WILLIAMSON
FOR
U.S. CONGRESS
DEMOCRAT

Congressional District 6
480-607-9726

Dear Volunteer or Friend,

The official final results of the primary were posted by the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office on Friday, Sept. 7, and, unfortunately, I came up short on the votes: It was 51.91% to 48.09%, with Matt Jette having 12,383 to my 11,471 votes, a difference of 912 votes.

I’m very disappointed, but it’s been a very successful loss. So many good things happened during the campaign.

I’d like to thank very much the people who voted for me. Drawing the line with the ball point pen next to my name is a big deal, and I appreciate it greatly.

I’d like to thank the volunteers, those who put up yard signs, and those who made financial contributions. I’d like to thank my sister, Nancy Marie Williamson, for being the campaign committee treasurer. It’s an important job, and I value her efforts.

There are various reasons for running for office. My strong belief in the Affordable Care Act was my main reason, and got me out there getting signatures on my nomination petitions, 699 of which out of 707 I got myself. I’m proud of that because it shows I got in contact with the voters and provided me with first-hand experiences on what their concerns are. Another reason for running for office has to do with positive political experiences I’ve had throughout my life. My mother’s activities in the Democratic Party as President of the SCOTTSDALE DEMOCRATIC LUNCHEON CLUB in 1976 and her work as a precinct committeeperson and so on provided me with a strong impetus. It shows me how influential parents can be on their children. If you think your kid isn’t watching what you do, folks, think again! I remember, as a youth, going to the District 28 Democratic Party meetings and listening to and observing what was going on. And I remember participating as a volunteer in Senator DeConcini’s 1976 campaign and how much hope and optimism there was in that, especially after he won. If you, regardless of your age, have memories that give you hope and optimism, hold on to them. They can keep you going through the hard times and take you places.

I’ll have a website shortly. It’s address will be: williamsonforuscongress.com. It should be up within the next two weeks. Check it out, check in, and stay in touch!

In the last election, when I was running for state representative, I came up, after a challenge, 36 signatures short on my nomination petitions and had to withdraw from the race. At that time, my mom had just had a heart attack, though she’s doing well now, and I had had to get her settled in an assisted-living situation as well. Things were changing, there had been crises, yet, in a phone conversation with Dennis DeConcini, he offered these consoling words: “There’ll be another day.”

And so it has happened. There has been another day and, though I would rather have won, it was good to get out there, put up signs (see attached photo, one of my favorites, with my daughter, Maryanne), stuff envelopes, use the Votebuilder database from the Arizona Democratic Party to create voter lists, and meet new people. It wasn’t always easy, but we did not give up. And for that, in some way, we have prevailed.

Tomorrow will be another day, and we’ll have another chance, to believe in our beliefs and to look for that winning vote around the corner.

Thanks for supporting my efforts!

Sincerely,
John

W. John Williamson
Candidate for U.S. Congress, CD6

Dear Volunteer or Friend,

Just letting you know that, because the Democratic primary in CD6 is so close, I’m waiting for the OFFICIAL election results. An election official has told me that the official results won’t be out until hopefully, he said, Tuesday.

The latest UNOFFICIAL results of the primary, as of Aug. 29 at 2:19 PM are:

Matt Jette: 9688 50.98%

W. John Williamson: 9317 49.02%

Even though 100% of the precincts have reported, there are still ballots to be counted. Provisional ballots, for example. Perhaps the ballots of astronauts who faxed their votes in from the International Space Station as well, I don’t know. In fact, this official told me that the election workers at the County Recorder’s office are going to be working until 10:00 PM on Saturday to get everything counted; not just for the CD6 race, but for all the races in the county. He also said that the county election workers are not guaranteed a Labor Day holiday if their work has not been completed.

So given that I have been running for U.S. Congress for just over a year and 9317 voters have placed their trust, rightly so, in me, it is best to stand by for the official results before drawing any conclusions. As an English teacher, it’s not hard to think of examples in the plays of Shakespeare of characters who jumped to conclusions and made decisions before all the facts were in. Romeo and Juliet for two; and I think it was Cassius in JULIUS CAESAR who thought his friend had been taken prisoner but that was not the case at all. He misconstrued what he saw and made a bad decision after that. (Correct me if I’m wrong, Dave L., on the character’s name in JULIUS CAESAR.)

So I’m going to wait until the OFFICIAL results are in and then assess the situation.

The election official I talked to also said that if the difference in votes is 100 or less, an automatic recount is triggered. (Wayne M., I think that addresses your question.)

That election night was sure a hoot, though, wasn’t it? When I started to watch the votes rolling in, it became clear that more than my Mom, my daughter and myself had voted for me. It’s very gratifying that, as of Aug. 29 at 2:19 PM, the unofficial results show that, as of that moment, 9317 people had voted for me. I and the campaign volunteers, supporters, contributors and those with yard signs must have done something right. I attach two photos from our ELECTION NIGHT GATHERING: in the first, I’m with my wonderful daughter, Maryanne; in the second, I’m with Jason, the manager that evening at DENNY’S at Scottsdale and Osborn Roads. Jason has worked in the restaurant business for some 20-plus years, but now is majoring in Biology at a local community college, pursuing his original dream before family responsibilities took him on another path.

So the vigil continues until the OFFICIAL results are in and I and my advisors can see what they are. Perhaps there will be good news, who knows?

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. My campaign phone number is 480-607-9726; or send an e-mail.

Thanks for continuing to hang in there with me.

Sincerely,

W. John Williamson

Candidate for U.S. Congress, CD6

We took some photos this time. In the first picture, there is Kyle, Bill and Pat–our family contingent. Note the glass of organic lemonade to the left, a source of envelope-stuffing energy. And to think, had I not gone out to gather signatures on my petitions that fateful Sunday in March at the Mesquite Library in Paradise Valley, I would never have met these wonderful folks.

In the second digital moment, we have, left to right, Marie (with the blue earring), Pat S. (in the green shirt), Kyle S. (giving his mother a hand), and I (in the blue CTA polo shirt.) With VOLUNTEERS like this, how can my campaign not be successful? You may notice also that at ECHO COFFEE, laptops are popular.

Tentatively, the VOLUNTEERS will meet for a work party again next Sunday from 1:00 to 3:00 PM, after our victory on Tuesday.

Don’t forget to attend our ELECTION NIGHT GATHERING at DENNY’S,, 3315 N. Scottsdale Rd., at Scottsdale and Osborn in Scottsdale on Tuesday evening, Aug. 28, from 6:00 to 11:00 PM. We will be watching the election returns on TV. There’s the option, moreover, to get food on your own recognizance, or have a lemonade on the campaign committee.

My cell phone number is 480-283-5147, if needed.

Thank you for your support, one and all.

Sincerely,