I won’t lie to you, John:

I’m stressed out. My finance team just called me to let me know we’re still about $50,000 short of our end-of-year fundraising goal.

Before I explain any more, I wanted to ask: Could you split a donation between the Montana Democratic Party and my campaign to help us close the gap before our December end-of-year fundraising goal?

Look, Montanans deserve someone who will crack down on the special interests and corruption in Washington, not play political games and cut backroom deals.

We need to fight to lower costs for hardworking families, create good-paying union jobs, and ensure rural communities have what they need, like reliable internet and hospitals within driving distance.

Folks, I’m pretty different from most people who end up in the U.S. Senate. I still farm the same land my grandparents homesteaded 100 years ago, and I try every day to do what’s right for the people of Montana and across the country.

Because of that, I don’t have much patience for the fancy billionaires and shady super PACs that think they should be in charge. Instead, I listen to and depend on grassroots supporters like you.

That’s why I’m grateful you even opened this email. My team assures me that emails like this one make up a big part of our budget—and chipping in five or ten bucks goes a long way in a campaign like ours.

So, here’s the part where I ask: Can you make a contribution of $17.77 (our average online donation) today to help us meet our fundraising goal? Your donation will be split between my campaign and the Montana Democratic Party to help us respond to the onslaught of out-of-state money coming in to attack my record.

These deadlines are always stressful, but we’re close to the finish line, and your support right now really helps me out.

—Jon