Below is a personal message from Rep. Lauren Underwood, RN. Lauren was one of the pro-choice champions who flipped a safe Republican seat from red to blue in 2018, flipping the House to Democratic control. Since then her races have been some of the closest in the nation.
It is my great honor to be the first woman to ever represent Illinois’ 14th Congressional District in Congress.
In 2018, I became the youngest Black woman to be elected to serve in Congress. I am a registered nurse, worked as a civil servant at the Department of Health and Human Services to implement the Affordable Care Act, and I’m also representing one of the most competitive House districts in the nation.
There were a lot of naysayers who didn’t think we could win Illinois’ 14th Congressional District – when I ran as a first-time candidate Republicans would routinely win this district by more than twenty points!
But supporters like you never gave up on me – and as a result we not only flipped this seat blue but defended it by just 1.34% of the vote the following election cycle.
That’s why I’m reaching out personally to ask if you’ll split a contribution between 314 Action Fund and my campaign. I would be thrilled to have you as a Founding Donor to my 2024 campaign ahead of our largest fundraising deadline to date so we can build up the resources we’ll need to win this tough race.
314 Action Fund was there for me in 2018 when we were taking on an entrenched GOP incumbent in a race many thought was too difficult to flip.
We put together a strong people-powered campaign, succeeded, and we made history.
They were there for me in 2020 when we held onto this seat by one of the slimmest margins of any race in the country. And my opponent refused to concede the race for weeks — repeating the same lies we’ve all heard about election fraud that we know aren’t true.
And in 2022, due to Illinois’ redistricting process, 70% of voters in my district were new and had never seen my name on their ballot before. 314 Action Fund helped us overcome the odds and win and I went on to begin my third term as the first Black woman to be elected to House Democratic Leadership since Shirley Chisolm.
If we’re going to defend this seat, then we’re going to need to build the strongest team in IL-14 history.
With your help, I know we’ll be able to. So can I count on you to chip in anything you can spare between my campaign and 314 Action Fund ahead of this major deadline?
If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will be immediately processed and split between 314 Action and Lauren Underwood.
With the utmost gratitude,
Lauren Underwood
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