Thank You
Dear Friends and Supporters,
My heart is full of gratitude and appreciation for all who participated in our campaign.
You may have learned by now that I did not place in the top 2 and I am out of the race for Alameda County Supervisor. While the results have yet to be certified, it is clear from the latest numbers that we will not be moving forward to the General Election.
We are wrapping up to the end of the “longest short campaign.” The campaign was informative, inspirational and enjoyable—fun, but not like Disneyland. The endorsement meetings, the coffee chats, the backyard fundraisers and canvasses came fast and furious.
Many of you were literally running with me. Your showing up when I could not be two places at once; your walking another mile on my behalf … all of that made for a viable, strong campaign.
There are not enough words to express my gratitude for all that you have done to make this campaign a success.
Yes, I said, “SUCCESS” … because there are ways in which we did win.
We succeeded in running a full-throttled campaign, building community to get the job done. I could not have done it without you. More than 350 of you were involved with "Team Surlene"—neighbors, friends, family members, business owners—as donors and volunteers. We walked, door knocked, drank coffee, and met new friends; we distributed lawn signs, mailers, and cards. We called and text. From near and far you all made this campaign work, you inspired me and invigorated me to keep going.
Our collective endeavors paid off in raising issues and lifting the dialogue. There had not been an open contest for this seat in years. This election illuminated the situation with those administering the County now. Our demands for access and service, transparency and accountability are being heard.
Since the election, I have attended two virtual meetings of the Board of Supervisors. In listening, I heard new themes developing regarding service delivery, and about sharing information. Thus, I know our message was heard somewhere along the campaign trail.
Our campaign called out critical issues. Will our Supervisors do what we asked of them for the people and communities of Alameda County?
Programs to keep people housed and bridge the financial gaps to end the moratorium, as well as reduce the number of unhoused in our communities
Provide humane, non-criminal/carceral programs for the mentally ill
Provide accountable public safety, and
Protect our wonderful natural environment, while also improving the conditions, functionality and environment of the County’s own buildings and infrastructure.
I am counting on the five Supervisors who will be serving in January 2023 to do these things and several more. These are big problems. I stand on my claim that community needs to be involved with creating the solutions collaboratively. My continued leadership in San Leandro and elsewhere will look different than I and many of you had envisioned in March, but I will be still be here. I will still be an advocate and ally.
As we close out the campaign, you will hear from us a few more times, as there is campaign debt to retire. We will also keep you informed of community events and opportunities to help out.
Thank you for your continued friendship, support, and encouragement throughout the process.
Moving forward,
Surlene