Humbled Rep. Kilpatrick Sends Letter of Thanks to Primary Voters

After eking out a tough primary win, a humbled Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (D-Mich.) took the unusual step of sending out a heartfelt letter of thanks to voters for giving her a likely seventh House term.

“I want to express my heartfelt thanks to the voters of the 13th Congressional District for choosing me as the Democratic nominee for Congress in this November’s election,” Kilpatrick wrote. “I want them to know that I will campaign aggressively in the General Election campaign both to earn re-election and help elect Barack Obama President to provide the new leadership this nation needs.”

Kilpatrick, who drew challenges from former state Rep. Mary Waters and state Sen. Martha Scott, won the Democratic contest by just three percentage points and took only 39 percent of the vote. She became vulnerable after her son, Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, was indicted on perjury and obstruction of justice charges earlier this year.

–Aaron Blake