THANK YOU.
WHAT A GREAT NIGHT.
IS THIS GREAT STATE OR
WHAT?
LOOK, WE HEARD A PRAYER OF A
WHILE AGO FROM MY PASTOR, BUT WE
ARE SUPPOSED TO GLORIFY GOD IN
ALL THAT WE DO.
I WILL SAY IT RIGHT NOW, TO GOD
BE THE GLORY FOR TONIGHT.
FIRST OF ALL,
I BEGIN WITH WORDS
OF DEEP AND PROFOUND GRATITUDE
FOR ALL OF THOSE WHO WORK SO
HARD, WHO
ARE WILLING TO BELIEVE
WE COULD CONFOUND THE
CONVENTIONAL WISDOM, THAT THIS
VICTORY JUST COULDN'T HAPPEN,
AND YET THANKS TO ALL OF YOU,
HERE WE ARE.
IT DID HAPPEN.
[APPLAUSE]
I LOVE OUR GREAT
STATE AND ITS
WONDERFUL PEOPLE.
I AM ESPECIALLY GRATEFUL TONIGHT
TO MY BEAUTIFUL WIFE OF 26
YEARS, MY PARTNER, DONNA.
YES, SHE IS A PUBLIC SCHOOL
TEACHER.
SHE IS THE LAST PERSON I TALKED
TO EVERY
NIGHT.
I WANT TO THANK OUR CHILDREN, AS
WELL, SAMANTHA BEL
AND JOHN
MILLER.
FOR OVER TWO YEARS, THEY DIDN'T
SEE MUCH OF THEIR PAPA, AND I
MISSED THEM TREMENDOUSLY, BUT
THEY ARE THE BEST CHILDREN I
COULD'VE EVER HOPED FOR.
I LOVE THEM VERY MUCH, AND I
WANT TO TELL THEM I APPRECIATE
THEM.
THEY SACRIFICE LIKE YOU WOULDN'T
BELIEVE, BUT THEY KNEW TONIGHT
WAS POSSIBLE.
I WANT TO TELL YOU ALSO THAT I
WANT TO THANK MY FAMILY.
I'M STANDING NEXT TO MY MOTHER
,
A CHARITY HOSPITAL NURSE.
[APPLAUSE]
A CHARITY HOSPITAL
NURSE WHO
TAUGHT ALL OF HER CHILDREN
COMPASSION FOR OUR FELLOW HUMAN
BEINGS.
I LOVE YOU VERY MUCH.
TONIGHT, I CAN'T HELP BUT THINK
ABOUT MY DADDY.
A GREAT MAN, GREAT PUBLIC
SERVANT WHO, ALONG WITH MY
MOTHER, RAISED A CHILDREN.
THEY WONDERFUL MAN WHO LOVED
THIS HOTEL WHERE WE ARE RIGHT
NOW AND WHOSE DADDY CAME HERE IN
1927 WHEN HE RAN FOR ROUGH AND
WON.
MOM, I LOVE YOU VERY MUCH, AND
MY BROTHERS AND SISTER -- DON'T
FEEL SORRY FOR MY SISTER.
SHE'S PLENTY MEAN.
I'M JOKING.
MY BROTHERS AND MY SISTER WORKED
SO INCREDIBLY HARD AS A TEAM.
THEY TRAVELED THE STATE PUTTING
UP SIGNS, MOVING MATERIAL,
TALKING WITH VOTERS.
I COULD NOT HAVE HAD A MORE
SUPPORTIVE FAMILY, BOTH MY WIFE
AND MY KIDS, BUT ALSO MY BROTHER
AND SISTER AND MOTHER.
NOTHING THEY DID AND NOTHING YOU
DID WAS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE
PRAYERS YOU OFFERED UP, NOT JUST
FOR ME AND DONNA, BUT FOR THE
GREAT STATE OF LOUISIANA AND OUR
PEOPLE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
IT TAKES A LOT OF
PEOPLE TO DO
THE FOOTWORK THAT A CAMPAIGN
LIKE THIS REQUIRES, CALLING
PEOPLE, TELLING OUR STORY.
TO THOSE WHO CONTRIBUTED MONEY
TO WHAT THE CAMPAIGN LIKE THIS
COST -- IT DOES COST A LOT OF
MONEY --
GOD BLESS YOU.
I AM ETERNALLY GRATEFUL AND
HUMBLED.
THANK YOU FOR THE CONFIDENCE YOU
HAVE SHOWN IN ME.
I WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN.
I WANT TO THANK THE HUNDREDS OF
COMMITTED VOLUNTEERS ALL OVER
THE STATE OF LOUISIANA, AND I
WANT TO TELL YOU I HAVE THE BEST
CAMPAIGN STAFF THAT HAS EVER
WORKED IN THE STATE OF
LOUISIANA.
IT WAS THE SMALLEST CAMPAIGN
STAFF THAT HAS EVER WON
IN THE
STATE OF LOUISIANA, AND THEY
WILL TELL YOU IT'S THE MOST
MOTIVATED STAFF THAT HAS EVER
WORKED IN THE HISTORY OF THE
GREAT STATE OF LOUISIANA.
I WANT TO THANK MY CAMPAIGN
MANAGER RIGHT HERE.
SHE DID A WONDERFUL JOB.
I
WANT TO THINK KAREN CARTER
PETERSON OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
.
I WANT TO THANK ALSO MY
LEGISLATIVE COLLEAGUES,
REPUBLICAN, DEMOCRAT,
INDEPENDENT ALIKE.
I WANT TO SINGLE OUT MY
SEATMATE, SAM JONES, SOMEBODY
WHO WORKED WITH ME TIRELESSLY
THROUGHOUT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
HE WAS THE FIRST TRUE BELIEVER.
I WANT TO TAKE JUST A MOMENT
TO
THANK JAY DARDENNE.
[APPLAUSE]
WHAT A WONDERFUL MAN.
HE'S A GREAT MAN AND COMMITTED
PUBLIC SERVANT.
I PLEDGE TO PUT LOUISIANA FIRST,
NOT SELF, NOT PARTY.
I'M SO PROUD TO HAVE HAD HIS
ENDORSEMENT, AND I BLESSED JAY
DARDENNE AND ALL OF HIS
SUPPORTERS.
THIS ELECTION SHOWS US
THAT THE
PEOPLE OF LOUISIANA, IN A TIME
OF DEEP CYNICISM ABOUT OUR
POLITICS AND ABOUT OUR
FUTURE,
THAT THE PEOPLE HAVE CHOSEN HOPE
OVER SCORN, OVER NEGATIVITY, AND
OVER A DISTRUST OF OTHERS.
I DID NOT CREATE THIS
BREEZE OF
HOPE THAT IS BLOWING ACROSS OUR
BEAUTIFUL STATE, BUT I DID CATCH
IT.
I THANK GOD I DID.
[APPLAUSE]
THIS BREEZE HAS
ITS ROOTS IN THE
SONGS OF THE LOUISIANA HAYRIDE,
THE FOOD OF OUR OCCASION
ANCESTORS, THE SPIRITUALS OF OUR
AFRICAN-AMERICAN CHURCHES, AND
THE FAITH OF OUR HUNGARIAN AND
ITALIAN STRAWBERRY FARMERS AND
THE ENERGY OF NATIVE AMERICANS
AND OUR HISPANIC IMMIGRANTS.
NO, I DIDN'T START THE BREEZE OF
HOPE, BUT I DID CATCH IT, AND SO
DID YOU.
SO DID YOU.
THANK YOU.
THE PEOPLE OF INDIANA HAVE
CHOSEN TO BELIEVE THAT WE CAN DO
BETTER, AND IN DOING BETTER, WE
CAN BE BETTER.
I SUBMIT TO YOU WE WILL BE
BETTER AS A RESULT OF TONIGHT.
BOGGED DOWN BY ATTACKS ON
EDUCATION, EMBARRASSED BY THE
VANITY AND UNRESTRAINED AMBITION
OF ITS LEADERSHIP, THE PEOPLE OF
LOUISIANA HAVE CHOSEN HOPE OVER
BUSINESS AS USUAL.
I PLEDGE
TO TREAT THEIR TRUST
AND THIS HOPEFUL SPIRIT AS A
SACRED OBLIGATION.
WE HAVE A LOT OF HARD WORK TO
DO
.
WE MUST UNITE AND WORK TOGETHER.
TOGETHER, REGARDLESS OF PARTY,
REGARDLESS OF RACE, GENDER,
GEOGRAPHY, WE ARE TOGETHER.
WE ARE ONE LOUISIANA.
[CHEERING]
[APPLAUSE]
TOGETHER, ALWAYS PUTTING
LOUISIANA FIRST, ALWAYS TACKLING
OUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE.
TOGETHER, RESTORING OPPORTUNITY
AND PROSPERITY FOR THE GREAT
PEOPLE OF THE GREAT STATE OF
LOUISIANA.
LET ME TELL YOU, IT'S GOING TO
BE DIFFICULT, BUT WITH GOD'S
BLESSING AND YOUR HARD WORK AND
YOUR PRAYERS, WE WILL PREVAIL
,
WHETHER IT'S OUR FINANCES,
EDUCATION, JOB CREATION,
TRANSPORTATION, TAKING CARE OF
THE ENVIRONMENT, WE ARE GOING TO
PREVAIL.
I WANT TO INVITE ALL LOUISIANA
NS OF ALL POLITICAL
PERSUASIONS, ALL ETHNIC GROUPS,
EVERYBODY ALL OVER THE STATE OF
LOUISIANA -- I DON'T CARE YOUR
ECONOMIC STATION -- I WANT TO
INVITE ALL OF YOU TO JOIN WITH
US TO WORK TOGETHER, TO PULL
TOGETHER TO MOVE LOUISIANA
FORWARD.
AS ABRAHAM LINCOLN ONCE
SAID, TO
CALL ON THE BETTER ANGELS OF OUR
NATURE AND CATCH THIS BREEZE OF
HOPE, THAT THESE DEEP AND
ABIDING ISSUES CAN BE DEALT WITH
IN WAYS TO SPEAK TO THE COMMON
GOOD.
I'M GOING TO BE THE GOVERNOR OF
ALL THE PEOPLE.
[CHEERING]
I'M SPEAKING TO EVERYBODY IN
LOUISIANA RIGHT NOW, WHETHER YOU
VOTED FOR ME OR WHETHER YOU
DIDN'T VOTE.
I'M GOING TO BE YOUR GOVERNOR,
AND I'M GOING TO WORK HARD FOR
YOU, JUST AS I'M GOING TO WORK
ON FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO HAVE
BEEN SUPPORTING ME FROM THE
FIRST DAY.
I'M GOING TO WORK WITH YOU AND
FOR YOU JUST THE SAME.
BY THE WAY, THAT GOES FOR
SENATOR VITTER, TOO.
HE CALLED ME A LITTLE EARLIER
THIS EVENING.
HE WAS VERY GRACIOUS.
I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I WILL
WORK WITH SENATOR VITTER AND
EVERY ELECTED OFFICIAL, PEOPLE
IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, HIGHER
EDUCATION ACROSS THE STATE, BUT
I WILL WORK WITH VITTER
, BECAUSE
EVERY CONSTITUENT HE HAS WILL
ALSO BE A CONSTITUENT OF MINE.
HE ANNOUNCED TONIGHT THAT HE
WILL NOT SEEK REELECTION TO THE
SENATE.
[CHEERING]
SO,
IT IS MY HOPE AND
EXPECTATION THAT HE AND I WILL
WORK TOGETHER TO SERVE THE STATE
OF LOUISIANA FOR THE COMMON
INTEREST.
I LOOK FORWARD TO THAT
OPPORTUNITY.
MY PLEDGE TO YOU TONIGHT REMAINS
THE SAME AS IT HAS BEEN FOR
MONTHS.
I WILL ALWAYS BE HONEST WITH YOU
.
I WILL NEVER EMBARRASS YOU, AND
I WILL GET UP EVERY DAY FIGHTING
TO PUT THE GREAT PEOPLE OF THE
GREAT STATE OF LOUISIANA FIRST.
GOD BLESS YOU.
GOD BLESS THE STATE OF
LOUISIANA.
GOD BLESS THE UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA.
THANK YOU.
[APPLAUSE]