Sam Page’s loss is Missouri’s loss. You can get a sense of what kind of public servant we just lost from this letter Sam sent to his supporters:

“Success has many fathers, but failure is an orphan.”

That quote is from Tacitus, a Senator in first century Rome. JFK quoted him following the Bay of Pigs, reflecting on its failure, but before that, he was quoted by Count Ciano, wartime pilot and Mussolini’s son-in-law, objecting to so many sharing in his success.

I find myself in the interesting position of having failed in my race for the Lt. Governor’s office, but my failure did not leave me an orphan. So many have reached me with support and with expressions of regret, that it gives a lie to this old saying.

Our campaign revealed so many friends, reaching to all four borders of our state that I feel an obligation to you — one that I can never satisfy in my mind and heart.

My well-wishers ask what are my plans. At this point, the answer is simple. Spend time with my family, catch up on the movies, read for pleasure again and date Jenny like the old days. It will be strange at first to get up in the morning and not have a long list of meetings and phones calls for the day. All this freedom will be disconcerting at first, but we all adapt quickly.

I want to thank you for standing with me. I want to thank you for asking your friends to support me. I want to thank you for participating in the Democratic process.

Winning is great — but winning is not everything.

Having good friends — that is everything.