Judicial Candidate Steve Valentine Thanks Supporters

I am so deeply grateful to all of you for the great honor of your support and for all you have done for me. I wish the outcome had been different, my friends. The road was a difficult one from the outset. But your support and friendship never wavered. I cannot adequately express how deeply indebted I am to you.

I am especially grateful to my wife, Jeanne, my children, my dear mother and father and to the many old and dear friends who have stood by my side through the many ups and downs of this long campaign. I have always been a fortunate man, and never more so for the love and encouragement you have given me.

You know, campaigns are often harder on a candidate's family than on the candidate, and that's been true in this campaign.  All I can offer in compensation is my love and gratitude, and the promise of more peaceful years ahead.

To all my campaign comrades and every last volunteer who fought so hard and valiantly month after month in what at times seemed to be the most challenged Judge's campaign in El Dorado County — thank you so much.

This campaign was and will remain the great honor of my life. My heart is filled with nothing but gratitude for the experience and to the people of our county for giving me the opportunity to meet with so many of you at the various functions and meetings over the past five months.

We know that the Judge's campaign took a hard turn to the negative but I take great pride that my campaign never went down that road.  I have always believed that a candidate for judge should behave in the manner and dignity of a Judge.  Because of the unanswered questions and allegations about the two candidates remaining, I have decided not to endorse either candidate without much further investigation.

Yesterday, I was a candidate for the Superior Court in the county I love so much. Today, I remain her servant and intend to continue to work to improve and preserve this county.  I am thankful that I have been allowed the extraordinary privilege of serving on the judiciary of this county over the past decade. That is blessing enough for anyone and I thank the people of El Dorado County for it.

On this anniversary of D-Day, I call on all of our citizens, as I have often in this campaign, to not despair of our present difficulties but to believe always in the promise and greatness of America, because nothing is inevitable here. We never quit. We never surrender.

Thank you, and God bless you,

Stephen Valentine.