State Senator Matt Dunne announces run for Congress

Letter dated Monday May 16, 2005, from State Senator Matt Dunne (D-Windsor) to supporters announcing his intention to run for Congress.
Good Morning.
It is with great excitement that I write to share with you my decision to run for the United States Congress.
As many of you know, Sen. Jim Jeffords unexpectedly announced last month that he will not seek a third term in the U.S. Senate. Within hours, our lone Congressman Bernie Sanders announced he would seek Jeffords seat. The Vermont political landscape for 2006 is already starting to take shape.
This is also an exciting time for my family. My work at Dartmouth College continues to develop, and my efforts in the State Senate are very fulfilling. During this session, I worked on issues that include providing universal healthcare for all Vermonters, encouraging entrepreneurship, finding innovative ways to fight poverty, reducing mercury in our environment, and stimulating the redevelopment of downtowns and abandoned industrial sites. Sarah's third book is coming out July 1 and her fourth is due to the publisher in November. Most importantly, however, Sarah and I are expecting our first child in late June, a new adventure that we know will change our lives forever.
But despite all of this, and after some long conversations, we have decided that there was too much at stake in this election for me to stay in the sidelines.
Congress desperately needs to change. The tenor of debate and the priorities of the current leadership do not reflect Vermont values nor, I believe, the values of a majority of the country. Ethical standards are at an all time low and as a result, Americans are becoming more and more cynical about the legislative body that is intended to most closely represent their interests. The vitally important initiatives many of us have developed at the state and federal levels are under constant attack.
Serving on Vermont's Senate Appropriations Committee, I see every day the terrible impacts of poor decisions made in Congress. Funding for housing, community development, micro-enterprise lending, senior programs, and adult education is being slashed left and right. At the same time, this administration and this Congress are running up the largest deficits in our nation's history, while they underfund brave men and women in uniform, and take steps to roll back environmental standards, intrude on our privacy, and undermine our education system.
Change in Washington will not happen overnight. We need someone in Congress who can build coalitions, engage people who feel left out of the process, and return the House of Representatives to a place that values policy solutions, not political warfare. With hard work and a commitment to a long-term effort, I know that change is possible.
Why would I get started now rather than next year?
The Republicans have already started identifying candidates for the race and promising to fund them from the RNC's deep pockets. Anyone who is going to run effectively in a hotly contested statewide race needs to start building a team and raising resources now.
My timing is also determined by the expected addition to our family. My hope is to work hard now to get ahead on fundraising and outreach so I can spend July and August exclusively focusing on being a new father.
While I will not formally announce until next fall, I will spend the next six weeks reaching out to friends across the state, building a campaign team, and raising the money I know will be necessary to get a first class campaign up and running. This is where I need your help with the following:
Make a contribution: You can give on-line http://www.mattdunneforcongress.com/ or send a check to Matt Dunne for Congress, P.O. Box 1134, White River Jct, VT 05001. This will be a much more expensive race than anything I have taken on in the past, so please give what you can. Maximum contribution is $2100.
Get the word out: Send an e-mail to Vermont friends encouraging them to sign up, get involved with the campaign and commit their support. If they are currently office holders, encourage them to formally endorse our efforts. This is a critical part of building momentum.
I would not be where I am today without you, whether you volunteered to help with mailings in my early House races, drove me door-to-door around Windsor County in my Senate races, contributed financially, worked with me in Washington to make the AmeriCorps*VISTA program the strongest it could be, or served as a sounding board as I have made decisions in Montpelier. Thank you for everything you have done to bring us to this point and I look forward to continuing to work together in this new adventure.
Sincerely,
Matt