How to be 'daringly great' even after a political defeat

The Tracker does not take sides in primaries, but we wanted to share one of the most gracious, inspiring, and politically aware messages to supporters following an electoral defeat we've read in a long time.

Donna Davidson, a longtime stalwart of the Republican Party of Texas and a friend to the Travis GOP who lost to fellow conservative Mike Toth in the Texas Republican Party Runoff for Third Court of Appeals Place 6, sent this via email earlier this week. If you have ever had any disgust with the political system, pessimism about the future of the conservative movement, or any feelings of burn-out this will cure what ails you:

Dear Friend: 

THANK YOU!

Thank you for participating in this election.
Thank you for exercising your right to vote.
Thank you for displaying civic virtue and striving for moral excellence.

As you can see, I really cannot say thank you enough.

I appreciate all of you who supported my campaign for justice on the Third Court of Appeals.  I am humbled and honored to have received the votes, endorsements, support, contributions, encouragement, volunteer hours, and votes from so many of you. 

Over the past few days, I have been blessed with texts, Facebook messages and posts, and phone calls from so many wonderful friends.  Just know that I cannot even begin to adequately express my thanks for the abundance I have received. Greg, Mary Grace, and I have all felt so blessed by many of you. 

I want to congratulate [fellow primary contenders] Kris Monson, Jennifer Freel, and Mike Toth for having the courage to step into the arena and offer themselves for public service, and we all wish Mike well in the general election. 

We began our campaign back in October with a simple message - TEXAS matters.
We are TEXAS because we are different from anywhere else in the world. 

Experience in Texas matters.
Character in Texas matters.
People in Texas matter. 

Experience, character, and people formed the foundation of our campaign. 

We ran a campaign that believes the grassroots are the backbone of the Republican Party of Texas.  We activated a true grassroots network of conservatives from the beginning, not based on big money, but on the shoe-leather and pixel-power of rank and file conservatives who are old enough to remember what Texas was like under Democrat control - and don't want to go back. 

Let’s not stop the movement.  Let’s keep grassroots conservatives engaged and on fire. 

You know that I believe in the rule of law and the power of constitutionally-balanced government.  I believe individuals have the right to live as they choose and to speak as they feel.  But those principles are being used to sow seeds of dissension and division.
We need to realize the importance of unity.  We may not agree with each other on everything, but we have to find a way to express our differences without being mean, ugly or rude.  I am proud to say that all four Republican candidates in this race found a way to to do that.  We respected each other and focused on the main issue of the campaign - who can do the best job for Texas. 

But it's important to realize that being united doesn't mean we are in lockstep with each other.  In fact, it means that we are stronger together than when we are divided. 

Unfortunately, being in lockstep with one person or with one group is not exercising our God-given intellect, but actually abdicating it. 

Let me take a moment to encourage and exhort all of us onward toward moral excellence.  And it starts simply by being NICE!  A simple selfless act that enriches the world we live in.  So, smile at one another.  Embrace one another.  Love one another as Christ loves us.  I firmly believe that if we work together, we can accomplish so much more than we can individually. 

Over the past 38 years, I have worked to protect the sanctity of life, to hold elected and governmental officials to high ethical standards, to guarantee our constitutional rights and maintain our freedoms, and to promote the basic principles of the free market so that more people can enjoy the American dream.  I won't stop. 

In fact, I am going back to do what I was doing before (and even during) the campaign - providing legal counsel and advice to conservative candidates, elected officeholders,  Republican clubs, and Tea party organizations on campaign finance and ethics law issues.  And I will continue to support and work tirelessly for the Republican Party of Texas to help our candidates meet and exceed the legal requirements of the law.  And, as I have done for the past 25 years, I will support whomever the chairman of the Republican Party is and help them keep Texas RED. 

Finally, know that we ran our race to the glory of God and that He is in charge of the results. For that, and for God’s promise in Romans 8:28, I am most grateful!
I pray we keep Texas strong by working together on so much with which we agree!

For Texas,
donna

Bech Bruun, another longtime fixture in the Texas political community, lost his bid for Congressional District 27 to Michael Cloud in the runoff. He shared a quote from Republican President Theodore Roosevelt via Twitter that also puts into perspective why it is that we cannot let the fear of division or personal defeat stop us from moving Texas in a conservative direction.

No regrets about being the “man in the arena” & spending myself “in a worthy cause...who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold & timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” Thank you. #GodBlessTexas

Let's keep that shoe leather and "pixel power" going strong into November, happy warriors! Win or lose, we're all pulling together.