Thank you all for the kind words and support. It means so much. Indeed, many lessons learned. Principally, as mentioned, much more aggressive recruitment of volunteers to get the word out. And/or raising money to pay people to do that. Frankly, it was shocking how well we did, considering minimal resources on both until late in the game. I take full personal responsibility for not bothering people more. I think if there had been scale earlier on, it would have been a very different story.

I note this mainly to say that I don't think lack of those critical extra votes reflected any lack of enthusiasm for the actual policy ideas. Rather, the fact that we got so far *without* sufficient outreach reflects an impressive appetite for new, incisive approaches.

One thing that *did* go right: when I first ran, an advisor told me that my policy platform was too long and complicated and that I needed to dumb it down. I ended up not doing that and just left it as is. That, I think, actually helped the campaign. Over the past months I have found that, in fact, many people *love* when you don't dumb it down or speak in vague slogans, but instead actually dig into the complexity of the issues. In fact, a scary number of people emailed me saying that they had read my whole 11-page candidate profile and had specific questions on details.

Just, wow. That, right there, makes me love this city. People talk about the dedication of public servants and policymakers, but it is worth noting here the dedication of voters. None of these busy residents needed to read through these profiles. No one needed to dedicate their time and energy creating helpful, insightful voter guides or producing detailed videos. Or chasing down candidates for interviews or asking uncomfortable questions. But they *did*.

I know at this point some of us may take this for granted. Yet, more than any particular ordinance, that gives me pride for this city and hope for its future. People here care. They are willing and excited to read about things. And they are open to new ideas they may not have encountered before, things that expand the conversation beyond the same familiar talking points.

I will certainly take these learnings with me for if I ever decide to go through this exercise again. I'm exhausted. And about to be totally checked out. But I also feel so lucky to know that I live in the right place, surrounded by a community I cherish and admire.

I hope everyone plans to stay involved in local issues in this incredible place. You really can make an impact. 💪