Today Sen. Paula Dockery dropped out of the Gubernatorial Race. Below is an email her campaign sent out.
It is with mixed feelings that I end my campaign to be your next governor. People who know me know I’m a tenacious fighter unafraid of long odds, especially when the stakes are so high. But I’m also a realist and understand the costs of effectively competing statewide. At this point in the election cycle, I see no financial path to victory. And so today, with both resignation that the resources are not there and appreciation for the journey we shared, I am ending my campaign to be governor of the great state of Florida.
Six months ago, I entered the race with a firm belief that the people of Florida deserved a candidate who would put an end to “politics as usual” and restore integrity, honesty and openness to the business of running our state.
Our reform message resonated well with the thousands of people we reached and I am grateful and humbled by the outpouring of enthusiasm, encouragement and support I received as I logged thousands of miles on the white Ford Explorer.
To all the wonderful people I met along the way in Panama City, Destin, Marianna, Tallahassee, Apalachicola, Fernandina Beach, Jacksonville, Gainesville, Daytona, Orlando, Kissimmee, Poinciana, Lakeland, Bartow, Plant City, Tampa, Clearwater, St. Pete, Bradenton, Sarasota, Ft. Myers, Port Charlotte, Naples, Ave Maria – as well as Gilchrist, Citrus, Hernando, Brevard, Martin, Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach Counties – and all points in between, thank you for your interest and involvement in my campaign.
Thank you to all of my colleagues who endorsed me, to all of you who contributed to help get our message out, and to all the staff and volunteers who gave so unselfishly of their time and talents. And thank you to all my Facebook friends and Twitter followers for the exchange of information and ideas, as well as some welcomed humor.
But thank you most of all for sharing your thoughts and suggestions with me on how together we could improve our beautiful state. The memories of this wonderful experience and of meeting so many extraordinary folks will stay with me forever. I am a better person for having undertaken this journey with you.
