First, I would like to thank all my supporters for the how they came through for me, in ways completely above and beyond, during both the 2014 and 2016 election cycles. As you all know, we came so incredibly close both cycles. As much as I am warmed by your unwavering support, I feel that in a way I let you down and need to explain our loss in the 2016 cycle, a loss of only 2,009 votes. As you know our campaign could not, and did not, coordinate with any outside groups, but we were aware of their publicly available ad buy reservations while we were structuring our media strategy in the final weeks. When the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) pulled their ad buy from our race two weeks before election day, it was a blow that we were not able to recover from. Even if I wanted to reach deeper into my own pocket to replace that broadcast media exposure, there wasn’t enough time to do so. The NRCC succeeded in doing something the Democrats were unable to do, leave us flat footed and unable to mount a commensurate campaign. I do very much thank those outstanding folks at Congressional Leadership Fund who stood with us until the end, matching Nancy Pelosi’s House Majority PAC’s ad buys against me. It is inexcusable that the NRCC hung me out to dry and left me vulnerable to the Democrat Congressional Campaign Committee’s media attacks by shifting their planned ad buy to an incumbent, an incumbent who won by very solid double digits.

Secondly, I have decided not to have my name on the ballot this election cycle, this is not a cycle I feel comfortable with. In my study of this coming cycle, the Democrats have an impressive offensive strategy. The best encapsulation of this was yesterday by Nathan Gonzales: “Democrats have an impressive group of challengers — retired Navy SEALs and Army Rangers, former CIA operatives, prosecutors and businesswomen and -men who have grown multimillion-dollar companies. Even a scientist who develops life-changing cures is among the fresh crop of Democratic recruits… these are serious individuals mounting credible campaigns.” The Republicans, in my direct and personal experience, are recruiting folks without a strategy, polling, or an explainable path to victory. In my opinion, these candidates will be the sacrificial lambs the NRCC will build their incumbent protection strategy upon. If there is a meaningful change of leadership and priorities at the NRCC, I might be open to looking at another run in the 2020 cycle.

Thirdly, while my name probably will not appear on any ballot in 2018, I intend to be VERY involved in policy and politics this cycle. This should speak for itself, I ask not to be contacted by media as I am currently immersed in getting my planned initiatives off the ground. When I am ready to unveil my projects, that will be the time to talk about them publicly.

Of course, things change, and as things change I will continue to review options and possibilities, but at the present time I plan not to run for any office this cycle.

Thank you to all my awesome supporters!
-Stewart Mills