(Carl Bunce) – I have taken a week and some much needed beach time to reflect on the Republican primary, which I lost last Tuesday, June 10th. It is a hard loss, because I devoted myself wholeheartedly to do the work needed to represent Senate 20.
I met some of the most interesting and intelligent people while walking doors over the past six months during the campaign. Surprisingly, I was even able to help people that I had never met before, with grocery bags, yard work, returning lost pets, a couple wellness checks from porches with too many boxes, etc. I felt like a part of the community by being out everyday walking our neighborhoods. I wish everyone could have the experience that I had over the past six months, because they would know what I experienced and have a strong understanding of what it would have meant for me to represent Senate District 20 in Carson City. It really was an experience that will stay with me for a long time. I am able to see clearly that there are so many things that could bring us together as Nevadans, but we tend to allow the smallest things to tear us apart. We all have families we care about deeply, no matter what current dramas are putting a strain on our relationships within them. We all have those day-to-day concerns about our neighborhoods, like who just moved in, who has a newborn, and who has passed away. The biggest surprise for me as I canvassed were the individuals that I did not get to meet because they had passed away only a few days before I made it to their door. Instead of that specific individual, I would meet their spouse or a close family member at the door or in the yard, who would inform me of their passing with a sadness sometimes that was so powerful and present that I would be forced to reach out and hug them. We had no control over this. It was very surreal, but it really reinforced my beliefs in life, liberty, and community. We must celebrate life with those around us while we are capable and work to maintain our liberties with every breath we take no matter the obstacles. Our campaign attempted to elevate the political discussion around the issues relevant to Nevadans, legislative actions of our opponent, and the direction of the Republican Party. We never stepped outside the political actions of Michael Roberson. It was a clear and empowering decision to leave infidelities, personal issues, and whatever else out of the public discussion. We have no regrets for remaining above the fray during the campaign. I had hoped for a robust debate revolving around the issues but was ignored and disappointed more than several times. I thought it would be important for our sitting Republican senator to talk about his record and why he was correct in his actions that were not aligned with the Republican platform. Maybe we all missed something and Senator Roberson could explain his actions to make us understand? Instead Senator Roberson laid silent then lied about his record when the time came to answer to the voters. If we took the high road in our campaign, our opposition clearly took the low road. At first, I saw the “Out of Control” attacks from Friends of Michael Roberson as a sign of weakness in our opposition, which made me quite excited that our message was working and his record was being rejected outright by voters. I learned a few days after the TV attacks started that Senator Roberson was trying to “teach him (me) a lesson, to not run against incumbents.” The idea that someone who has lied and misled Republicans should not be challenged is alien to me, and something that I still find laughable at this very moment. I will be known as the guy who “Fights in Bars, and Goes to Jail” for sometime now; I am good with that. I have always rolled with the punches and never sweat some name calling. What does bother me is the abuse of our legal system and false allegations created for political gain by Michael Roberson and his cronies to influence an election. Using fear and lies to manipulate voters is something I hold in utter contempt. The people that I had met and developed relationships with over the past year, understood that the attacks were complete fabrications, but for those people that I was unable to meet, they were easily swayed from supporting our campaign. With these fabrications of “Assaulted a 77 Year-Old Woman” and wanting to “Legalize Heroin” it is clear that if actions like these are allowed to take place in our election process, then we have hit rock bottom. If anyone can just make up a story, file some legal paperwork about it, and then use it to attack the character of a political foe, our country will soon be lost to us and completely run by persons without any morals. (I understand that we already may be there) We ran an effective campaign and did very well considering the attacks we had to deal with in the end. Our opponent spent close to $400,000 to our $40,000 to win reelection, 10 to 1. In fact we had broken the bank of our opponent, so that they had to get a quick influx of cash from maxed out donors through different corporate entities they controlled to run their false and misleading attack ads on TV, which caused a 10 point swing in our polling once they started to air daily during early voting. I have learned many lessons in politics the most important is to remain engaged in the process and maintain your voice at all times. Never back down to those who break the rules and misuse their elected power for their own benefit. I know our conservative Republican message is strong and I will continue to battle government bullies, bureaucrats, and other Big Government Republicans to reduce the size and scope of our government in our lives. I am quite thankful for the support that our campaign received from voters, volunteers, donors, friends, and family. I will be catching up on many Thank You cards over the next couple weeks. I look forward to seeing the people and families that I met during the campaign out and about over the coming months in the community. Please come say, Hello!