Suspension of Campaign

Tonight I am announcing that I am suspending my campaign for the Governorship of the Commonwealth of Virginia.  I want to thank all those who have been supportive of my campaign, especially those Virginians I have met since I announced my candidacy.  You have been a source of strength and encouragement to me to fight for the ideals that I feel so strongly about.

The issue that will confront us -- the issue of our generation -- is, I believe, climate change.  We must end our dependency on fossil fuels.  We must end our addiction to these fuels or they will destroy us.  There is technology that exists today -- solar, wind, and biofuels -- that are cleaner and healthier for our planet.  I was encouraged today when President Obama tackled the issue of climate change in his inaugural speech.  I hope that he will follow through on helping to start a massive program for the use of green energy at the federal level.

I hope and pray that whoever is elected to be the next Governor of the Commonwealth will have a sincere commitment to combating climate change on a state level.  There is so much that can be done through the technology that we have in our midst, and so much that can be done to incentivize the use of solar, wind and biofuels through the tax code, that it would be a moral travesty not to utilize these great resources.

The Commonwealth of Virginia has always been a leader among other states in our nation.  From its very beginning, the Commonwealth produced great leaders and leadership for our country, from Washington to Jefferson to Monroe.  Virginia can be and should be a leader and example to the rest of the nation and to the federal government in bringing about a green economy and combating climate change.

I leave this campaign with no bitterness toward any of my political opponents, and there is a strong likelihood that I will seek political office again in the not too distant future.  I will ensure that next time I set out to seek statewide office that I have the infrastructure to do so in terms of money and organization, something that I realized I do not have in sufficient quantity at this time.  I will continue to try to make a difference in the lives of others through my law practice, and I will carry the values that my mother instilled in me: that it may not be possible to change the whole world but you can change the little corner of the world that you touch.

God Bless,

Matt Famiglietti

A Liberal Speech

I want to congratulate President Obama on a fine inaugural address today.  The President was eloquent in describing the social safety net that has been in place in our country since the New Deal.

"The commitments we make to each other -- through Medicare , and Medicaid, and Social Security -- these things do not sap our initiative; they strengthen us.  They do not make us a nation of takers; they free us to take the risks that make this country great." (President Obama, Inaugural Address, January 21, 2013)

I could not agree more strongly with President Obama in these core beliefs.  I see the need to uphold these programs every day in my law practice, and to care for those who cannot care for themselves.  because when we care for those who cannot speak for themselves or take care of themselves we make our nation stronger.  We are truly only as strong as our weakest link.  I am very proud of the President today.  I am very proud to say he is my President.  And I want the President to know that if he takes a strong stand in safeguarding these programs which have opened the door of opportunity for so many Americans over the years I will continue to support him, to have his back, to take the slings and arrows that I need to to be supportive of my President.  By the same token let me make clear that it is easy to speak words but it is much harder to follow through with actions, especially when your political opponents are constantly beating you up.

It is my hope and prayer that now that the President has won a second term he is freed politically to be the decent and compassionate man that he is, and that all Americans know him to be, but more importantly that he is freed to be a great President in the fashion of FDR and JFK, a President who will not be afraid to take on his political opponents to safeguard the majority of American people, especially those who are the most vulnerable in our society.

God Bless You Mr. President!

Crunch Time

Tomorrow I will begin my petition drive to get on the June ballot for the Democratic nomination for Governor.  In order for our campaign to succeed, we must obtain 10,000 valid signatures of qualified voters in the Commonwealth of Virginia.  Under state law, we are required to get a minimum of 400 signatures from each Congressional District in the Commonwealth.

I feel passionately about the issues that I am running on, particularly with regard to the environment, creating jobs, a green economy for our Commonwealth, and the issue of reasonable gun control, both within the Commonwealth and across the nation.  I know that there are many Virginians who feel the same passion I feel about these issues.  I am the only real progressive Democrat seeking the nomination for Governor who will take on the establishment and push an activist agenda once I am elected.

I have not hidden the fact that I have a disability and am confined to a wheelchair.  My disability has never prevented me from succeeding at anything I wanted to do in life, including being a civil rights attorney for the past 19 years.  It is this experience of dealing with people's problems every day that I believe qualifies me to be your next Governor.  It is also the experience that I had growing up, overcoming my disability, and being a role model to others, that qualifies me to be your Governor.

I want to be your voice.  I need you to be my legs. I am asking each of you to sign my petition. I am asking each of you to give time to the petition drive, to circulate petitions on my behalf, and to help out with the campaign in any way you can. I am asking each of you to donate financially to my campaign.

Together, we can make Virginia a beacon for the nation once again, as Virginia has been throughout American history.

Together, we can make Virginia a leader in protecting our environment, creating jobs, and protecting our children.

Thank you so much.

Happy New Year!
Matt