Friends,

Five years ago, I was just a nerd who wanted to make a difference. I ran as a first-time candidate in a battleground district that no Democrat had won since 1972, when I was just a year old.

My opponent was running in a district that the GOP had won easily for 48 uninterrupted years. He had a lot of advantages:

• More resources (about $762,000 more, to be exact)
• Stronger public recognition
• All the connections and support of the national GOP

But the integrity of the people of IL-06 wasn’t for sale. They wanted solutions, not shiny TV ads and canned talking points.

So that’s exactly what we offered. When all was said and done, we broke the GOP’s winning streak by an impressive 7-point margin.

But it’s one thing to run as a first-time candidate well under the GOP’s radar. It’s a whole other ballgame when you’re:

• One of the leading voices for urgent climate action
• A clean energy champion
• An unapologetic critic of gun manufacturers and the fossil fuel industry
• An outspoken opponent of MAGA cowardice and delusion

I make no apologies for my stances, but they’ve made me a top target for the GOP political machine. I already have my first Republican opponent of the 2024 cycle, with more soon to come.

The stakes of defending this seat are higher than even last cycle. So please, will you chip in $25 or whatever you can to help us stay on track for our upcoming FEC deadline?

– Sean