Thread by @ChristySmithCA

I’m going to start this very long 🧵 by saying how absolutely thrilled I am that we’ve held the Senate and a House hold is still likely. Grateful to every American voter who leaned into the responsibility to protect our democracy and freedom! 1/

Sadly though, the path for flipping #CA27 has narrowed significantly and when all the votes are in it’s likely Garcia holds the seat.

Nevertheless, there are lessons to be learned from this race that I’m determined to put on the record…2/

In the hope that the next Dem who steps up to the plate will be successful.

In many ways, we are victims of our 2018 success in this district. The GOP has now modeled their approach from billboards to field on what Dems did to flip the seat from Steve Knight. 3/

They made huge investments that unfortunately weren’t matched by our side in terms of spending, nor strategy.

We needed to do 2 key things:
1. define Garcia in media as the election denying anti-abortion extremist he is
2. reach our less persistent voters… 4/

Especially communities of color in our high desert communities.

While our volunteers did their absolute best, we needed a well paid field program with diverse language skills and cultural proficiency 5/

But from the outset of the primary it was an uphill battle to muster the necessary resources to run the race we needed to run here.

As detailed by a few media outlets already, our campaign got next to zero outside resources to fight this battle 6/

In fact, I was fighting the institutional power of my own party from the outset of this race.

As a state legislator who flipped my seat, I certainly understand resource allocation and the fact the the DCCC is a member organization with an absolute mandate…7/

To defend and protect incumbents - period.

But, with every ratings group in the lead up to the General calling #CA27 the tipping point to hold the House, the utter lack of investment makes no sense. 8/

Which brings us to 2 things being absolutely true this cycle.

1 This was THE cycle that The Citizens United Decision came home to roost.

2 Despite that, because of American’s true commitment to our democracy, race by race we defied those odds. 9/

But, going forward if we do not advance legislation that gets dark money spending in our elections under control, we are destined to have more cycles where we fear for the future of our democratic institutions. 10/

I’ve been massively outspent here for a few cycles now.

For those who would argue that I’m somehow a failed or inferior candidate, I’d welcome you to run for Congress underfunded, after the prior member resigned under scandal and refused to leave the public eye, 11/

During a global pandemic that shut the world down to then achieve a General Election result that was 36,000 more votes than any Dem has ever earned in this district, and in the top 3 closest outcomes in the country. 333 votes. 12/

Which brings us to this cycle.

I decided to take the big political risk to take on Garcia again when he voted not to certify the 2020 election results.

But, despite the very close outcome of our 2020 contest, DC wasn’t interested in a rematch. But #CA27 was. 13/

So with the help of our SoCal grassroots and party allies, labor groups, and district voters, we beat a DC recruited candidate who moved here just to run. Sadly, that contest wasted $2 mill of Dem donor money on a primary that only happened because DC wanted it. 14/

Their guy got a single digit result.

It’s a mistake DC has made here over the years. As an elected leader here with over a decade of service, I’ve seen every clown circus their recruits bring. It insults locals and dampens the spirit of 15/

Local Dems fighting hard to flip local seats and build our bench. We’re frankly very done with it.

So here we are again, in a cycle where DC thinks it knows what’s best for us and again it ends in a loss. 16/

At every turn, as a candidate, I met every metric DC set out for success and their partnership. I left the primary at $0 having fought off their recruit and went on to be one of the top challenger fundraisers in the run up to the general. 17/

While other campaigns had multiple paid field staff on DC payroll, we had 1 and he moved mountains with our small but mighty team to make us one of the best producing field programs in the country.

But he and I both knew that to get us where we needed to be, we needed more. 18/

When it comes to paid comms on TV, digital, and mail, without DC help to define Garcia and elevate our positive agenda we didn’t stand a chance. Especially, since Garcia largely hid from debates and mainstream media limiting our opportunity for earned media contrast. 19/

I’m putting this out there for 2 reasons-

1. I don’t want any future locally based candidate here to face what I did. This district deserves to chose it’s candidate.

2. I want women in politics to seize the power to define their own narrative in a world so eager to do it 20/

for us. To wit: Hillary & now Kamala and more.

I also want people who report & comment on politics writ large to examine more carefully and report more accurately.

Billionaire $ and poorly informed hot takes are both bad for democracy. 21/

I am so grateful to every ally who stood with us, the leadership of @cadem and the members of the CA Democratic Congressional delegation who stood up for #CA27- Brad Sherman, Zoe Lofgren, Adam Schiff, Jimmy Gomez, Julia Brownley, Tony Cardenas, Ami Berra, & Senator Padilla 22/

To every group that stood with us & kept us going, please stay in the fight:
@GrassrootsDemHQ
@HeartLADems
@swingleftwestv1
@SFVDems
@IndivisibleAV
@SCVDems
@momsinoffice
@MomsDemand
@CivicSundays
@fieldteam_6
@TRNorthridge
@SDASantaClarita
@VotersTomorrow
23/

Finally, to every group allied in our cause, whether from labor, environmental, womens rights, justice, and clean money organizations - I am grateful for your faith and will continue to fight with you.

CLF and NRCC are well funded bald faced liars who should be ashamed.