Concession Speech - November 7, 2018

TODAY AND ALL THROUGH THIS CAMPAIGN, WE HAVE VISITED PARTY OFFICE AND CANDIDATE FIELD OFFICES AND EVERY TIME, THERE WAS SO MANY OF YOU THAT WERE CALLING OR PREPARING TO KNOCK OR DOING SOMETHING TO ORGANIZE AND GET OUT THAT VOTE. AND AGAIN, I THINK YOU FOR THAT. BECAUSE OF THAT, NO MATTER THE RESULTS OF THIS RACE, WE ALL WON TONIGHT.

AS YOU KNOW, I CAME FROM VERY HUMBLE BEGINNINGS, AND I OFTEN FOUND MYSELF AT A DISADVANTAGE. AND FOR THE LONGEST TIME, I LET THAT GET ME DOWN. I LET MY ANGER AND MY STUBBORNNESS TAKEOVER UNTIL ONE DAY, I ASKED GOD TO TAKE AWAY THAT SIDE OF ME AND I VERY CLEARLY HEARD IN RESPONSE, I GAVE IT TO YOU FOR A REASON AND YOU ARE NOT USING IT THE CORRECT WAY. YOU ARE NOT USING IT THE WAY IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE USED AND FROM THEN ON, I CHALLENGED MYSELF AND AIMED MY STUBBORNNESS AT A GREATER PURPOSE.

THINGS DIDN'T GET ANY EASIER. I STILL STRUGGLED, BUT EVERY TIME I STRUGGLED, I GREW STRONGER AND I LEARNED FROM IT. I USED THAT STUBBORNNESS TO LEAD A DEPARTMENT BACK TO ITS HUMANITY AND TO STAND STRONG BEFORE THE PUBLIC. AND EVEN THOUGH SOMETIMES I CAME HOME AND FELL TO MY KNEES, THERE WAS ALWAYS THE VOICE THAT SAID THIS, THIS IS WHY YOUR STUBBORNNESS WAS MADE. MY STUBBORNNESS BECAME PERSISTENCE AND MY HARDSHIP TURNED ME INTO A PERSON READY TO TAKE ON ANY CHALLENGE. FIGHTING THIS CHALLENGE FOR THE PEOPLE OF TEXAS HAS BEEN THE GREATEST HONOR OF MY LIFE.

THANK YOU TO MY FAMILY MEMBERS, THE ONES THAT ARE HERE, AND THOSE THAT COULDN'T MAKE IT. AND THANK YOU TO MY INCREDIBLE PATIENT AND CARING PARTNER, LINDSAY. THANK YOU TO THE CHAIRMAN … AND THE DEDICATED STATE PARTY STAFF, WHO HAVE BEEN WITH US EVERY MOMENT OF THE WAY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK, YOUR ENDLESS ENERGY, AND FOR HOSTING THIS ROOM FULL OF FIRED UP TEXANS.