Email Blast Gill CA09: Why We’re Winning the Grassroots Battle

From day one, this campaign has been about ensuring you have a seat at the table and a voice in American politics. That’s why I’m proud to report that, thanks to your efforts, we are winning the grassroots battle for the 9th Congressional District.

We have a long road ahead of us, to be sure, and we’ll continue to work hard to earn your trust and support. But considering the great strides we’ve made together over the last year, it’s worth taking stock of a few of our grassroots achievements:

• Yesterday, we submitted signatures from 1,822 local residents to the San Joaquin County Registrar of Voters. According to the Registrar’s office, Jerry McNerney submitted only 110 signatures. That’s right — thanks to your efforts, we submitted more than 16 times as many signatures as a three-term incumbent. Every one of those signatures represents a local voter who is ready for a fresh start — and I’ll continue to work hard to provide it.

• We continue to outraise my opponent with support from real people — not the special interest groups my opponent relies on. Through December, we had raised $808,000 from individuals — nearly $300,000 more than my opponent. (Although he publicly denounces them, McNerney has taken lots of money from special interests — in fact, he’s accepted almost $3 million in special-interest money since 2006.)

• We also continue to outraise McNerney among residents of the 9th District, where I was born and raised. In fact, according to maplight.org, there is not a single 9th District city among McNerney’s top 10 contributing zip codes — and 88 percent of McNerney’s contributions since 2007 have originated outside his district.

• We’ve also held events throughout the 9th District to meet fellow citizens and listen to their concerns. We’ve held meet-and-greets from Morada to Mountain House and from Lodi to Lincoln Village. We’ve met with supporters at horse ranches in Brentwood, on farms in Lodi, and at bakeries in downtown Stockton. And that’s just the beginning — we have more meet-and-greets coming up in Stockton (including at Cal-Pine Barber Shop, where I’ve been a customer for 20 years), in Galt, and in every corner of the 9th District. (If you’d like to host a meet-and-greet, please get in touch with me at [email protected].)

• Finally, I’ve been fortunate to speak with countless community organizations, whether it’s Rotary and Kiwanis clubs, the Lodi Republican Women Federated, the Filipino Medical and Allied Professionals Society, Project Thank You, the San Joaquin Dental Society, or the Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs Association. I’ve spoken to Seniors Want a Tomorrow and students from University of the Pacific. I’ve commentated at the Kingdon Drags, handed out scholarships at the Barrio Festival, and helped Give Kids a Smile. I’ve walked through manufacturing plants in Lodi, toured the Port of Stockton, met with hospital administrators in Antioch, and visited water facilities throughout San Joaquin County.

And I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.

I will be forever grateful for everything you’ve done, and everything you will do, to help us give voters a fresh start in the new 9th Congressional District. I look forward to seeing you on the campaign trail.