ASHLEY GREGORIUS: I will no longer be running for State Representative

Ashley Gregorius (D-Burlington), who began her campaign against incumbent Rep. Greg Gilday (R-Camano Island) last May, announced the ending of her campaign on her Facebook page on March 3. Ms. Gregorius posted the following:

I will no longer be running for State Representative. Although this is a difficult decision to make, it is the right decision for my family and me at this time. I have met incredible people during this run, and I look forward to having those relationships in the future. Thank you to everyone who supported and encouraged me to run

Three days later, on March 6, Ms. Gregorius posted this:

Thank you, everyone, for the supportive messages. I learned a lot these last 10 months of campaigning. I am still “grieving” my failures, the difficult sacrifices I made, and trying to find what’s next. I wish I could have made it further, but when a system is set up to only care about money it’s too difficult for people to run. I was torn down every day by democrats and told to stop wasting time with “poor people,” nonprofit and voter contact, and instead focus on large donors (yes, this was said). When I couldn’t fundraise enough, I was asked multiple times to step back, told I would take votes from other Dems, told it was because I was gay, and asked to wait until my kids turn 18. I am proud of the awareness I brought to issues we weren’t talking about enough and will continue to have these tough conversations with people. Thank you to those who stood by me