Hi folks,

Growing up, I was captivated by the stories my grandfather told me from his time in the military. He was a B-24 bomber pilot during WWII, and during the war his plane was shot down.

As he parachuted from the sky, he didn’t know whether he would live or die. He didn’t know what would happen to him when he landed. He didn’t know he’d need to hide from Nazi patrols in a barn in France.

He knew not to give up.

Ever since the fifth grade, I knew I wanted to serve our country just like my grandfather. I made it my mission to serve in the Navy. I graduated from the Naval Academy in the first class of women eligible for combat. I became a helicopter pilot serving missions in Europe and the Middle East.

Between serving in the halls of Congress and in the cockpit of an H-3 Sea King, I’ve learned that it takes drive and confidence to overcome the pressure of being a woman in public service.

But drive and confidence doesn’t just come from within. It comes from the support of your teammates.

It takes a team to maintain confidence during difficult battles, whether it’s monitoring the Battle Watch Floor during the Iraq invasion, raising four kids, or flipping a red seat blue for the first time in decades.

And it’s going to take a strong, grassroots team to defend this seat and flip the House blue next year.

Right now, we're still $1,795 short of our mid-quarter goal with just hours to go until tonight's deadline. So folks, will you chip in $10 or any amount right now to help us close the gap?

If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately:

This team inspires confidence in me every day. Thank you for your incredible support.

— Mikie