November 19, 2009
Dear Friends,
Today, I am withdrawing from the Democratic primary race for governor. I do so knowing I gave it everything I was capable of giving. I do so with the same conviction I had when I entered it: the next governor of Oregon matters. I do so because at a very practical level the campaign has not garnered enough financial support to continue to be viable.
I want to thank each and every one of you who has given of your time, your money and your willingness to believe a new voice was important.
At a personal level I remain as passionate as ever. By any measure, my candidacy was always a long shot, something I was told many times and fully understood. Yet the reason I put so much personal effort into this endeavor was not based on the odds of success but on the conviction that Oregon is at a crossroads, that a prosperous future is a gift to our children that is at grave risk, that if you care you must try, that the next governor could make a difference. I maintain the truth of this conviction still.
Unless we successfully reinvigorate our economy and reinvest in education I fear for the future well-being of this state. Economic vitality and education are inextricably linked. Without jobs, we cannot pay for education and other critical services. Without good education at all levels, we struggle to create, attract and retain business investment and the associated good jobs that go with it. The combination is either a reinforcing cycle of decline or a virtuous cycle of prosperity. Progress depends upon solving underlying fiscal and governance issues—like volatile tax structures that sap our abilities to recover after every down cycle and a referendum processes that reduces the accountability of our elected officials and the flexibility we need as a state to respond to a changing world.
I believed in this so strongly that I made the choice, along with my family, to dedicate the last year of my life and as much money as our family could afford to becoming that next governor. I am now making a choice to end my efforts because the financial gap between what it takes to run a successful campaign and where we are has grown too large to remain competitive in this race.
While it is personally disappointing, my family and I have no regrets at my having tried. My hope is that none of you does either. We have made a difference—even if it is small and must end prematurely.
At this moment, I cannot say exactly what I will do next. In the short term, I will re-focus on making an income. But I will continue to seek ways to influence Oregon’s future.
For the record, I continue to strongly disagree with those who say a good governor must come from existing political ranks. I believe experience matters in governing, but political experience is not the only or necessarily the best experience for tackling challenges that have resisted solutions for years.
That said, I found that experience in campaigning does matter. A key campaign skill is raising money. Unfortunately, this fact favors the career politician or the insider. Most of the rest of us do not gain this type of experience in our non-political endeavors. To be so totally dependent on raising money for success in running for any office puts a huge premium and advantage on those who do it well. I think successful fundraising says something about a candidate, but it certainly does not say everything about a candidate. To sort our leaders by how good they are at fundraising is a narrow filter indeed.
It would be easy to say the system is flawed and leave it there, but after my experience, I’m unwilling to say it’s that simple. Campaigning, in addition to raising money, is the most challenging thing I have ever attempted in my life. Previous campaign experience would have better prepared us for how to master the many important aspects of the campaign challenge. Should I ever run for office again, I will be much better prepared for these challenges.
I will leave you with this thought: You miss 100 percent of the shots you never take. I missed this shot but not because I failed to take it. I hope you each take the shots you believe in. Failure to try can, in the end, be harder to live with than acting and not succeeding.
Enjoy your families and the upcoming holiday season.
Cheers,
Steve Shields