John, I'm asking for just $5.

I'll tell you why: Black women running for office only raise one-third as much as white women. With this race becoming one of the most expensive in the country, I have to fight for every single dollar to pull ahead in the polls.

$5 doesn't seem like much. But if every person reading this pitches in $5, we can build a powerful grassroots movement that can go toe to toe with the millions my opponents have raised from out-of-state donors and special interest lobbyists.

That's why my team and I set a daily goal to raise $25,000 by midnight, and we're still falling short. So I'm personally asking: Can you chip in $5 to help me spread my message of a progressive future to voters everywhere? My opponents outraised me last quarter, and we can't afford to fall short again.

John, recent polling shows this race is still up for grabs, with over 20% still undecided. But with my opponents bringing in millions that they can use to drown out our grassroots message, I need to make sure I'm hitting my goal each day to stay competitive.

Here's the good news: I'm the true progressive in this race. If we can just reach enough California voters with my vision of progress and justice, I'm certain we can build a country that works for all of us.

But I can't do it without this movement powering my fight, $5 at a time. Please: Will you give $5 right now so I can hit my $25,000 daily fundraising goal to pull ahead and take the lead in this race? With just hours left, we're still falling short – and I'm counting on you to close the gap.

Thank you for everything,

Barbara Lee