Let’s Unite Our Party!
Tonight, I announce my support for Senator Barack Obama’s candidacy for the Democratic nomination for President.
My decision, in part, is based on the fact that Senator Obama has won a majority of pledged delegates and tonight will have attained a majority of all delegates. Senator Obama was the majority winner of Maine’s caucuses. Senator Obama is the democratic winner of the nomination.
I felt it was important to wait until all primaries and caucuses had been completed before endorsing a candidate for four reasons:
- I disagree with the superdelegate system, and consistent with that, nearly a year ago announced that I would remain neutral until we had a presumptive nominee or all voting had ceased.
- Since I believe my role should be to represent all Maine Democrats, and because supporters of Hillary Clinton won approximately 40% of the delegates during the Maine Democratic caucuses on February 10th, I believed that the most democratic thing as a representative of Maine Democrats, was to let those results stand as is.
- Just as Maine voters expressed their views and their votes got to be counted and matter, I believed that, in such a close race, voters in other states deserved the same chance to have their voices heard.
- I believed the ultimate cause of uniting the Democratic Party and winning back the White House was best served by making the nomination process as fair and inclusive as possible. While many disagreed with my decision to wait, I feel strongly that it was the right and fairest thing to do.
Senator Obama is an extraordinary candidate and has inspired Democrats in Maine and across the country to show their support in record numbers. Now we must work to sustain this momentum into the national election to take back the White House.
It is my own belief that an Obama/Clinton ticket would be the strongest team possible and would help unite our party after the long nomination fight. While it is clear that Senator Obama has won the nomination, it is also clear that the election is close to being a virtual tie. I call on other delegates to the national convention who agree with me that an Obama/Clinton ticket is our best path forward, including pledged delegates to both candidates, committed superdelegates, and superdelegates who are still uncommitted, to make similar statements.
I want to thank all who expressed their views to me over the past few months – in person, by e-mail, by letter, and by posting on my blog. Although I am a bit behind in my correspondence, I promise I will respond personally to each and every message.
In the coming years, I hope that the Democratic National Committee will work to make the Presidential nomination process simpler, fairer, and more democratic.
Maine Democrats on both sides of this race feel tremendous passion for their candidate. Now that voting has ceased, I am confident that we can put our differences behind us and work in a spirit of unity to take back our country.
