2016 Nevada Senate Race Victory Speech - Nov. 8, 2016

Well, let me just say, you all told me that we were going to turn Nevada blue—and we did! You should be very proud of what we did in Nevada today, and I am so proud—so proud and honored to be chosen by you tonight to represent you in the United States Senate.

Now before we get started, let me just say, there’s a few people I need to thank right off the bat. One of those people is my husband, Paul. I could not have done this without him by my side. Making sure that I could get up every day and have the energy, and he was keeping me comfortable, and he would make me laugh, and he just kept me going every day. He is my partner, and I would not be able to do this without him. My wonderful family is here, my mother, my sister, my cousins, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. Thank you so much! And finally all of you, supporters that are here. We did this because of all of you.

I’ve had the opportunity to travel all across this states and to meet with so many wonderful people. I want you to know that this isn’t my win this is our win. We did this together. As I look in the room right now, there is just an incredible-incredible group of people out here. The multicolored fabric of Nevada. The diversity here is our strength. I can see form our faces that we will continue to be strong and continue to fight for our families, for our future here in Nevada and across our country.

Now, you’ve all heard me talk about my story. I am the proud granddaughter and great-granddaughter of immigrants. I’ve a great-grandfather who came to this country from Italy, and I had a grandfather who came from Mexico. Like many of your stories, they came here for an opportunity to succeed, to work hard to put a roof over their head, and food on the table for their kids, and give their kids every opportunity that they may not have. That is no different than all of our stories, and that is what we are fighting for. That is our future.

Because of the courage of my grandparents and the hard work of my parents, my sister and I are the first to graduate from college. And because of their hard work, I am going to be the first Latina ever elected to the United States Senate.

But here’s the thing. It isn’t about just making history, it is ensuring that we have a seat at the table. To get something done, right? Because I’ll tell you what, don’t you think it is about time that we have diversity in the United States Senate? Don’t you think it’s about time that our government and the representation in our government mirrors the people that we serve every day? That it should mirror the population that we represent? That’s what this is about, and that’s what we bring.

I am so excited to be the voice at the table for all of us now. Because we have some things that we need to fight for. There is no doubt that we have to fight for an economy that works for all of us. We have to ensure that we have a living wage, increasing that minimum wage for people who are still struggling across this state. Equal pay for equal work, paid family leave, and a future for our kids. And a public education system that is world-classed, that they can attain regardless of the zip code or neighborhoods they come from. I don’t know about you, but I don’t think that any student who wants to go to college should have to mortgage their future to do so. It is time to address that adsorbent debt and make their futures brighter.

There are so many things that we can do. One of the things that I promised you, is that we are going to continue to fight to pass comprehensive immigration reform in this country. I have had the opportunity to get across this state and talk to incredible families and dreamers and young people who have names and voice who are fighting for their future and I don’t think they should be fighting alone. This is about all of us. This is about their families. This is who we are as a country. That’s why I am honored to stand before you tonight. It’s not about my voice I’m taking to Washington, It’s about all of ours.

Here’s the other thing, I’ve been around this state and I know that paycheck does not go as far as it used to. There are still families that are struggling, and that’s the reason that we need to fight for good jobs. Because, you know what, there are men and women who worked hard through blood, sweat, and tears—and union labor who helped build this country. It is those hard working families and that labor that sustains America. It is our fight to ensure that we are continuing to provide and tear down those barriers to the middle class.

And so tonight, we are going to start our fight together.

I’ll tell you what, there is one person—one person who should be here tonight who I want to thank, and that is Senator Reed. He has done so much for Nevada. This Democratic victory here in Nevada is possible because of him. This is his night too, and we should all thank him for that. I also know that during this time there are people who may not have supported me and who have supported my opponent. I will tell you what and promise you this: across Nevada, I will work to earn your support. We are a big state and a diverse state, and whether you are an immigrant family here in Las Vegas, a rancher in Minden, a teacher in Reno, or a miner in Elko—we are all Nevadans at the end of the day.

We all want the same things. We want that opportunity to work hard for a brighter future. We want a quality education for our kids. We want a good paying job when they get into the work force. And we want clean air to breathe and water to drink. We want to freedom to love, live, and work without discrimination. And we want the financial security to retire with dignity.

Now I think we can all agree that this is a little bitter sweet. We do know that the results of the Presidential contest are not in yet, but let me just say this, with Hillary Clinton I will work with her to move our country forward—if she is the President of the United States. I know I can do just that. If Donald Trump is the President, well I’ll tell you this, our government is built upon a system of checks and balances. I will promise you this: I will one hell of a check and balance on him.

This is our fight for our future and the America we know it should be. And nobody—let me tell you right now—nobody is going to take that away from us. It is our voices, it is our mass, it is our people, and we are today forward going to fight. I will be that warrior for you. I am so honored that you chose me to fight for you in the United States Senate, and now it is time to take that fight to Washington.

Let me just ask if my family—my husband, family, and staff—please join me up here. These are all of the people who worked so hard to get me up here.

Now the first commercial you saw had my big family in it, so you should be familiar with them. But I want to introduce you to the staff. I have said this time and again that during this campaign I have had one of the best campaign teams across the country. I want you to meet them.

For over a year now we’ve been fighting to ensure that we keep this Senate seat in Democratic control, and this is the team that did it! They’ve worked so hard, night and day, and I am so proud of them because this is all of our win. This is not just my win but their win as well. They are one fantastic team.

I wanted you to see this because this is the diversity I talked about. This is about all of us. And as we move forward, it is going to be us working side by side to make sure that we are addressing the issues that we care about. Continue to fight for our families, and future for our environment, and we are going to continue to fight. I can promise you this: to pass comprehensive immigration reform in this country.

To all of the supporters out there, whether you are in this room or listening here tonight on television, I want to thank you for everything that you have done to get us here tonight. Having the opportunity to serve as your next Senator is the honor of a lifetime. Let me just say, tonight we celebrate but (in Spanish) tomorrow we go to work.

Thank you everyone! Let’s celebrate! Thank you so much!