Dear Friends,

I thank you for all your hard work and support during my last 910 days of campaigning.

It was your challenge to the power structure that weakened Dennis Hastert in 2006,

culminating in a Democratic victory in the March 8th special primary.

This campaign has never been about me as an individual.

Any success that we have achieved in building a stronger political structure in Illinois and raising the bar on our Democratic opponents is because of you.

Many of you have written e-mails encouraging the pursuit of the recount over the last four weeks.

I have considered and carefully weighed the opinions of those who worked hard going door-to-door and contributed for real change.

However we have to remember that the possible is not always probable, and a recount will be costly in terms of both volunteer time and supporter money, and there is no guarantee.

In light of Saturday’s election results, and in consultation with my senior campaign staff, I have directed my attorney this morning to withdraw the recount petitions.

Because our Congressional campaign is over does not mean I will end my involvement in electoral politics. I vowed to stay in until our service men and women return from Iraq, and I have every intention of honoring that vow.

My brother and I worked on our first campaign in 2004. He recently sent a picture with his son Luke and offered his thoughts on the election:

“… let them know, that despite everything you are going to fight on for Single Payer, because that is where the Democratic party should be, fair trade agreements, because that is where the Democratic party should be, and so on…”

That is what I plan to do; stay involved and fight for real change.

I did not get involved in politics for personal gain or power.

I got involved because the alternative was doing nothing about the injustices I see every day.

Bobby Kennedy was fond of saying, “the hottest place in hell is reserved for those who fail to act in great times of moral crisis.”

As Iraq and the economy continue to burn, I hope that everyone will stay active in electoral politics, will stay informed and will hold all our elected officials accountable for the decisions they make in our name.

Thank you again for all of your support and encouragement.

Sincerely,
John & Jennifer Laesch

The results of the primary election in Illinois’ 14th CD were certified today and there is a difference of 398 votes out of 76,000 Democratic ballots cast.  After the certification, we followed the advice of our attorney and filed for a discovery recount in the primary for the November general election.

This is the next step in the process and we have to adhere to an extremely short timetable. We filed today to give proper and timely notification to the County Clerks so they could prepare for our efforts next week. We could not notify the clerks until March 7th after the election certification, and the discovery recount must be completed by Friday, March 14th in order to meet the next filing deadline of Monday, March 17th.

We will provide more information as it becomes available.

Jen and I are shocked and saddened by the terrible events today at Northern Illinois University.

We, along with our entire campaign staff would like to extend our deepest sympathies to the families of the victims and our hopes to those wounded by this senseless violence.

Our hearts and thoughts go out to all those affected by this tragedy, especially the students and staff of NIU, so many of whom we have gotten to know well during the last few years.

-John Laesch

Please report voting irregularities during the February 5th Elections by using this incident report form (click here to download). Fill out the report and either email it to incident@john08.com or fax it to: 630.801.0600 before February 22, 2008. Thank you for your help in making sure that every vote counts!

John Laesch held a press conference this morning at campaign headquarters to inform his supporters of his plans.

The following is his statement (Audio):

“Let me begin by congratulating Bill Foster in his special election win.

We will be cheering him on in the special election.

This is what we know with respect to the regular primary election that was held on February 5th.

Currently, we know that there is a difference of 355 votes out of 75,000 votes cast in a historic Democratic turnout for this district. This is less than 1 vote per precinct.

Yesterday, February 7th was the first day when election officials could begin to count provisional ballots. As of today, there are a significant number of provisional and absentee ballots that remain uncounted.

We have been in close contact with officials in the 9 jurisdictions throughout the 14th Congressional District. And I would like to express my appreciation to all of the election judges who had to deal with the challenges that came with three elections in a very short period of time. It has been challenging for many of them and we are grateful for their continued effort to help us resolve some of the unknowns as we await the process.

By Illinois Statute, provisional and absentee ballots must be counted by February 19th. The regular primary must be certified by March 7th.

While we are awaiting the official election results, we remain committed to the Democratic process.

The next question I would like to answer is what is next for John Laesch?

I became involved in electoral politics because I disagreed with 2003 pre-emptive war policy and invasion of Iraq. I chose to run for United States Congress in 2005 after my brother received his orders to go to Baghdad. I have stated consistently that I will remain involved in electoral politics until every single U.S. soldier is safely home from Iraq.

My younger brother, Sgt. Pete Laesch voted with an absentee ballot on February 5th.

As of today, my brother’s vote has not been counted.

We have no choice but to await the final results of the February 5th Primary Election.”

With a vote margin of less than 1% separating the candidates, (under one vote per precinct) the 14th Congressional general primary is still too close to call.

The John Laesch for Congress Campiagn is committing all available resources to ensuring every vote in the 14th District is counted.

John Laesch will hold a press conference on Friday February 8th, 10:00 a.m. at Campaign Headquarters, 46 W. Downer, Aurora.

The press conference is open to the public, so please join us and show your support for John.

Today’s the day to make your voice heard.

Vote twice for change, vote twice for John,

and join us at the victory party this evening!

Together, we the people can, and will, make the difference.

"The future will not belong to those who sit on the sidelines. The
future will not belong to the cynics. The future belongs to those who
believe in the beauty of their dreams."

-Paul Wellstone

The Laesch for Congress campaign invites you to come on out, hear some great music, and show your support for John on Monday Feb 4th, at a Rally for Working Americans.

John will speak along with Dirk Enger, a union ironworker, Marine veteran and co–chair of the Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans.

John’s commitment to strengthening the middle class and fighting for working Americans is the heart and soul of our campaign.

Join us on election eve to celebrate what makes America truly great-American workers!

Rally for Working Americans-Vote Twice for Change!

Monday, February 4th, 5:00-7:00 p.m.

UAW Local 145 Hall

1700 Oakton Rd,

Montgomery

Call (630) 801-8900 for more information, or just come on out!

The Laesch for Congress Campaign is honored to announce that John Laesch has earned both the Illinois and national endorsements of the National Organization for Women.

 “The National Organization for Women Political Action Committee is proud to endorse John Laesch, candidate for Congress in the 14th Congressional District. He has demonstrated a strong commitment to women’s rights and equality for all. Laesch’s commitment is exemplified by a diverse staff including women at every level of his campaign team working hard to elect him. We know that we can count on John to be a strong voice for women in Washington,”

-Melody Drnach, NOW VP, Action

The National Organization for Women states, "Our purpose is to take action to bring women into full participation in society — sharing equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities with men, while living free from discrimination."

Upon hearing of the endorsement, John stated, “I am proud to stand with NOW in their fight for equality, fair pay, and social and economic justice. I will work in Congress to protect reproductive rights and make certain that women receive the respect they deserve. If we are to move forward as a society, we must have fair and equal treatment for all.”

You can read all of John’s endorsements:

Precinct Committeeperson Endorsements

Personal Endorsements

Organization Endorsements

The Greater Chicago Caucus has endorsed John Laesch, Democratic candidate for Congress in Illinois 14th district.

The Greater Chicago Caucus is committed to bringing together "like minded people of conscience who will work for the advancement and protection of human and civil rights, promote debate on public policy issues and work to support or elect officials that reflect the core values of this Caucus."

The Greater Chicago Caucus has been interviewing and studying candidates since September. Candidates were evaluated on their positions on the issues of: civil liberties, comprehensive immigration reform, economic justice, environment, health care, education, middle east foreign policy and preemptive war.

John stated, "I am proud to be endorsed by an organization dedicated to peace and justice issues. I respect the diverse number of voices represented in the Caucus. I share their goal of leaving a better world to the next generations."