DAVID TOSCANO PRIMARY NIGHT SPEECH  JUNE 14 2005 CHARLOTTESVILLE ICE PARK

ISN’T IT GREAT TO BE A DEMOCRAT?   

FIRST, CONGRATULATIONS TO MY OPPONENTS, RICH COLLINS AND KIM TINGLEY FOR A CIVIL, ISSUES-BASED RACE.

LET ME THANK THEM FOR BRINGING CRITICAL ISSUES TO THE TABLE --  KIM, FOR HIS EMPHASIS ON CIVIL RIGHTS AND WILLINGNESS TO EMBRACE LIBERALISM.

AND TO RICH, FOR HIS WILLINGNESS TO PUSH THE ENVELOPE ON ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVES SO IMPORTANT TO THE FUTURE OF OUR REGION AND OUR COMMONWEALTH.

THEIR EFFORTS MADE ME A BETTER CANDIDATE AND MAKES US A STRONGER PARTY.

NEXT, I WANT TO THANK MY CAMPAIGN TEAM, BRIAN, TOM, BLAKE, NILA, RUDY, JENNIFER, BRUCE, KIP, BOB, DAN, PAT, PAT, DAVID, EILEEN, ALVIN, KAY, LLOYD, JONELLE, AND CONNIE.  MANY OF US HAVE BEEN TOGETHER FOR OVER 15 YEARS AND THROUGH MANY CAMPAIGNS.   I COULD NEVER HAVE WON TODAY WITHOUT YOU. AND WE CANNOT WIN IN NOVEMBER WITHOUT YOU.

THANK YOU TO THE PHONERS, STUFFERS, YARD SIGN PLANTERS , POLL WATCHERS AND THE OTHER VOLUNTEERS.

AND SPECIAL THANKS TO ERIN GARVEY,  ELIZABETH MCMARTIN, AND MY STAFF AND PARTNERS AT MY LAW FIRM.  LET'S GIVE THEM A HAND.

AND OF COURSE, MY GRATITUDE MY WIFE, NANCY, WHO WORRIES OVER EVERY DETAIL IN CAMPAIGNS AND HELPED PRODUCE SOME GREAT MATERIALS. AND THANKS TO MY SON MATTHEW, WHO HELPED ME CAMPAIGN AND WHO PUT UP WITH DADDY'S TOUGH SCHEDULE. I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND THANK MY PARENTS-IN-LAW, GEORGE AND NANCY TRAMONTIN, WHO HAVE SUPPORTED ME IN MY POLITICAL ACTIVITIES FOR OVER TWENTY YEARS. THIS IS A SPECIAL DAY FOR THEM, INDEPENDENT OF THIS VICTORY, AS THEY ARE CELEBRATING THEIR 57TH ANNIVERSARY TODAY.

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MY FELLOW DEMOCRATS,

I AM PROUD TO BE YOUR NOMINEE FOR THIS OFFICE, AND I’M EXCITED TO BE YOUR CHOICE TO SUCCEED MITCH VAN YAHRES, A GREAT DEMOCRAT.

THIS ELECTION IS A CHANCE TO MAKE A STATEMENT – NOT JUST IN THE 57TH, BUT IN THE COMMONWEALTH -- THAT WE CAN RESHAPE POLITICS IN VIRGINIA AND THAT VIRGINIA DEMOCRATS ARE ON THE ROAD BACK!

WHEN VIRGINIANS NEED TO SOLVE PROBLEMS, THEY TURN TO THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.   

WHY?

NOT BECAUSE WE HAVE A 10-POINT PLAN OR SOME WONDERFUL POSITION PAPERS —

NO.  VIRGINIANS EMBRACE THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY BECAUSE OF OUR VALUES -- WHAT WE BELIEVE -- AND BECAUSE OUR VALUES ARE DEEPLY ROOTED IN THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE.

I BELIEVE, LIKE YOU THAT A COMMONWEALTH AS RICH AS OURS HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO DO MORE FOR THE LESS FORTUNATE. 

AND I KNOW THAT EFFORTS TO BUILD A PROSPEROUS AND JUST VIRGINIA ARE BEING DERAILED BY CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICANS  WHO ARE SO BLINDED BY IDEOLOGY THAT THEY CAN’T SEE THE REAL NEEDS OF THOUSANDS OF VIRGINIANS.

.WE CAN DO BETTER.  AND IF WE ELECT DEMOCRATS THIS FALL, PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATS LIKE TIM KAINE AND CREIGH DEEDS, WE WILL.

MY FRIENDS, OUR CHARGE IS TO BE THE PARTY OF PROGRESSIVE CHANGE IN VIRGINIA;

OUR STRATEGY IS TO LEAD WITH BOTH OUR HEADS AND OUR HEARTS;

OUR TASK IS TO FIND COMMON GROUND SO WE ALL MAY MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.

I HOPE YOU WILL JOIN ME AS WE LEAD THIS PARTY AND THE COMMONWEALTH IN THESE EFFORTS.

WE DEMOCRATS MUST REMIND VIRGINIANS THAT WE EMBRACE THE AMERICAN DREAM OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AND HOPE, AND THAT WE WILL WORK TO EXTEND IT TO ALL CITIZENS.

WE MUST SAY THAT YES,  WE HAVE GOOD SCHOOLS,  BUT OUR FUTURE RESTS IN ATTACKING THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP, STRESSING EXCELLENCE, AND PROVIDING THE RESOURCES NECESSARY FOR EVERY CHILD TO SUCCEED.

WE MUST ASSERT THAT THE FUTURE OF THE EARTH MATTERS.  AND THAT BUILDING BETTER COMMUNITIES, IMPROVING OUR AIR AND WATER, AND PROTECTING OUR ASSETS WILL BE THE STANDARD BY WHICH OUR CHILDREN WILL JUDGE US.

AND WE DEMOCRATS MUST RECLAIM OUR ROLE AS PROTECTORS OF REAL FAMILY VALUES, REAFFIRMING THAT GOVERNMENT OUGHT NOT INTRUDE ON A FAMILY’S DECISION OF WHEN TO START A FAMILY AND HOW TO GROW IT, AND BY SUPPORTING CITIZENS JOINED TOGETHER BY LOVE AND COMMITMENT TO EACH OTHER, REGARDLESS OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION.

MY FRIENDS, CHARLOTTESVILLE/ALBEMARLE IS WHAT IT IS BECAUSE OF PEOPLE LIKE YOU, WHO GIVE YOUR TIME AND TALENT TO MAKE IT SUCH A SPECIAL PLACE.  TOGETHER, WE CAN BUILD ON OUR SUCCESS HERE AND BEGIN TO CHANGE THE FACE OF POLITICS IN VIRGINIA.

IN ACCEPTING YOUR NOMINATION, MY COMMITMENT IS CLEAR—NEVER SHRINK, NEVER BEND, NEVER SURRENDER IN THE TASK OF BUILDING A MORE JUST AND PROSPEROUS VIRGINIA.

I THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT TODAY AND LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING TOGETHER FOR VICTORY IN NOVEMBER.

THANK YOU.

Election Night Photos.

Daily Progress Coverage.

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