John -

We've sent a few fundraising emails since Republican Mike Rogers announced he was getting into Michigan's Senate race.

And while I know as well as anyone that an inbox filled with fundraising solicitations can be a serious drag, we hope you'll take the number of messages we've sent as a sign of just how important this moment is for our campaign. We’ve gone six months with crickets, now things are starting to ramp up.

You see, Mike Rogers, or whoever the Republicans nominate in this race, is going to raise almost all of their money through corporate PACs or super PACs spending millions on TV for them.

As a candidate, I can see why that’s easier, but I never want people to question why I was voting a certain way or on whose behalf.

Not only have I rejected corporate PAC donations, but the majority of our individual contributions come from people giving smaller contributions.

What you may not know is that a huge number of those donations come in response to emails like this one. Without them, we'd raise significantly less, which would present a strategic challenge for us -- especially since this is going to be one of the most competitive (and expensive) races in the country.

But that means from time-to-time we have to ask a little bit more often than we normally would. And this is one of those times.

Would you be willing to split a contribution of $25 to my campaign for the U.S. Senate in Michigan and Fight for Progress? This race is one of the most important in the country, and I cannot do it alone.