WHY I AM RUNNING (PART II)
A little over a week ago, I shared an admittedly lengthy post setting forth reasons that I am running to be the next United States Senator from West Virginia. It was (and is) a very honest accounting of my thinking about this campaign. But in hindsight it was incomplete. This past week, in anticipation of my son’s 2nd birthday, I set about culling through hundreds of video clips to create this compilation video of his second year of life. In the course of doing so, two other reasons why I am running began to break through from my subconscious mind. They are:
1. Fatherhood.
Two years ago, I became a father for the first time at the age of 50. I had always wanted children and always assumed it would just happen. But it wasn’t until I met my wife Cassandra and realized I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her that the pathway to fatherhood opened. And the birth of our son Harrison two years ago has put into full focus how important my efforts as mayor have been to prepare my beloved hometown of Wheeling for the future. And it matters to me now as much as anything that he and the children of his generation find a West Virginia full of opportunities when reaching adulthood. We have to give future generations a reason to stay in West Virginia.
2. My father.
Three months ago, I lost my father. While he had been dealing with health issues for over a decade, I guess I always assumed he would be around for many years to come. But when he checked into the hospital in September with severe back pain, I knew something was different. And soon we learned that cancer had spread throughout his bones and vital organs. Six weeks later, he was gone. It still doesn’t seem real, particularly when I see how alive he looked in this video. And it has had me thinking how precious life is and how important it is to make every day count. I have no doubt that if he were still here, my father would have been encouraging me to enter this race. He was endlessly proud of my service as mayor and always told me I had more to give. I just hope that I can run a campaign that would have made him proud.
So there you have it—the addendum to my “Why Am I Running” post from January 25. And here’s the video that helped me realize it. #elliottforwv
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ELLIOTT FOR WEST VIRGINIA
1310 Market Street, #102
Wheeling, WV 26003
info@elliottforwv.com
