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[Prepared text presented at the Naperville Democrat’s Election Party, Hilton Hotel, Lisle]

There used to be two best-kept secrets in DuPage: the DuPage County Board and the Democratic Party. The Board is still a secret, but this campaign worked on getting the secret out and we will continue to work to open up the process. As far as the DuPage Democrats go, this year I’m here to tell you the secret is out – there IS a Democratic Party in DuPage, it IS fielding quality candidates and you will hear about us in upcoming years because WE ARE GETTING STRONGER.

I want to congratulate Robert Schroeder on his 16 years of county board service to District 5, and I want to wish him well in his next four years of service. We ran a campaign for county board that I am proud of – we ran on serious issues that matter to DuPage residents. We talked about the need for Open Government, the need for Fiscal Responsibility and the need to prioritize Transportation and Smart Growth. While the county board has made some small responses to our critique, talking about providing more information on their website, talking about making government more open and ethical, the board still has a long way to go. Their small moves in our direction are small victories for DuPage residents – but the citizens of DuPage deserve larger, better victories. I hope Robert Schroeder and the DuPage County Board will take the concerns of DuPage residents and voters more seriously, and serve the public more fully and expeditiously in their upcoming term.

I am very proud of what we did this election. I am proud of the efforts of people like Rick Klau, who strengthened my message, and put it online. I want to thank Rick and his wife Robin for their friendship, political and personal. I can’t thank Michael Cousineau enough for his distinctive graphic work that branded my campaign – with Michael we won the design wars. I want to thank Rob and Nicole Freedman and their parents for their efforts on my behalf as well, particularly towards the end of the campaign, where they really came through for me. I want to thank Beth Sullivan, Doug and Karen Henk and Loretta Burke for helping me in numerous ways from raising money to spreading my message. I want to thank our county chair Gayl, Lisle Township Chair Guy Maras, Naperville Vice-Chair Tina Beaird who convinced me to run, Naperville Secretary Steve Kiersted who amplified my online voice and Lisle Treasurer Jeff Knezovich who helped spread my name in Lisle Township. I want to offer a special thanks to Nancy and Bill Chen, and to two people they introduced me to, Chinmei and Harry Lee. They have all treated me with great kindness and friendship and have helped me in numerous ways, but particularly in introducing me to the Chinese community, an introduction that I value and treasure. I want to thank all the township officers and members of the Naperville and Lisle Democrats, and all the residents of DuPage District 5 who helped make this campaign what it was.

I also want to thank my wife very much for her support. She has been one of the hardest, and least known workers in this campaign. Because I have not been able to do all I should at home, she has has done that much more. My wife, Amy, works full-time and my efforts on this campaign has meant that she has had to take care of three children after work most of the time, our two children and the candidate. It has not been easy. It is not glamorous. It is too little recognized. I want to recognize it here because my campaign could not have succeeded without her tremendous effort, sacrifice and support.

How did we succeed? We succeeded by running a credible campaign that established in the minds of the press and the public that Democrats should be taken seriously in DuPage. We have not won the war, but we have succeeded in battle. We have put DuPage on notice. There will be a “D” in DuPage because we will elect Democrats in DuPage, and Democrats in DuPage will offer issues and policies to make DuPage a better place. That’s what it’s all about. That’s what this election, and every election is about: working to offer better choices, to find ways to make things better.

I want to thank you with all my heart. This is a great night for us, and I want to thank you for joining us tonight. Thank you for making it possible. Thank you.