Thread by @SimaforTX

Hello everyone. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. It’s been the honor of my life running as the Democratic nominee for #TX02 and fighting to get @JoeBiden elected. Just 11 short months ago, we began this campaign with a belief.

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A belief that health care is a human right — not a privilege for the few. A belief that politicians must be held accountable to the people, and that conscience must always come before career. And a belief that, together, we can turn our American Dream into an American Reality.

We always knew this fight would be an uphill battle, but I was never scared to take on this challenge. As a woman of color, an immigrant, and a breast cancer survivor, I’ve been defying the odds my whole life.

Tonight, however, we came up short.

I want to start by congratulating the congressman. Clearly, Dan and I disagree on the path forward for our nation, especially through this tragic crisis — but I do hope he’ll succeed for the sake of our community's health.

The congressman was forced to make promises on the campaign trail. From protecting Texans with pre-existing conditions to lowering prescription drug costs, his promises are not going away. And with peoples’ lives on the line, #TX02 will be relying on Dan to keep his word.

Although we didn’t get the result that we wanted tonight, I’m so proud of the movement we built together. Just look at what we’ve accomplished. We spoke truth to power, and held politicians to account for the health of our families, our economy, and our democracy.

We galvanized Texans to vote like never before, bringing our state from worst to first in the nation for participation. And we helped bring Texas to the cusp of electing honor and decency to the nation's highest office — with @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris at the helm.

We were all a part of this movement, and there are so many of you to thank. Thank you to my husband Masoud and my beautiful children, Atissa and Dara, who have always stood by my side. Your love gave me the strength to rise to this moment, & I couldn't have done it without you.

Thank you to my amazing staff, supporters, and friends. You gave us the energy to fight for what was right, and you showed up for me with your time, your dollars, and your passion. You inspired me every step of the way, and I'm in awe of what #TeamSima has built together.

And thank you to all the volunteers — from all across the county and the country — who joined this movement to defy the odds. Democracy will be okay because of people like you who are willing to fight for it, and I’m so lucky to have had you all in my corner.

I want to end this by reminding you that we cannot give up hope — I know its power from experience.

I speak of hope as an immigrant, who fled the chaos of revolution, found refuge in this beautiful country, and worked hard for my American Dream.

I speak of hope as a breast cancer survivor, who understands what it means to face down a scary diagnosis and a long road to recovery.

And I speak of hope as a mother — who has proudly watched her children grow in this land of opportunity and will do anything to protect them.

Through it all, hope is what helped me defy the odds. And if we work together, keep the faith, and stand up for what is right, we can and we will defy the odds again. Thank you, and can't wait to stand shoulder to shoulder with you in the good fights ahead. 💪💕

Much love,
Sima