Dan Sullivan campaign: Senator Sullivan’s Election Night Speech

All right. Hello, Alaska.

Okay. I know people have been here for a long time. We got about 50% of the votes coming in. We think it's looking good, actually, given that who hasn't reported yet. But we have a lot of people here who've been here a long night.

So I wanted to come and say a few words. But I just want to begin by thanking everybody for being here, thanking for the great energy here. I told my team, you know, regardless of the outcome tonight, I'm going to give the same speech because this speech is primarily about gratitude. And it's gratitude to all of you. So how about a round of applause for all of you?

Okay. Tonight is an important part of this campaign, but it's one point in time. We've got a long campaign. And I got great news. I made the Final Four.

I'm very excited. I'm very excited about that. We made the Final Four. But look, we are just getting started. And let's face it, the real fight for Alaska, for America, because this race is about America.

We are the firewall for freedom for America in Alaska. That starts tomorrow, right?

So, but in all seriousness, I really wanted to make my remarks about gratitude. Deep, heartfelt gratitude. And first, that gratitude goes to the Alaskan people. You know, I've had the honor, and it's been the honor of a lifetime, to serve as Alaska's US Senator for the last 12 years. It's been the privilege of a lifetime, the honor of a lifetime.

So I want to thank the Alaskan people, especially all of those who went out to vote today from Ketchikan to Utqiagvik and everywhere in between. We are privileged to live in the greatest state in the greatest country in the world, and I'm so honored to be a senator.

Second, my campaign team, my official team, you guys all know them. They're throughout the crowd here. If I start going through the names, I'm going to get in trouble because I'm going to leave someone off. But they are the best, right? They're the best.

Okay. They really are the best. My campaign is not melting down like some other campaigns, but that's a whole nother story. The official team, the campaign team, they're working so hard for the Alaskan people, and I just can't thank them enough. Day in, day out, helping Alaskans.

You know, we talk a lot about policy, and I'll talk a little bit about policy here, but, you know, I get this great casework team. They've literally helped thousands and thousands of Alaskans throughout their life. So how about another round of applause for them?

And then And then, and this is another great army, our volunteers, right? How about a round of applause? We've had hundreds and hundreds of our campaign volunteers working, knocking doors. Julie and I have been knocking doors with them, phone banking out of their kitchens, 4x8s being put up in the wind, in the rain. I mean, everybody is working so hard, and I just want to thank the volunteer group.

I also want to thank Carmela, who has been doing a great job.

So here's the deal. Like I said, right, this army of volunteers— and it's an army, right? We're going to expand that. We're going to build that into the next phase of this campaign. You are our superpower.

You are our superpower. You know, we all know it. My opponent, the Democrat, she's got unlimited money from lower 48 billionaires and millionaires and, you know, who the hell ever. But we don't have that money, right? But we got you.

And we're going to win the general election with you.

We are going to do it. Alaska can't be bought. Can't be bought.

Okay, I got one more thank you. I got one more thank you, and you guys know what it is. It's last but not least. It's actually last but best, and that is my wife Julie. All right?

She's right there. You know, these campaigns, they're tough. You get a lot of incoming. You know, it's hard on families. It's hard on kids, but it's really hard on spouses, right?

When you see the ads that are You guys know what I'm talking about. And Julie, I think— not I think, I know— just represents Alaska with class and dignity and strength. And everywhere we go, everywhere we go, people respect my wife. They love my wife. I love my wife.

But she is just an amazing, amazing Alaskan and Thank you, Julie. One more round of applause for the great Julie.

Okay, like I said, tomorrow the campaign moves into a new phase, right? The primary ends, the general starts. The choice in my view is clear. The choice is simple, right? As I've talked a lot about, campaigns are about record, but more importantly, they're about vision.

Right? Not just what you've done, but where you want to take your state, where you want to take your country. And in this regard, we're going to make this campaign about those issues. And I am proud of my record as your U.S. Senator.

I am proud of my record as your U.S. Senator.

You know, we did a great rally. We've been doing these great rallies, these get-out-the-vote rallies. In the Valley, in the Kenai, in Eagle River just in the last week. And we had a great, great rally in the Valley last night. And I did say, look, I'm proud of my record, right?

My opponent, 2 terms in the House, not 1 bill signed into law. Okay? I've got 2 terms in the Senate, 63 bills signed into law. Okay?

And that doesn't include The Working Families Tax Cuts Act, which everybody in the Congress, Democrats and Republicans, know that Alaska did the best of any state in the country. That's why I call it the Alaska Opportunity Act. Right? So that is what— So look, we are getting big things done. When I ran in 2014, I talked about getting big things done, historic things done for our state.

And that's what we're doing. Let me just give you a couple examples. You know, When I got to the Senate in 2014, the Pentagon viewed Alaska as literally a strategic backwater. They were removing troops. President Obama said, hey, we're going to get rid of the 425 right here at JBER.

Okay. They were looking at shutting down bases, shutting down certain assets in the Coast Guard. Those days are gone. From Fairbanks to Anchorage to ADAC to all the Southeast, we are undergoing the biggest military buildup in our state's history right now.

The ADN did a great story. I don't always say that. That's kind of an oxymoron. I'm just kidding, ADN. $7 Billion investment at J-Bear, F-35s at Eielson, a Golden Dome.

We're going to have at least $4 billion for investments in Alaska. And we are finally rebuilding our great Coast Guard with a $25 billion investment. That I wrote as the chairman of that committee. 4 Icebreakers coming to our great state. But it's not just our military.

We are unleashing Alaska energy. Willow, Pika, ANWR, NPRA— all of this has happened because of Republican policies. We passed historic tax cuts for working families, small businesses, and our seniors. We've secured the largest federal investment in Alaska's healthcare system in our history. $1.4 Billion over 5 years to bring down costs.

We had passed real fisheries laws, right? Some people talk about fisheries. Others like myself, we act and get things done on fisheries. Cleaning up our oceans, strengthening our salmon runs, banning Russian and Chinese trawl-caught fish from coming into our country. In now undertaking the biggest bycatch reduction bill in Congress's history.

We've secured the border. We went after the fentanyl that has taken so many lives in our communities. That is what we've been doing. And by the way, the national Democrats are opposed to every single one of those. They fought us on all of these.

So listen, it's more not just about the record. We need to keep that going for our state. We got challenges, but we need to keep that positive vision going for our state. That's the vision we have. D.C. Democrats don't have an agenda or a vision for Alaska.

They have a target on Alaska, and we're not going to let them do it.

So listen, everybody, the battle has been joined. We made the final four. Thank you very much on that. And we are going to work. We're going to work hard.

We're going to work harder than anyone. Now, we know this fact: we're going to be outraised. We're going to be outspent, right? The lower 48 liberals are dumping tons and tons of money into this race. We can't match them.

But here's what we have. We don't need all the money. We need you. This is the superpower of winning elections, our volunteer grassroots force. I can't thank you enough.

This is what we need to win the election.

This is the secret weapon.

Big Lower 48 liberal money doesn't knock doors. It doesn't do phone banking. You guys do it. It doesn't put up signs. So starting tomorrow, this incredible group, our volunteer group— and again, I can't thank you enough.

So many people putting so much time into these efforts because they love our state, because they love our country. We're going to redouble our efforts. We're going to need all of you to talk to your neighbor, your cousin, the guy in the shop who might be undecided, who maybe didn't vote today. Every person in this room can do that. When we expand our volunteer army, When we fight for this state, when we unleash our Alaskan energy, when we take care of our veterans, when we rebuild our military presence, stand up for our fishermen, protect the most vulnerable, we are going to win.

We are going to win with all of you. We are going to win for Alaska in November, and we are going to win for the great country, the United States of America that we love. Thank you again, everybody. We are on to the general election. Thank you again.