Meg Whitman — Remarks as prepared for delivery…
Thank you so much… What a great night!
This victory is yours!
I just received a very gracious phone call from Steve Poizner conceding the race. I want to commend Commissioner Poizner and his supporters for the energy they brought to their campaign.
It has been a tough campaign, but I’m a stronger candidate tonight because of it. I’m battle-tested.
And I’m ready to give Jerry Brown the toughest election fight he’s faced in his 40 years of politics!
Let me take a moment to congratulate our great Republican Senate nominee Carly Fiorina on her victory this evening. Career politicians in Sacramento and Washington be warned – you now face your worst nightmare; two business women from the real world who know how to create jobs, balance budgets and get things done!
I have so many people to thank… So many made tonight possible.
First, let me thank my husband Griff and our two sons. You can’t take on a challenge this big without the love and support of family.
I want to thank Governor Wilson, the chairman of my campaign. My co-chairs, Congressman Kevin McCarthy, Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack, State Senator Tony Strickland, Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher, former Assemblywoman Sharon Runner and Bill Simon.
Let me also thank my great campaign team and the more than 20,000 volunteers across the state that helped make tonight possible… What an amazing effort. I’m so proud of all of you. In particular, I want to say thank you to Jillian Hasner, Mike Murphy, Jeff Randle and Henry Gomez.
But tonight’s win would not have been possible without the trust of the voters. I’m humbled by this victory. I am so grateful for the support and the trust you’ve shown in me today. And I’m deeply committed to running a campaign that gives you hope for a better tomorrow.
We begin a new journey together tonight. We have it in our power to build A New California.
There is a clear choice in this election. California is in crisis. And we certainly cannot save California’s future by repeating the failures of the past.
Jerry Brown has spent a lifetime in politics, and the results have not been good. Failure seems to follow Jerry everywhere he goes.
It’s a record of promising much and delivering little. Of saying one thing, and then doing another.
With disastrous results:
For Jobs – during Jerry’s last term as governor, California’s unemployment rate nearly doubled to a then record high of 11 percent.
For Spending – while Jerry was Governor, state spending increased by 120 percent, he raised taxes, and still left a billion dollar deficit.
And For Education – with Jerry as mayor, Oakland schools deteriorated to the point that the state had to intervene.
Overall, a record of higher and higher taxes, more and more spending and near record unemployment. In other words, a 40-year record of politics as usual.
I say California can do better. Because while Jerry Brown’s business is politics, my business is creating good new jobs.
It’s time for a different style of leadership. A new beginning. Not glitz, not glamour, not glibness, but guts. A governor with the guts to do the hard work required to turn California around!
So tonight, I ask all Californians – Republicans, Democrats, Independents. African-Americans, Asians, and Latinos – to join my campaign. We have a common purpose – to bring common sense back to Sacramento.
I’m a big believer in the power of many. What we can do together, none of us can do alone.
Together we can end Sacramento’s war on job creation and make California a great place to grow a small business. We can force the politicians to stop spending more than taxpayers can afford. And we can stand up to a bureaucracy that puts its own growth and power above classroom teachers and good education.
It won’t be easy. But I’ll tell you this: I’m putting my heart and soul into this campaign. This gal is on a mission. I’m all in.
And if you give me the honor of being your next Governor, the special interests and public employee unions won’t stand a chance, because I will owe my office to no one but you.
My opponent cannot say that. He has aligned nearly every single interest group in Sacramento against us. And that means favors will be owed to every power broker with a vested interest in keeping our state budget broken, our schools underperforming, and the state pension system spinning into insolvency.
We know what comes next. When challenged by reform, politicians turn to their old tricks. They will try to convince you I’m something I am not. Let them try. Californians have seen this before and this time it won’t work. The stakes are too high. People will not be fooled.
I want Californians to dream big again. I want our state to be the very best place in the world to raise a family, grow a business, educate our children and pursue life’s ambitions. We can make the Golden State golden again.
Jerry Brown and the rest of the Sacramento politicians cannot make that dream come true. They will not save our state, but you can. This is a fight we must win. This is a fight we will win. Together, we will not let California fail.
Join me in this fight, and together, we will build A New California.
Thank you, and God Bless you, God Bless California!
