run for school board. Almost every time I would talk about the campaign I would naturally say “we.” That would throw some people off, but I would not even notice what I had said. This campaign was never just comprised of me, but the both of us. Yes, my name may have been on the ballot, but it was the both us from the start. Any praise or congratulations you give me must also be given to Drew. We spent hours on end together planning the campaign. He designed our website, all the literature, and yard signs. He also organized all our data and handled most logistics of the campaign. Also, a full-time student, he did not have much free time, but he believes deeply in the NASD and community and knew we had to get involved. Drew, I am glad you are my best-friend and we got to share this experience together.
I could go on and on with my thank you list, but I will continue to release more pieces of my story over the next few months. After writing this, I again just realized how many different people, served in so many different capacities over the past several months. I am sorry we came up short yesterday, but I hope many of you will stick with me. This has been a unique experience but has sadly come to an end.
Thank you to those who believed in us!
