Dear friends,

In her book Emergent Strategy, Adrienne Maree Brown talks about what it means to take the “next most elegant step.” The next most elegant step “is one that acknowledges what is known and unknown, and what the capacity of the group actually is.” She tells us “in any moment in life, there is a next elegant step–one that is possible and strategic based on who is taking it and where they are trying to go. Find it and you cannot fail.” This concept resonated deeply with me when I read it, and I am reflecting on it now with so much certainty and pride in the elegant step we all just took together. As we close this campaign, I hope you will join me in celebrating our wins, mourning our losses, critically evaluating ourselves so that we can learn and grow, and joyfully reconnecting to our internal universes, one another, and this place we call home.

Each step of my life seems to feed seamlessly into the next. I started as a performance musician from childhood through college, became a bedside and emergency nurse, completed a rigorous masters in public health, and landed in the fight against the I-45 Expansion. I developed thick skin, self-awareness, respect for and a desire to learn from our elders, empathy, a no-nonsense approach to problem solving, communication skills, and a powerful sense of self and feeling of belonging. With every experience I grow deeper and deeper roots. I started this campaign to do the right things, in the right way, for the right reasons. I wanted to win to bring active representation to District 15. I wanted to win to bring community organizing and a movement mentality into that seat. I wanted the opportunity to love and serve Texans with the resources and support that come with that office. No one put me up to this. No one had to. I was already doing the work, and I’ll never stop. I am more in love with Texas today than yesterday.

While we did not achieve our goal of winning the Democratic primary, we got as close as anyone has in over 20 years. I was practically unknown at the beginning of this, and we really had zero dollars and one volunteer. Every single person should sit back and let that soak in. Our vision resonated. After just six weeks of earnestly talking to residents, 42% of primary voters in SD 15 told us that they value bottom-up planning, environmental justice, organizing for collective movement, and invested leadership. We had frank conversations about strategy, vision, goals, and values that can help shape change in the Democratic party and our communities for the next session and years to come. We challenged conventional wisdom, and there is no way right now to know how far that will take us. I know that I am more powerful than when I started this campaign, and I believe many others feel the same way. The work happened in a loving, strategic way that shifted power to the people of the district. What an accomplishment. I can’t wait to build on that success.

The thing I am feeling most of all right now is gratitude. I am so thankful to the core Molly for Texas team that coordinated everything. Thank you to Ally, our communications director, for being my best friend and loving me every step of the way. She is brilliant, and her unwavering commitment to ethics and excellence is reflected in the work of several organizations across the County. We were lucky to have her on the team. Thank you to Tania who agreed against her better judgment to manage our campaign. She is a friend of mine for life now. Thank you to Corisha, Grant, and Ben who managed our data, maps, and field teams. Thank you to Neil, who offered constant support, shaped my understanding of the race, and gave hours of his time to reach voters at the polls. Thank you to Desiree who managed events and kept me on schedule. Thank you to Ben and Andres at Human Age Digital. They do phenomenal work, and they are creative and loving. Thank you to all of the volunteers who went above and beyond to make ideas into real newsletters, phone calls and door knocking shifts. Thank you to everyone who donated what they could. Thank you to everyone who voted for us and to those who observed and supported even though they couldn’t vote for us. I would also like to thank every organization that endorsed us against a multi-decade, multi-millionaire incumbent. That took guts, and I am forever grateful: LEAP Forward, American Youth for Climate Action, DSA Houston, The Greater Heights Democratic Club, Harris County Tejano Democrats, Texas Democrats with Disabilities Caucus, Midwives for Universal Healthcare, Working Families Party, and Texas Organizing Project. I will continue to make y’all proud moving forward.

A lot of people have asked what we are doing next. The next most elegant step is to rest. I remember learning in physiology class at UT that the human heart is able to beat consistently throughout our lives because it fully rests between each squeeze. I aim to emulate and learn from my own heart in that way. I value sustainability in every sense of the word. After taking a break, the next most elegant step will make itself known. I can’t wait for the day that we win, but for today I return over and over to my favorite quote, “real courage is when you know you’re licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.” My life’s meaning is in this work, the work to make Texas a beautiful, livable place for everyone who lives here. I’m not going anywhere. Enjoy, reflect, and get some sleep. See y’all soon.

With all of the love in my heart,

Molly Cook