Friends,

From the bottom of my heart, thank you, Trenton! While this result isn’t what we hoped for, I’m eternally grateful for the support I’ve received from the city that has given me so welmuch. I also want to extend my congratulations to Councilwomen-elect, Jasi Edwards, Crystal Feliciano, and Yazminelly Gonzalez. Whatever I can do to support you in your service to our Capital City, I am just a call away.

From the very beginning, this was a people powered campaign that spoke to the grassroots. Our campaign was run for and by the real, everyday people of Trenton, and almost 2,000 voters believed in our shared vision of what Trenton could be: A city with less violence and more peace; less obstacles and more opportunity; less pessimism and more hope.

Throughout this campaign, I was inspired by the conversations I had with the people of Trenton. From the West Ward military veterans and small business owners, to the civil rights activists in the South Ward, to concerned citizens in the North Ward fighting to improve their quality of life, we walked and listened to the stories of everyday people, and I will forever keep their stories, struggles, and hopes in my heart.

Thank you to all of my wonderful volunteers who worked long nights and weekends helping to spread our message of change. I could not have done this campaign without you, and I will be forever grateful for your belief in me. The idea of a Black-Puerto Rican, Gay, working class kid with a funny name being a viable candidate for public office in New Jersey’s Capital City would have been a laughable idea not too long ago, but you all made the impossible possible.

I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to run, and I will continue to dedicate my life to serving our community. In the short term, that means a dedicated focus on my non-profit, The Neighborhood Assembly Project. One of the most important issues I ran on was helping to end the food deserts in Trenton, and, along with my husband Thomas, I will be working tirelessly to help everyday citizens obtain access to fresh produce.

Again, thank you, thank you, thank you! From the bottom of my heart, I cannot express how grateful I am to the city of Trenton. I’m leaving this campaign a better husband, son, brother, father-figure, man, and leader.

Yours in the fight,

Kadja Manuel, A Son of Trenton