Well, we won

Not much time to celebrate but I wanted to say 'thank you!'

Old soldier, next mission

Needless to say I haven’t gotten too much sleep the past few nights.

I actually thought I would.

I’m an old soldier, in the Army you don’t really get time to celebrate victories. Once you have won one battle there is another one to follow. When the war is won, you have to pack up and deploy home. Maybe you have a parade or ceremony at home a month later.

So, in typical Army fashion, I figured we would do a little celebration Tuesday night, wake up like normal, walk the dogs, and get back to work fighting for my district. Instead, I was struck with an outpouring of support.

And honestly, this still feels surreal.

The moment we got the news

I’ve been replying to hundreds of messages from across the world congratulating us on our win and giving us their support for what comes next. It took me a couple of days to just get over this nervous, exciting energy.

So before the real crazy starts in this campaign, I just want to get a few words out here about how grateful, how thankful, and how humbled I am to have become the official Democratic nominee for Missouri’s Second Congressional District.

Thank you doesn’t quite do it

To the voters and supporters who came out for us, to the donors, volunteers, my incredible staff for working day-in and day-out to get us to this point — thank you for sticking with me and helping us scratch and claw our way to the nomination. It truly means the world to me.

To my opponents, that was a great fight and it takes courage to step up to run. I appreciate their sacrifice and hope we can now come together as a party to take back this seat.

And I wanted to mention my incredible family, including my fiancé Heather and my children, my neighbors, my friends for being by my side for the past 9 months.

They have always been there to be the backbone for me throughout my entire life. They were the first ones to hear about my decision to go back into the Army after the September 11th attacks. They were there when I first had the idea to start a small business with absolutely no money in our basement, or when I went off to join my friends to run a COVID field hospital in New York.

I don’t think people realize that running for office is a family affair, no matter how hard you try otherwise. That’s why when I decided to take on a 13-year Republican incumbent here in Missouri’s Second Congressional District, they were the first ones I talked to. It means the world to me that they wanted to help me on this journey.

Celebrating with my partner in all of it, Heather

And it’s important to emphasize all these folks who helped us secure this nomination. Because this victory doesn’t belong to me; it belongs to the people of Missouri’s Second Congressional District who knew change would be possible. Seeing my name on lawn signs across St. Louis county is a truly humbling experience, and I promise to not let you all down during this next chapter of the campaign.

It’s time to make our case – and for Ann Wagner to make hers.

We’re now on an 88-day sprint to the November election. I just got off the phone with our partners after wrapping up my first interview post-primary. This campaign is going as fast as we can to make the case to all voters across Missouri’s Second Congressional District that we’re the best representative to represent them. We have to prove we can roll up our sleeves, work across the aisle and make life better for folks here.

But it’s also time for Ann Wagner to make her case as to why folks should re-elect her. What has she done over the past 13 years to serve the interests of families, farmers, young and old folks here? What’s her record for the people who have elected her over and over again?

I can tell you this; Ann Wagner hasn’t done anything for regular folks like us because we’re not who she’s representing. Since 2013, her first and only interest has been to the billionaires and corporations who have quadrupled her stock portfolio to an estimated $26 million.

She cut healthcare from 210,000 Missourians to stay in the good graces of pharmaceutical companies. She hiked our health care premiums by 18% to give tax breaks to the same billionaires who have funded her campaign.

She has voted straight line with Donald Trump more than Marjorie Taylor Greene did!

If she wants to explain to Missouri as to why these decisions directly benefit them and not herself, then go ahead, Ann. Make your case. But since she hasn’t even held a single town hall throughout her time in office, I doubt she will answer them.

That’s why it is the honor of my life to be your nominee to take on Ann Wagner this November. I’ve spent my entire career being a fighter who never gave up, and after this election, you have shown me that you want a fighter in Congress.

So I’m going to be digging in, hustling, and doing everything we can to win big. I hope you’ll continue to have my back throughout this incredible journey.

Because I’ve said this before;

We’re not done yet.

Fred