"I will never support, and will vigorously oppose, any and all attempts to erode Nevada’s authority over the appropriation and use of our most precious resource: water."
- Mark Amodei
Announcement
Posted: February 22, 2010 Posted by: MarkI have advocated many positions during my public service which I felt forwarded the best interests of Nevadans because I believe such advocacy is the hallmark of leadership. Leadership is a word that is absent from much of today's discussion of those who are in and those who aspire to elected public office. Leadership, in my view, consists not only of knowing when to stand up; but also knowing when to stand down. Accordingly, with this communication, I am announcing my withdrawal from the Republican United States Senate primary, effective immediately.
I am proud of our campaign and the way we have conducted our discussion with Nevadans all over our state. Former GOP stateChairwoman Nancy Bilyeu, and later, then Secretary of State Dean Heller, set three appropriate standards for political campaigns. They are: Respect your opponents; discuss the issues; and treat the voters as adults. Our campaign has adhered to those standards, and of that I am exceedingly proud.
Throughout the past six months, I have met many wonderful Nevadans that share all our concerns about returning to a responsible form of government at both the state and national levels. I will miss the continued dialogue with these folks that represent the heart and soul of Nevada. They need and deserve an advocate to represent them. I sincerely hope this election cycle produces that advocate. But every campaign must have moments of introspection. While I sincerely believe depth of experience and depth of knowledge about our issues and communities are credentials which are primary in any candidate evaluation, access to the monetary resources to showcase those credentials is also a necessary requirement to mounting a viable primary campaign. I have failed to generate those resources from within and outside Nevada. I am not wealthy in monetary terms, and if I were, I still would not believe the election process should be primarily a question of cash on hand. However, the reality is, in many instances, voters are drawn to those candidates who expend the largest sums.
I will not mortgage or deficit spend in a campaign any more than I believe that we should not defecit spend or mortgage for our childrens' or Nevada's or America's futures. While we all have the"right" to run for public office, I believe that we must also "Lead" by doing so in a fiscally responsible manner. I am convinced that change must come to the U.S. Senate seat in Nevada. I am however, unwilling to emerge from the end of the campaign having become a different person than when I entered the campaign.
I have chosen this time and place to announce my decision because tomorrow, and in the days that follow of the coming Special Session of the Nevada Legislature, my continuing duties as a State Senator, will require a full commitment to those advocacy and leadership jobs with which the voters of the Capital Senate district have entrusted me for nearly a dozen years. I will continue to fight for what I believe are the right policies for all of Nevada as we emerge from the present challenges and move into the future. To that end, I do not want the self-anointed pundits to claim my positions are purely for political grandstanding. I refused to do that in the 2009 session, and I again refuse to engage in such conduct.
I also want to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved with my campaign. It has meant a lot to me, and I am very humbled by the hard work, donations, and friendships I have made during this process. Thank you.
I will not endorse any candidate in the primary election. The voters will make known their endorsement soon enough. I will complete the remainder of my term as a state senator, and look forward to future opportunities to serve my community, my state, and my country.
Mark
Share This News Online with
