By ZEINAB NAJM
Times-Herald Newspapers
HEIGHTS — State Sen. David Knezek (D-Dearborn Heights) broke his silence on his Aug. 7 Democratic primary election loss to Detroiter Betty Jean Alexander with a video speaking to his family and supporters.
“I want to thank all of my supporters, the people who invested their time, their talent, their energy and their resources in me, not because they necessarily believed in me, but because they believed that we had the opportunity to work together to make change in the state capitol,” he said. “I think there’s a burden that comes with running for public office because you know that you will never be able to adequately express your gratitude to the folks who continually invest in you over and over and over again.”
Knezek waited to post the video on his Facebook page on Aug. 23, days after the Wayne County Board of Canvassers certified the primary election results.
In the primary election race for the 5th District Senate seat, Alexander received 18,926 votes while Knezek received 15,803 votes.
Knezek congratulated Alexander in the video saying he wishes nothing but the best for her.
“My team and I will are committed to doing everything that we can to make a smooth transaction come Jan. 1,” he said. “You will soon by my state senator and I want you to be successful and I want you to hit the ground running and I am going to do everything I can to make that happen.”
In the video, Knezek continued by saying that the people living the district helped shape him into the man he is today, challenged him and shaped his world views in ways he never thought possible.
“Your life, Betty, is about to become blessed beyond measure because the people of this district, Detroit, Dearborn Heights, Garden City, Inkster and Redford Township are some of the best folks I have met in my entire life.”
Knezek told his supporters in the video that just because he is leaving office, it doesn’t mean that their work together isn’t over.
“This job has always been more than just me,” he said. “I’ve always said that being a state senator is simply what I do, it is not who I am. What is important now are the values we together share and how we can advance those values between now and Nov. 6.”
He teased the possibility of people seeing him back on a ballot down the road in a few years.
Knezek also thanked the residents living in state House District 11 which he served in from 2013 to 2015 and residents in the 5th Senate District.
To watch the full video go to the DavidKnezekMI Facebook page.
(Zeinab Najm can be reached at [email protected].)