I’m proud of my husband.  Gary Pritchard is running for State Senate in California.  It’s the 33rd district and his opponent is a very far right neo-con Republican named Mimi Walters.  The odds of my husband winning this race are not good but the most important thing about this race for me and for him is getting a “D” on the ballot and running the best race he can.  I promised I would back him up on this and I’ve done that.

According to his calculations he’s knocked on over 10,000 doors this summer.  Gary has also been running as a moderate.  Why?  Because he understands the reality of our district and that a moderate Democrat would represent far more voters than a far right Republican who takes their seat for granted.

But there are some things you cannot be moderate on, such as a woman’s right to choose.  Either you support it or you don’t.  Gary supports it and  this is the letter he wrote to NARAL for their endorsement.  Gary is also running this race for our Five year old daughter Charlotte.

Why share this letter?  I have to, it shows the kind of thoughtful and caring legislator he will be and I am just proud to say I married this man almost ten years ago and chose to share my life with him.  When I read this letter, I cried.  

Dear Amy Everitt and NARAL Board:

Thank you for expressing an interest in my State Senate race. As you are aware, I am the Democratic Nominee for California State Senate. Just like your organization, I’m deeply concerned about the issues that affect families in our state. I know how hard NARAL has fought for the reproductive rights of women and now I want to opportunity to do the same.

I am a tenured professor at Cerritos College and am a proud husband and father of a healthy five year old daughter. As my wife and I watch her develop into the bright, confident woman we are certain she will become, we hope that she will have the same rights that women have fought so long and hard to establish and maintain in our country. My wife is a graduate of Smith and it is an understatement to say that women’s rights are important to our family.

For all of us who believe in a woman’s right to choose, my Senate race is relevant. I am running against Assemblywomen Mimi Walters. Walters voting record on bills that support reproductive choice; pregnancy prevention; bearing healthy children; and legal abortion is obstructive to Pro-Choice values. By your website’s own reporting, Mimi Walters and Dick Ackerman, the Republican who currently holds the seat, are both accurately described as Anti-Choice. I am a Pro-Choice nominee who will support women throughout my legislative career.

I support The Stronger Families for California Act-AB 1511 (Leno) and The Sexual Health Accountability Act-AB 629 (Brownley). I also think that expanding the breast-feeding peer counseling program- SB 22 (Midgen) and gender-neutral marriage-AB 43 (Leno) are important issues to support.

Earlier this year, with my family’s support, I answered the call to run in the 33rd State Senate District. I decided the most important thing I could do is bring awareness to the difference between Republican and Democratic politics at the state level. I have started the conversation with the mere act of precinct walks. In the thousand or so doors that I have personally knocked on since last month and talking to the 200 plus supporters who have donated to my campaign, I have found overwhelming support for change.  

Voters want the opportunity to change the entrenched politics of Sacramento. They are looking for someone outside Orange County’s political mainstream who will listen and respond to their needs. I feel that this is our year to bring the political discussion back to the voters and away from Republican insiders who have monopolized politics in Orange County for too long.

As you can imagine, my fight will be an uphill battle and I cannot win without the support of groups who like myself are concerned with how the political climate in this country has moved in the wrong direction. My opponent has the financial resources to get her conservative message out. I need your endorsement and financial contribution to help bring our message to life.

Now is our chance to spread the word that there is a real choice to make this November – not only in Washington, but also in Orange County. I need your help to make our message of change clear to voters in Orange County. There’s no better time to be professing change in Orange County, and no better race to promote Pro-Choice politicians than to work towards victory in the 33rd Senate District.

Together, I am confident we can bring change to Sacramento. I look forward to speaking with you very soon.

My deepest thanks for all that you’ve done,

Gary Pritchard

Please help me help Gary but donating to our campaign.