I don't have much time to write the blog post that I want to write today, but I do want to clear up a few things. (Simon and I are cleaning up the campaign office and want to leave it sparkling for the next tenant.)

1. I want to thank all of the 200+ volunteers that worked so hard on election day on my behalf. You did a fantastic job, and I've heard from many "professional" committee people that you made a huge difference. Summer BBQ announcement to follow soon!

2. I ran an independent campaign and an independent campaign to win. I believe that I had more donors in the campaign than any other candidate (over 500) - and only a handful of them gave $500 or more. In the end I raised over $130,000, which under other circumstances, might have been enough.

3. When I jumped into the race to defeat Vince Fumo, I never anticipated I would end up having three other opponents: Joe Vignola (who in the end did not run), Larry Farnese, or John Dougherty. As things worked out, I ran as hard as I could to win. In the end, I came up short. I apologize to those who worked so hard for me, for not winning.

3. There are lots of rumors out there that I want to nip in the bud.

* I never accepted donations from John Dougherty or any PAC related to John Dougherty. (You can check it out: everything is online at the Department of State)

* I did talk to members of John Dougherty's campaign staff, including Larry Ceisler (who I've known for years... I helped Ellen Green Ceisler, who was endorsed by Philly for Change and many progressive orgs, to become a judge last year) and Brian Hickey.

* I never accepted donations from Vincent Fumo or any PAC related to either. I did have lunch with Jim Kenney and Frank DiCicco and Brian Abernathy before deciding to run against Fumo. I did talk to members of Larry Farnese's staff including Renee Gilinger (who I knew from the 2004 presidential race, and with whose husband I started Philly for Dean), Blair Talmadge, and Gaetano Piccirilli.

There it is: this was a Democratic primary, filled with Democratic operatives and activists -- we know each other. In a Democratic town, there's no way out of it.

So here's what I hope:

1. I hope that Larry Farnese makes a good State Senator.

2. I hope that the Democratic party can stop its toxic intra-party warfare. Rivalries are one thing, but what we have in Philly politics today is divisive and anger-filled.

3. I hope we can, at least temporarily, set aside our differences and deliver Philly for whomever our Democratic nominee is.

All the Best,
Anne Dicker
former candidate for State Senator