Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin concedes state controller race
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin came up short against incumbent Betty Yee in the race for state controller, but says a foundation has been laid to bring lasting change to California.
Mayor Swearengin thanked supporters in an email sent out Wednesday. She said the campaign allowed her to tell the story of Fresno's success, and that good planning and sound policies can produce lasting change.
Now that the election is over, she says her plan is to work on adopting a new general plan for the city.
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Here is the full statement released by Ashley Swearengin:
Good morning!
First, I want to thank you all so very, very much for your support and passion for challenging the status quo in Sacramento.
After entering the State Controller's race late in the process-just days before the close-of-filing-we had a truly remarkable run.
Along the way, we built steady momentum and gained growing support from volunteers, families, small business owners, and virtually every major newspaper in the state.
What an incredible surge of energy, activity, and support!
We were also able to begin to tell the story of success here in Fresno. Yes, good planning and sound policy will produce lasting change. If those principles can work in Fresno, we know they can work across California.
Of course, we came very close to defeating a 10-year incumbent of a state constitutional office, and that made some "defenders of the status quo" a little nervous. The AFL-CIO ended up spending nearly $1 million to defeat us.
But, that too is a sign that we're "over-the-target" and on the right path to shaking up the business-as-usual mindset that has hindered California's success.
Paul and I are so very grateful for everyone who gave us their encouragement, their prayers, their time and their support.
We know we've begun a process and built a foundation upon which we can help bring lasting change to California.
That's my goal, and one that I look forward to working to accomplish with all of you in the coming years.
