John, as a Black woman, I've spent my entire life working twice as hard to achieve the same results. There were no shortcuts for me. 

There were no shortcuts when I had to work with the NAACP to integrate my high school's girls cheerleading squad to earn my spot as a member because I didn't look like the kind of girl that the selection committee would choose.

There were no shortcuts when I got my first job on Capitol Hill and worked my way up from an intern to chief of staff at a time when there were only a handful of senior Black staff members in Congress. 

There were no shortcuts when I first ran for Congress to represent California's 12th District during a special election and won – a job I've been proud to hold for the past 25 years. 

There were no shortcuts then, and there are no shortcuts to victory now – but I'm not worried, John. I know that to win and become just the third Black woman elected to our nation’s Senate, I just need to meet voters where they're at – and that's exactly what I'm doing.

But frankly, voter outreach efforts are anything but cheap, so I'm counting on your help. On average, Black women fundraise just a fraction of what white candidates do. To help me pull ahead in the polls, I have to ask:

Will you chip in to my campaign now to send me to the U.S. Senate, where there are currently no Black women serving? I know we can do this if we work together.

Thank you.

– Barbara