John -

I know your inbox is FULL of emails right now – political campaigns and every store you’ve ever shopped at trying to get you to participate in their holiday deals.

Given the glut of emails, I wanted you to know this important point: unlike many political candidates, I write or edit every single email I send you. Including this one. Seriously.

Here’s a photo of me editing this email, before it lands in your inbox:

Why do I write or edit every email? Because I never want our emails to feel like they are scamming, tricking you, or simply repeating what every other candidate sends. I will never use fake deadlines or sky-is-falling tactics. I will, instead, give you the truth, plain and simple, about the stakes of our race and the role your support plays in making sure we win this open Senate seat in Michigan.

In my three previous races, I've gone against corporate-backed GOP opponents and I've won. How? By having strong grassroots support – from people like you contributing what you can. Contributions of $5 here, $50 there, really are the building blocks for the rest of our campaign.

And the truth is that this Senate race will be one of the most expensive in the country. Michigan is the only open competitive Senate seat in the country, which means millions of dollars of national Republican money will pour into our state to fund the dark, nasty attack ads on TV that we all hate.

So when I email you, it’s because contributions from these emails will help determine what our campaign can accomplish over the next year. So if you’re able, your split contribution between my campaign and Maggie Hassan's would be a massive help.

Thank you for your continued support. It makes writing these emails worth every line!

Elissa (really!)