Thank you

The results aren’t final, but for our campaign, the journey is over.

I don’t say that with a heavy heart, though. Together with all of you, we have changed the conversation. Things we talked about in the campaign became part of the bigger discussion, and the other candidates adapted them and made them their own. We advanced the conversation about job training, vocational education, supporting our business owners, and having a truly independent voice on the Council.

This was an unorthodox campaign with a record number of candidates, as you know. What we all have in common is a desire to serve and to make our city better. I know that every one of us cares about the District and every one of us has good ideas.

I want to congratulate Councilmember Robert White for being reelected and Christina Henderson for a hard-fought victory. Last night, I sent her my congratulations and will call her to offer my support because I want her to succeed. I know that if they succeed, so does our city.

First and foremost, I thank my wife, Suzanne, and our son, Kol, for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to pursue my desire to have a meaningful impact on the city I love and that I call home. Our movement and my campaign would not have been possible without a dedicated team and I’d like to thank them from the bottom of my heart: Ram, Elizabeth, Anne, David, Ned, Dawn, Matthew, Laura, and Jack. And our campaign volunteers, too, with a special shoutout to Skip and Andr’e, who went well beyond in supporting our work. I can’t thank all of them enough.

Your support throughout the past 14 months has been incredible. You put your faith in me, with your words of encouragement and your contributions, and the policies that we put forward to make DC a great place to call home. I am grateful for the many amazing people I had the opportunity to meet at farmer’s markets, homes doorsteps, and businesses across the city and I learned a great deal about the issues that matter to you and that you want the city council to prioritize.

Finally, this is not the end of civic engagement for me! As anyone who knows me would expect, I’ll continue to be involved, whether it’s on the Monday night citywide ANC calls, on my local ANC, or volunteering as an umpire on Capitol Hill, where I live. I’m committed to fighting for the ideas, platforms, and policies we raised and will keep working and fighting for those to ensure that they get the attention they deserve at the Wilson Building.

-Chander

P.S. - Please enjoy the “Thank You” video from me, above. I truly appreciate your support.