Patrick Murphy Announcement: Campaign Release

from the inbox, the message sent to Patrick Murphy's campaign email list:http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

Dear Friend,

Right now I’m emailing you from the Patrick Ward Memorial, in the Fairmount section of Philadelphia.

I’m actually named after Patrick Ward. He was a helicopter gunner in Vietnam who was killed in action. He was also my mom’s best friend.

Growing up, my parents pointed to Patrick Ward as the example of service and sacrifice. His life was dedicated to protecting others. So when I decided I would run for Attorney General of Pennsylvania I knew I would make my announcement here.

I also wanted to make the announcement standing with my family. My father was a police officer in this city for 22 years. His dedication to law enforcement inspired me to go to law school and later serve as a prosecutor. My mom, who grew up down the street, taught me the importance of family and hard-work. And my wife Jenni, my daughter Maggie, and my little boy Jack are here supporting me, too. They are a constant reminder of why we fight so hard.

My path to this day started when I signed up for the Army ROTC program in 1993. After law school, I joined active duty, where I served as a prosecutor. Later I was asked to join the faculty at West Point, where I taught cadets Constitutional Law. After 9/11, I volunteered for overseas deployment. I went first to Bosnia, and then to Baghdad. In Iraq I served as a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne, and prosecuted terrorists bent on murdering Americans. After I returned home, I ran for Congress. There I fought to crack down on fraud, abuse, and waste, for equality, and to give law enforcement the tools they need to fight crime.

Today we start a new campaign together. I am running for Attorney General because the people of Pennsylvania deserve an advocate. They deserve an Attorney General who will combat crime wherever it exists – on the streets, in corporate boardrooms, or in Harrisburg. With your help, I will be that Attorney General.

Over the next few weeks and months we’ll continue to build our campaign across the state. This race will surely be tough. But when we fight together, we’re pretty tough to beat. With your help, we’ll get this done.

Stay tuned to our website for updates, and thank you as always for your incredible friendship and support,

Patrick