McClintock And Derlet Reflect On Congressional Race
Sonora, CA — Congressman Tom McClintock, who will return to Washington, DC, and challenger Dr. Bob Derlet, have both released detailed statements about Tuesday’s election.
McClintock received 62% of the vote and Derlet 37%. With the election of President-elect Donald Trump, McClintock says lawmakers were given a clear directive to “make America great again.”
McClintock adds, “That work is now upon us, and will require the faithful fulfillment of the promises made to the American people to restore our Constitution, secure our borders, uphold the rule of law and revive our economy. And it will require the continuing involvement of a campaign that became a movement that became a presidency. If we rededicate ourselves to the task ahead, this generation will have saved and preserved what Lincoln called, “The last best hope of mankind on this earth.”
To the people of the Fourth Congressional District – THANK YOU. There is no greater honor an American can have than to be entrusted with working and speaking and voting on behalf of a constituency in the halls of Congress. Five times now the people of this district have done me that honor, and I cannot begin to put into words how highly I value that trust and how seriously I recognize that responsibility.
Individual liberty. Constitutionally limited government. Personal responsibility. These are the principles that make America exceptional. They embody the core philosophy of our party and of our country. I will do everything I can to restore them as the foundation of our public policy as long as the good people of the fourth district allow me to do so.
Democratic challenger Derlet, a Tuolumne County resident, has released a concession statement.
Dr. Derlet says, “Together, we have built a campaign for Congress for which we can feel great pride. Sure, I had hoped that I would be giving a victory speech rather than conceding defeat. But I am grateful, fulfilled, thankful, and inspired.
I appreciate having had the opportunity given to me by the primary voters who chose to make me the standard-bearer of the Democratic Party in this important, noble effort to change the composition of Congress, at least in California’s fourth district.
I am fulfilled by the experiences I have had traveled up and down this immense, scenic, resource-rich district–300 miles long, from Lake Tahoe to south of Yosemite into Fresno County; a district populated by neighborly, decent, caring and hard-working people.
I am thankful to so many people for their support, their advice, their contributions, their energy, their commitment. At the top of that list is my lovely, brilliant, determined and dear wife, Mikla. And I thank my daughters and my grandchildren for their love and support, and for being a constant reminder of why our mission to make ours a better country and a more livable world is so important. I am also thankful to the many, many people who have worked tirelessly and brilliantly to make this campaign possible, and that starts with my campaign manager, Kate Scott.
I am inspired by what I have learned over the past year or more, the determination of so many citizens to make our area, our state, and our country as good as they possibly can be. I am inspired by the patriotism of our people, their commitment to one another, and their belief that we should not, indeed, we cannot give up on the values and the mission of this campaign. The work doesn’t end tonight, or next year or the year after that. It continues and I plan to keep at it, regardless of tonight’s results.
I congratulate Congressman McClintock on his win tonight, and I invite him to work with those of us who didn’t vote for him, to do together all we can to improve the lives of everyone in the 4th Congressional District.”
The District Four Congressional race stretches across the Sierra Nevada and includes the Mother Lode region.
