posted August 8, 2008
I want to take this opportunity to thank my dedicated campaign supporters and every one of the 2,316 citizens who voted for me in yesterday's election. We could never have done so well and have come so close to defeating a two-term incumbent (with three times our money) without dozens of dedicated volunteers who stepped up, time and time again, to do everything a competitive campaign needs.
There is no way I can list every name here, but I appreciate every one of you who gave of your time, talents, and treasure to help me get my name and message out to the voters. It was my great honor and privilege to be your standard-bearer. If there were any shortcomings in this campaign, they were solely those of the candidate and not his wonderful and dedicated supporters.
I was not running for second place, and nothing short of a victory is satisfying. But a 45% showing in the kind of difficult, uphill battle we faced is nothing to sneeze at. I am holding my head up today as we all should. We fought hard, we fought fair, and we will live to fight another day.
I hope my supporters are not too disappointed. Please don't feel that you wasted your time in working so hard on my behalf. It is never a waste of time to stand up for what you believe is right.
I would like to congratulate my District 2 opponent, Mr. Baker, for turning out his supporters to win another term on the Hamilton County School Board. I know he is happy with his victory and I hope he will move forward and represent all citizens of District 2.
If this election pointed out one thing, it is the sharp divide between the majority on the two mountain tops vs. the bulk of those in the valley below. I hope my opponent will receive the message sent by the citizens of Red Bank, Mountain Creek, and Falling Water and henceforth pay them the same attention he has always given to the schools on Signal Mountain. The residents of these valley communities deserve a voice in the future of their schools; I tried to give them that voice. Even though I fell short of my goal, I hope they will be heard.
Finally I would like to congratulate all the voters of District 2 for being the turnout champions of Hamilton County. Though I did not win, I was heartened by the fact that my total of 2,316 votes was more than the number received by Mrs. Mosley in winning the District 7 seat and more than the combined total of votes cast for all District 4 candidates.
Over 1/6 of the total number of votes in the county-wide race for sheriff were cast in a race for a school board seat that represents only 1/9 of the county's population. So, no matter which candidate you supported, I thank the voters of District 2 for doing their civic duty by showing up at the polls.
I woke up today with my wife, my life, my health, my job, and lots of old and new friends. That is a more important kind of victory than any election. Thanks again to all who made these four months a wonderful opportunity for me to learn and grow.
Joe Dumas
(Former) District 2 School Board Candidate
joe@joedumas.com
| Dining Out | Business | Movies | Focus | About Us |
| Church | Living Well | Memories | Outdoors | Real Estate | Student Scene | Travel |