Transcript: Allen's Victory Speech
Nov. 7, 2000 -- REPUBLICAN SENATOR-ELECT GEORGE ALLEN: Ladies and gentlemen, I first want to thank God for thiselection.
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I feel very blessed to have the support, and I thank all thepeople of Virginia for their confidence that they have placed in me.
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I also feel …
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… I am especially blessed to have the most wonderful wife,mother of our children, adviser, that any man or any person could everhave.
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As you all know, I remember folks from the governor’s race thathad buttons that said, “Elect Susan Allen’s husband governor.”
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Being frugal, I remember at the Peking Restaurant in Wytheville,where they had put in Senator. So, Chicory (ph), if it weren’t foryou, I would not have won.
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And I’m certainly proud of my children, Tyler and Forrest (ph)and Brooke. Tyler and Forrest (ph) at the Robious (ph) Middle andElementary School made sure that those student polls came out well.
They did better than I did campaigning for us. So thankyou, Tyler and Forrest (ph).
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And little Brookie over there — hey, Brooke — who would alwaysgive me hugs as I was leaving every morning, for pure love andsweetness that would always keep me going.
And I thank my mother, Ettie (ph), who gave me life and has givenme guidance throughout my life and always told me to keep my close(ph). Thank you.
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And my brother, Bruce, who came in from the Raiders and went upto the Langley precinct — and some of you all know other folks whovote at that precinct, and we won the Langley precinct.
Good work, Bruce.
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That’s the ring, yes, from the ’63 championship game.
And I thank my in-laws, the Brownes (ph) and the Novembers (ph),for all of their wonderful support and effort in our campaign. Ithank my good friend and my new partner working, the United Statessenator, Chairman John Warner, for his enthusiastic hard work andsupport throughout our campaign.
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We made it. We made it.
And the Jasons (ph) family, too. I also have to remember theJasons (ph), the cousins — the cousins that keep my kids in order.There are the Jasons (ph). See this is what keeps you — put all thepups together and they play together perfectly. Thank you. And theJasons (ph) family helped us carry the Clifton precinct up there. Wayto go, Kathy and Bill (ph).
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And also, a man that’s been a long-time friend, a great partnerand a man who’s moving Virginia forward, our great governor, GovernorJim Gilmore. Jim, thank you.
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Thank you. Thank you, so much.
And the first lady, Roxanne. Thank you, Roxanne.
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Now there are so many folks that I want to thank. I could — I’mnot going to run on endlessly with folks I could thank, but there areso many people. Folks who were on our staff, who worked very hard,diligently, long hours, no sleep, but also the insurgents, the “A”teamers all across Virginia. You are the ones who carried us. Youare the wind under our wings.
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And over the years, there’s folks from Conway Stanley (ph), wherewe plotted out our first House of Delegates race in Crozet to folks —where’s Conway Stanley (ph)?
Good to see you, Conway.
And, folks over the years, gosh, there’s just so many, so many tomention. But also my partners and friends at McGuire Woods (ph), whohave been supportive of me. Jay Timmons (ph), chief of staff, veryloyal, hardworking, organized fellow.
Jay, thank you.
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And our mild-mannered campaign manager, Chris Lasavita (ph).Good job.
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I thank the folks at the New Graham (ph) Pharmacy, not that I amsuperstitious, but I had a tube of toothpaste. New Graham (ph)Pharmacy’s in Bluefield, Virginia, and I got a tube of toothpastethere in the governor’s race. This year, I got another tube oftoothpaste, also razors, shaving cream, and various other matters. So — not that I’m superstitious.
And of course my boots resoled in the Shenandoah Valley and many,many others that helped us on to victory.
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Now, folks, — no, southwest Virginia.
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And Ted Testerman’s suit, from Bristol.
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And Wise and Norton and Clintwood and Dickenson and all the wayto Lee County and the Cumberland Gap.
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Not that I’m — I used three different shampoos this morning. Igot some from the Homestead, some from the Williamsburg Inn and theBest Western in Northern Virginia.
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Used three different ones, because we did want to carry all — soI don’t know what it will do to my hair, but did it that way.
Now, my friends, this has been a hard-fought campaign, very toughcampaign. And I want to pause a moment from our celebration thisevening to pay tribute to Senator Charles Robb. Chuck Robb has servedthis country, he’s served the people of Virginia with dedication formore than two decades. As lieutenant governor, as governor, and forthe last 12 years as United States senator.
We talked this evening. I told him I very much appreciated hiscall.
It’s not an easy thing to go through. Contests can bevery tough, and this was a tough one. But nevertheless, with a greatdeal of dignity and a great deal of gentlemanliness and grace, heconceded. We also talked about having a smooth transition for thepeople of Virginia.
And so, I respect Senator Robb’s service. And tonight, on behalfof all Virginians, I want to say thank you to Senator Robb and theentire Robb family for their years of service and sacrifice for thiscommonwealth and our nation. And I’d like to lead applause for it.
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Tonight, my friends, we begin moving forward. And it sure issweet. The people of Virginia have spoken and they’ve endorsed ourpositive, constructive vision for the future. And I can’t wait to goto work for the hard working, tax paying families, individuals andenterprises of the Commonwealth of Virginia and America.
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And ladies and gentlemen, I’m proud of our campaign. What wetried to do and what we did do is we laid out a constructive, positiveagenda. We wanted to motivate and inspire people to be for ideas, forour principles. So that if elected and entrusted by the people withthis responsibility, you’re going there with a mission and cause forthe people of Virginia.
Too often in campaigns there’s divisiveness and there’s fear.But I think people like to be motivated by love and also positiveideas. And so my friends, we reached out. We reached out toVirginians. We want to unite Virginians. And we wanted to bringpeople together with our family and to our cause for all Virginiansand all families.
And the people of Virginia have responded enthusiastically. Andindeed, I say to all the people of Virginia, this is your Senate seat.And I’ll be a senator for all of the people of Virginia.
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I am honored and I’m greatly humbled for each and every one ofyou all for your trust in me. And you know, since the very first daysof Jamestown, Virginia has always been about building a better future.And this is the first election of our new century and Virginians haveset their sights on building a better future for themselves and theirfamilies.
They voted for a government that reflects their values, agovernment that trusts free people and free enterprise to chart theirown course. They voted for lower taxes and better schools, for astrong national defense and an all-out war against illegal drugs.
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Virginians have voted for honoring the promise of Social Securityand creating more and better jobs in this dynamic, silicon dominion.
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And my friends — my friends, you gave me the honor of serving asyour governor and we’ve run on that record of performance. And withmy attorney general and now governor, Jim Gilmore, we put in placeinitiatives that have tangibly and positively improved the lives andexpanded opportunities here in Virginia.
The people of Virginia made it clear tonight that theyknow that parole abolition is working and making our communitiessafer.
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They know that welfare reform is working and that people areleading independent, self-reliant lives. They know that, ineducation, standards and high academic standards and accountability inour schools are working to help all children learn more and reachhigher in their lives. And they know the team of Jim Gilmore, JohnHager, Mark Hurley (ph), and the Republicans in the General Assemblyare working hard to continue this progress in Virginia.
And in the U.S. Senate — in the Senate, I’ll be working just ashard every day to keep my promises with my partner, John Warner, andour congressional delegation of (inaudible).
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Now, you know, we’ve used a lot of football analogies, and whenyou win a game — I could give a game ball to all of you all, butthese cost too much.
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But I want to — to my partner-to-be, Senator Warner, you’re agreat (inaudible). I look forward to working alongside of you. I’dlike to give you this game ball.
And I want to give to Governor Gilmore — another leader, a greatteam leader — with all my gratitude, I want to give you a game ballfor your tremendous leadership in coaching Virginia to victory.
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GOVERNOR JAMES GILMORE (R-VA): Thank you, George.
ALLEN: Thank you, governor.
GILMORE: Congratulations.
ALLEN: Thank you.
Now folks, I’m going to be working constantly to increase freedomand expand opportunity for every man and woman and child in Virginiaand America, regardless of their race, their ethnicity or theirreligious beliefs.
And ladies and gentlemen, I will never stop looking to you for myideas and for my inspiration. And I won’t forget that there are a lotof good common-sense answers to problems right out here in the realworld, because common sense is not all that common up on Washington.But you do find it all across Virginia and all across communities inAmerica.
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And I will never forget — I will never forget that it’s thepeople of Virginia who sent me to the U.S. Senate to be your voice,your vote and to represent your values in Washington.
I will work hard for our common-sense, Jeffersonian, conservativeprinciples and work hard to be a senator you can trust and one of whomyou can be proud.
Thank you all so very, very much.
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God bless Virginia. God bless America.