Letter: Post-election holiday is time to move forward

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To the editor:

With the 2016 election behind us, I hope as we head into Thanksgiving and the holidays that Hoosier families can focus on spending time with loved ones and celebrating all that we have to be thankful for as we move forward.

I want to thank my own family for standing by me this year as I campaigned to bring Hoosier common-sense values back to the U.S. Senate.

We dug deep, and we came up short. Sometimes that’s how it goes in politics, and I have no regrets about running a positive campaign that focused on our state and all the hard-working Hoosiers who get up each day committed to making it a better place.

As I said on election night, I congratulate Congressman Todd Young on his success. It was a hard-fought race, and I send my best to him and his family as he prepares to represent our entire state in Washington.

As we head into 2017, there are those among us who are excited for change and those who are incredibly nervous about it.

I would ask, as Hoosiers who are known for our kind hearts and hospitality, that instead of focusing on polarizing emotions, we focus on finding common ground and reconciling our differences.

We have a chance to use our reputation as good-natured, find-a-way Midwesterners to set an example for our nation, and I will always believe that we have more in common than we have to disagree about.

As I gather with friends and family this season, I will give thanks for the decades I was able to spend in public service to our state, for what we were able to accomplish working together and for what’s yet to come.

I am so thankful for Susan and our twin boys and the support they have always offered me throughout life.

Most of all, I’m thankful to be a Hoosier and to know that our state will continue to be strong because of the values that live deep within each of us — a shared commitment to helping each other, supporting the neediest among us and welcoming all.

From my family to yours, have a wonderful holiday.

Former Sen. Evan Bayh

Indianapolis