from Donna Edwards: Thank you for being a part of this.

[elleng]

'When I announced my candidacy for the United States Senate, I said I wouldn’t run away from who I was or the life I’ve lived.

I’m a black woman, a single mom who struggled to put food on the table and pay for childcare, a woman who walked into a Planned Parenthood when she needed healthcare, an Air Force brat, and just one of the millions of women who has received unequal pay in the workplace for my equal work as a lawyer, systems engineer, and non-profit executive.

Those experiences shape who I am as a person, my values, and how I legislate in Congress.

History was talked about a lot on this campaign, and it should be -- because history matters.

It matters for the hundreds of young women and girls I met who watched me run for this Senate seat and thought “this is something I can do.”

Who will look to the nation's space program, boardrooms, workplaces, and know that they belong.

I think about when I was a young girl and my dad was stationed at Andrews Air Force base. After church on Sundays when the weather was nice we would go to the hill outside of the U.S. Capitol building and I would look up at that big white building -- I never dreamed that could be my office.

I hope for all the women and girls across Maryland and the country that I helped shatter that idea -- even just a little bit. Because for every girl who’s never told she could run for Congress, run for Senate, be an engineer, or go to law school I want to say to you right now -- you can do this.

Be what you want to be, do what you want to do -- you can be anything you dream of.

This campaign for the U.S. Senate ends tonight, but the values that drive us to fight for what we believe in, and the dreams I hope we inspired in young people to change the face of our democracy, never will.

Thank you for everything you did, and for being a part of this.'

Donna

https://www.facebook.com/notes/donna-edwards/thank-you-for-being-a-part-of-this/1339030512790316

[2naSalit]

1. K&R

She's a keeper, hope she tries again and wins.

[BlueMTexpat]

2. I am sorry to see this.

I have been unhappy generally with this election because, whatever the final results, it meant that we would lose TWO outstanding Dem Representatives in Congress and one of them was always going to lose in the Senate primary.

I am so thankful that my own Rep, Elijah Cummings, did not throw his hat into this race. Then we would have lost a third outstanding Dem Rep and two of the three would have lost the Senate primary.

While MD is a very "blue" state generally and both Congressional seats will likely remain in the Dem column, I hope that Hillary will have a place for Donna where Donna will be able to continue her excellent public service career under a different title. BOTH Van Hollen and Edwards are Hillary SDs.

In a year where there has been so much focus on the top two candidates almost to the exclusion of all others, we must always keep in mind that the down-ticket races are of prime importance. We also need to remember all-important House and Senate races in years when there is no race for President. Too many voters forget this and we saw the consequences in 2010 and 2014.

When will we ever learn? A President can only accomplish their agenda IF there is STRONG support from Congress. Period.

[elleng]

3. Yes, and its very hard to learn,

to focus on more than the 'all important' potus race. It's as if we all were children.

[Bluenorthwest]

5. Some of us have Democrats in all the Seats already

Cummings, by the way, along with the entire Maryland House and Senatorial delegations voted for DOMA. Few States can say that all of their Democrats and all of their Republicans joined hands to defend sacred marriage against the threat of LGBT people getting married.

So Maryland is Blue? I guess.....

[Bluenorthwest]

4. I supported Donna, Maryland needs people like her as does America

but this country prefers mediocrity and stasis.

[kwassa]

6. The country prefers effectiveness

And in this category Van Hollen is the effective one.