As published on the Chevy Chase Listserv on November 8th:

As our community goes to the polls and the campaign for ANC 3/4G 02 comes to an end, I want to thank everyone in our district for their engagement and interest over the last two months. It’s been extraordinary.

Scores of people have told me on their doorsteps and on our neighborhood street corners that they have seldom, if ever, seen as much energy and interest in an ANC race.

Our neighbors have been incredibly generous with their time and attention to discuss with me and my campaign colleagues the issues that matter most to them and how we together can address them.

My overwhelming takeaway is that our neighbors want to be part of the process. They yearn to be informed, engaged, and heard. For many who knew little about the ANC, the campaign has not just piqued their curiosity; it’s engendered their expectation. They now look forward to the promise of proactive community engagement becoming a reality.

But what has already happened should not escape our notice. Our residents now know more about the ANC, its role, and its potential than ever before. The campaign has been nothing short of a civics education. Nearly every one of the 642 district households has had one or more candidate visits and received copious campaign literature.

Even the neighborhood children have taken notice. I spoke a few days ago with one young boy who had just run for student council. We compared notes on campaigning. I asked him what he had found the most challenging aspect of running. Facing rivals after the fact, he said.

Indeed, whatever the outcome of the election, on its heels we will enter the reconciliation phase, a time to set aside our differences and agree to work together for the benefit our community.

I can say confidently, from hundreds of conversations with neighbors over the last two months, that the community is poised for that prospect and fully prepared to join in.

Bruce