Following the start of the 114th Congress, the News & Record’s Susan Ladd published an open letter to me, your new congressman. I would like to address her comments and all the constituents of North Carolina’s 6th District:

While I have only been in office for a couple of weeks, my adult life has been about serving and leading others. I am firmly grounded in my conservative principles and I will not hide from tough choices. At the same time, the needs and priorities of our district will be central to my decisions. I am dedicated to listening as the first step and will continue to reach out to community leaders for all perspectives.

I intend to be open with the voters and conduct our office with the highest level of service and respect. As Ms. Ladd reiterated, I was elected to serve every constituent of the 6th District. I can assure you that I feel the weight and privilege of that duty every day.

From the start, I have been personally committed to an open dialogue with the entire community. Our team is already expanding our presence on social media, using these new platforms to improve our accessibility. I encourage you to connect with us online at https://walker.house.gov/ and on social media. We are working on opening additional offices and will be hosting events throughout the district. Our office is committed to proactive constituent engagement and not losing sight of why we are here — to serve you.

Throughout this journey, I have worked to bring people together. As Ms. Ladd stated, we “demonstrate(d) that even people on opposite ends of the political spectrum could find areas of agreement and commonality.” In two years, I want to be judged on my legislative record and my ability to bring people together. In my opinion, this is the cornerstone of genuine leadership.

I will stand for limited government, personal responsibility and traditional values — which will not appease every voter — but I will listen first, learn from others, make independent decisions and communicate that information back to the people.

Despite the vitriol and harshness of modern politics, I am undeterred in my goal to share hope through the values and principles that make our country great. Ronald Reagan, one of my personal models of leadership, remained steadfast despite the names hurled at him early in his presidency.

It is always easiest to simply “preach to the choir.” You are guaranteed applause, and the people hail you as a hero, yet it is consistently the same audience. The true test is successfully taking the message to new demographics and communities — those who have lost faith or struggle to achieve the American Dream.

Last week, members of Congress had the opportunity to hear from the former prime minister of Great Britain, Tony Blair. He stated, “America’s job is not to be loved, but rather America’s job is to lead.” What a reminder of the proper perspective needed in all our lives.

My pledge, as your congressman, is to be open, to listen, to work to bridge traditional political and cultural divides, and to stand for what I believe is right. We look forward to hearing from you and working together to help the 6th District.

Mark Walker is a Republican representing North Carolina’s 6th Congressional District.