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Second-time Congressional candidate Charlie Brown conceded a short time ago to Tom McClintock, right-wing ideologue who wasn’t even able to vote for himself, since he lives 400 miles away from CA-04.

Via email, from Charlie:

Dear Teddy,

As you know, on November 4 th a record number of votes were cast nationwide, and in the race to become the 4th District’s next Representative in Congress…and the 4 th District race was way too close to call.

In the weeks since, our staff, volunteers, and legal team have worked overtime to ensure that every voice was heard in a fair, accurate, and transparent manner—from the canvassing of provisional and vote by mail ballots, to 1% machine recounts and 10% hand recounts by 9 different County Registrars district-wide.

Thanks to the extraordinary work of our local elections officials, I am pleased to report that the high standards of fairness, accuracy, and transparency have been met. And with the counts and recounts across district four complete, and more than 370,000 votes tallied, the outcome of this election is no longer in question. Unfortunately, we’ve come up less than one half of one percent—just under 1,800 votes—short of victory.

So a short time ago, I called Senator Tom McClintock to congratulate him on a hard fought victory, and to wish him well in Congress.

To you, I can only offer my deepest gratitude-for your generosity of time and resources, and your unwavering energy and encouragement. Together, we have transformed the 4 th District, and lifted this campaign higher and farther than anyone thought possible.

I am proud of the campaign we ran.

We offered substantive solutions on the economy, on energy and on national security. We focused on results and made a tangible difference in the lives of neighbors in need—contributing more than $90,000 to organizations serving local veterans and their families through our historic "Promises Kept Challenge." And in a district that had voted only along party lines fo r decades, we built a coalition of change agents that transcended partisanship–earning us the overwhelming support of Democrats, Decline to States, and tens of thousands of Republicans.

For three and a half years, we never stopped working to change the community and country we love for the better.

And we did.

From the Presidency of the United States, to the Placer County Board of Supervisors and all points in between, a new generation of leaders will be guiding our community and our nation in a new direction come January.

It has been one of the most humbling and profoundly rewarding experiences of my life to stand with you, and to stand for the higher standard of leadership we need to get this country back on track.

I leave this campaign filled not with regret, but with gratitude, hope, and optimism. And as I reflect on this effort and consider what lies ahead, I return to the concept of patriotism -an unbending love of country that has inspired generations of public service in our family, and most certainly, the campaigns for change we have waged together here in District 4.

Thomas Jefferson wrote "Patriotism is not short frenzied bursts of emotion, but the long and steady dedication of a lifetime."

I know that as individuals, a community, and a nation, our future will not be determined by the outcome of one or two elections. It will be measured in our long and steady dedication to the values we have championed, the solutions we’ve offered, the approach we’ve taken, and the dialogue we’ve initiated together.

And with your continued dedication, I know our best days lie ahead.

With Sincere Gratitude,

Charlie Brown, Lt. Col. USAF Ret.