Presented without comment, you’ll find her letter over the flip.

Throughout my campaign for State Party Chair I have been focused on the need to build this Party out of the activists and volunteers that make it great. I want to implement a statewide strategy that recognizes the importance of growing our grassroots and expanding into the red areas where we need to make up ground in the coming years.

When former Senate Pro Tem John Burton entered the race for Chair I was not willing to step aside because I felt that my supporters and I had a vision for the Party that was too important. Over the past few weeks I have been watching the Burton campaign closely. I have been talking to members of the party leadership that are supporting his campaign and paying close attention to his remarks and written statements. The consistency of his message and the sincerity he displays have convinced me that he has come to share our goals and understands the needs that we face as an organization.

I have reached out to my friends in the Labor Community to discuss a unified ticket for Party Leadership. I have also discussed this with the Senate Pro Tem and Legislative leadership of both houses. As a result of these conversations I have decided to exit the race for chair and will bring several key endorsements into the race for Vice Chair.

Our state and Party face huge challenges and I feel we cannot afford to have a divisive Party Chair campaign. Our Party deserves a unified leadership to the build on the current organization and enthusiasm of 2008, take us through the election of a Democratic Governor and the re-election of Senator Barbara Boxer in 2010, the redistricting process in 2011 and a tumultuous election year in 2012.

I want to thank all of my grassroots supporters and Party leaders that have helped and advised me during this campaign. I encourage them to join me in a unified ticket for our Party leadership and will seek their help in building the CDP in our shared vision.

I look forward to electing my slates and hundreds of hard working Democratic activists this coming weekend and working with the lifeblood of this Party to reach our shared goals in the coming years.

Sincerely,

Alex Rooker

1st Vice-Chair

California Democratic Party