Katherine Clark Preliminary Election Victory Speech- Oct. 18, 2013

Thank you so much, thank you Martha and Rob for being here for the kick-off, being here tonight. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your friendship, and your support. Tonight's victory is not my victory. It is your victory.

You are the ones who made this happen, and I cannot tell you how grateful I am for all your help, all of your friendship, and all your support. Before I begin, I want to thank each and every one of the other Democrats in this race. Every one of them has dedicated themselves to public service, and to the people of Massachusetts. We are better commonwealth because of their service, and I applaud them for putting the issues that are so important at the fore-front of this race and running strong, positive campaigns.

To my family, I cannot thank you enough for your love, your support, your encouragement, your inspiration, this has been quite a journey. I could not have been able to do it without you. A special shout out to my dad who's in Spalding tonight, this one's for you.

I'd like to recognize another very special family that's here today. Today is the 6th anniversary of the tragic bombings at the Boston Marathon. I am so pleased to have the Norden family, and Jackie Webb, join us to celebrate here tonight. Your strength inspires every single one of us. Thank you.

I am so unbelievably proud of the campaign that we ran. I believe our cause is worth fighting for. A cause that says we're a better country when we provide people with healthcare instead of shutting down the government to take it away. A cause that says your daughters should be paid the same as my sons, when they do the same work. A cause that says we will not let the NRA win. We will work to continue to end gun violence, until there are no more mothers mourning the loss of a child. There are no more communities torn apart at the seams by Gun Violence. A cause that says protecting social security and Medicare is about more than protecting our seniors, it's about keeping a promise. A promise that says we will not put the cost of government mistakes on the backs of those who need our help the very most. A cause that says Republican extremists need to stop attacking Women's rights, and start working to solve the issues that affect our families.

We won tonight not just on the strength of our message, but on the passion of our messengers. I think each and every one of you who put up a lawn sign, called a friend, or maybe 100 or 2. Who contributed so much by knocking on doors, by calling your neighbors and getting out to vote today. I wanted to take a moment just to thank my amazing campaign staff, and my finance team, and especially the incredible leadership of a remarkable friend, my campaign manager Brooke Scanell. But all of you, you are the backbone of this campaign, and I need your help fighting, so that come December 11, we can take the issues that we discussed around our kitchen tables and put them on the tables in congress.

As I've travelled around the district, people kept asking me with all the craziness in Washington, why do you want to go to congress? With a government shutdown, I got asked that question even more. But you know what? As dysfunctional as D.C. is, I always believe there is always a better way forward. I believe that every child can get a great education. Everyone who works a full time job can afford to take care of their family. Every American should have access to Healthcare. Every senior, should retire with dignity and security. That everyone should have a fair shot at the American dream.

With your help on December 10, I'm going to go to congress and be your voice. I'm going to put your families concerns back on the table in congress. Together we are going to continue on this amazing journey and together we will win this race.

Speech from https://youtu.be/4C8-i20hPcw.