At the beginning of my campaign I made the following statement. “Many people believe a poor man or woman does not have a chance of being taken seriously in our money-driven political environment. Even though I share their skepticism I intend to do my best to prove them wrong.”
Well folks, I tried my best, and I am more convinced than ever that money buys elections, and if you happen to be in a red state, being a Republican certainly doesn’t hurt, in fact it almost guarantees your winning.
I ran my campaign all alone. I had no campaign manager, no crew, no personnel, no volunteers and no money. I had no political experience and no advisers, just me and my tenacity to stay the course, even when so many tried their best to count me out, scare me out, and embarrass me out.
I was harassed on social media on many occasions, and I watched people I called friends turn their backs on me, and disparage my name. I received absolutely no acknowledgment whatsoever from any family members or relatives, let alone get support or encouragement.
Some of my interviews with media seemed more like interrogations than attempts to gather information to aid the public to make an informed decision. Yet, I persevered, and I prayed for God’s guidance and protection through it all. At least He stayed with me, and kept me going.
I do not mention any of this to gain sympathy, but to provide some closure to my whole campaign, so I can put it in perspective, and move on to the next chapter in my life.
No, I did not win, as many loved to prophesy to me would happen. I suppose they are saying, “I told him so” now. Oh well, it is what it is. I gave it the ole college try.
I wish to say a big “Thank You” to the 8,590 people who put their trust in me and gave me their vote. You succeeded in putting a big smile on this old man’s face. I truly appreciate you.
To the hand-full of friends who stuck with me, encouraged me and put up with me during the campaign I want you to know I love you and appreciate you to no end. You rock !
To Diana Harshbarger, I say, “Congratulations. You achieved your goal, and now I hope you remember most of your constituents are not wealthy, in fact many of us live in poverty every day, and we make tough decisions sometimes. In fact, we often have to make tough decisions, like which bill can I pay this week, and what do I have to let go until next paycheck?
Diana, as I told you when I contacted you last night, I will be praying for you. You have a huge job to do, and we will be paying attention. I wonder if I will ever actually get your attention. So far, I have never gotten any kind of reply from you. Will that always be the case?”
Well folks, I will not let this turn into an essay, I just want to close this chapter and move on. In case anyone is interested, I am writing a book about my campaign experiences and lessons learned.
May God continue to bless us all in the 1st District, and please keep me in your prayers if you want to.
Steve Holder 