Folks,

We are standing at a crossroads right now – as a nation, and a species.

Our country is being slammed by superstorms on both coasts; most of the states are struggling under an unprecedented triple-digit heat wave; wildfires are still raging all around us here in Washington state. And every day we get new reports about the real-time impact of global warming that is redefining life as we know it on this planet – like the devastating revelation that global warming in Antarctica led to the death of every single Emperor Penguin chick in multiple huge colonies across the continent.

Despite all that, there IS good news!

Earlier this month, a group of young people in Montana sued the state over climate change – and won. The judge’s ruling stated that young people in the state have a “fundamental constitutional right to a clean and healthful environment, which includes climate.”

Then, this week, U.N. human rights experts on the Committee on the Rights of the Child issued a ruling – rooted in international treaty – that stipulates countries are legally obligated to protect children from environmental degradation — including by “regulating business enterprises” — and to allow young citizens to sue over failure to constrain global warming.

These are groundbreaking precedents that create legal standing to take on the fossil fuel industry and push through real climate action.

But that fight will always face roadblocks in Congress as long as we keep re-electing representatives who are bought and paid for by the same billionaires and corporations who are burning our planet to ash.

Now more than ever we need fully independent, unbought voices serving in the highest halls of power. Will you pitch in $25, $50, $100 or more to help me win in WA-02 next year?

We are in a climate emergency, and it’s no time to play around with half measures. While progressives in Congress have been calling for a Green New Deal, my opponent’s vision of a big “FDR-style” climate investment is transitioning *some* of our public transportation in the district to electric buses.

I’m a lifelong organizer and activist with a record of getting results. And I’m taking that activist energy to Congress.

Here’s the scoop: WA-02 is a deeply progressive district that has ZERO chance of falling into Republican hands. The ONLY two people who have any chance of winning this seat are the Democratic incumbent – a former lobbyist deep in the pocket of the fossil fuel industry – or me, a former teacher, union leader, and working class dad.

Washington’s Top Two primary system means the top-two vote getters head to the general election. In the last two cycles we came within 2% of the vote each time. Next year, I know we can take the primary, and WIN in November.

Young people need to know that their lawmakers have their backs, and when I serve in Congress I will.

In solidarity,

Jason