Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-3) released the following statement Nov. 8 after voters in Connecticut’s Third Congressional District overwhelmingly reelected her to serve her 14th term in Congress. The below remarks are as prepared for delivery.
Thank you. Thank you so much. You have given me another chance. I am grateful. To my family and friends and the good people of Connecticut who have once again come through with their votes, thank you for your trust and confidence, and for this honor. It means so much to me.
To all my friends and volunteers who helped make tonight possible — I could not have done it without you. There is no place I would rather be than celebrating with you tonight.
I need to thank my strongest supporters of all, my wonderful family. Whatever I have accomplished has only been possible because of their love and their tireless support. My husband, Stan, who has taken on some amazing battles and won them, all around the world. We first met almost 40 years ago, and he has been in my corner ever since. And I am so proud of our kids: Anna, Kat and her husband Ari, and Jonathan and his wife Justine. And of course, my four grandchildren: Rigby, Teo, Sadie and Jasper, who came to campaign with me. They canvassed, distributed literature and came with me to Channel 8.
I aspire to the example of my parents, who instilled in me the values of hard work, faith, and education. My mom was always proud of her work and of the opportunities she made real for herself and for her family.
She has always been a strong example to me that we should expect more out of life, that we all have a great contribution to make, that we should work hard to fulfill our ambitions, and that we should never take no as an answer. Even now, at the age of 102, my mom is still my biggest supporter.
And thank you to my extended family — my campaign manager Jimmy Tickey, and my extraordinary staff who are here tonight — from both Connecticut and DC. They have a tough job with long hours, and they have to put up with me! They always go the extra mile helping to make a difference in people’s lives. You inspire me. Thank you to all of you. You are the best. You make this possible.
Tonight, we will have elected Hillary Clinton President of the United States. I campaigned in New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Virginia for our Senate and House candidates — in states that will put us over the top. I campaigned because I believe that this election is about the future of our country.
We really have a chance to turn the page in Washington and in the country. You need to know that I will work even harder on the issues we are committed to. Our task could not be clearer.
We are going to battle for middle class families, not corporate interests. We are going to be in a different position — Hillary Clinton will be a President who will be a partner in our fight for equal pay for equal work, paid family leave, paid sick days, affordable childcare, and affordable college. She is committed to rebuilding our infrastructure to create American jobs with rising incomes.
The biggest economic challenge of our time is that too many people are in jobs that do not pay them enough to live on. We need to pursue policies that make life easier for the American worker — not harder.
Tonight, I speak to you re-energized for the challenges ahead. I promise you I will not shy away from these hard-fought battles — I never have, and I never will.
Thank you for your support, and for putting your trust in me again. I promise to be there for you to hear your stories, to uphold the values we share, and, each and every day, to be in the thick of it, fighting for working families, and for Connecticut. Thank you and God bless you all.
