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Thank you, CA-14! Matt Ortega concedes, endorses Sen. Aisha Wahab
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Statement on June 2 primary results in California’s 14th District

For Immediate Release

Matt Ortega, Democratic candidate in California’s 14th Congressional District, issued the following statement on the results of the June 2 primary election.

At the outset of this campaign, our goal was to secure a spot on the general election ballot in November. And while the counting continues at this hour, the returns are clear. East Bay voters made their voices heard and in a democracy, the will of the people must be respected even if sometimes the answer is no.

To every 14th District voter who placed their trust in this campaign, I am deeply humbled and grateful. The right to vote, purchased at great cost by those who fought, and bled, and died for it, is in the fullest sense, democracy itself. That right, under the greatest threat in generations, is both the people’s shield and their sword.

This campaign launched six months ago because the status quo is irreparably broken. This broken status quo is an existential threat to our children’s future—the direct result of politicians too compromised to act boldly. Tuesday’s results did not change the stakes. They confirmed them.

The choice is clear. There is only one candidate with the values, the tenacity, and the breadth of vision to shape the future my sons and your children stand to inherit—and that is Sen. Aisha Wahab.

On the issues confronting the people of the 14th District, Sen. Wahab is the only candidate with the head, the heart, and the stomach for the fights that lie ahead. I urge voters to send her to Congress on June 16 and keep her there on November 3.

With our rights threatened and our nation mired in an illegal war, the people of the 14th District can trust Sen. Wahab to fight and protect our communities—all communities. The same cannot be said for her opponent this fall.

Hand-picked by the same Washington establishment that continues to fail us, Melissa Hernandez is unprepared for the national stage. And that’s why wealthy interests flooded the district with over $1.5 million to boost her. With her history of selling us out, they know what they’re getting. She will deliver for them—not for you. She was never meant to.

The decision to enter this race was about taking on wealthy interests and protecting vulnerable communities. And though we fell short Tuesday, our campaign’s impact is proven by who will also not be on the ballot come November.

To my wife Sophia, who bore a greater burden than anyone in this campaign, thank you—for your love, your support, and your commitment. To my sons, Lucca and Nico, I love you boys and your mom dearly. I did everything I could to ensure your future is brighter tomorrow than it is today.

This fight does not end with Tuesday’s results. The stakes are clear. The work continues. The moment is now. And in the richest nation on earth, the future we were promised is still worth fighting for.