Friend, this message is a bit on the longer side, but I hope you'll take the time to read it. This Valentine's Day, I want to tell you about how I truly feel about the Sunshine State. You see, in a lot of ways, this campaign is a love letter to Florida.

I can still remember the first time that I came to Florida. I was working on my Masters degree and had just gotten the news that my beloved father had been killed by a criminal with a gun in Ecuador, where I was born. As I grappled with my grief, I found myself missing Ecuador more than I had in years. I missed its warmth, lush greenery, and close-knit communities that I grew up with. My older sister, Monica, knew our family was struggling, so she convinced me to visit her in Miami, where she had recently moved.

When I stepped outside of the airport, it was like stepping into another world. It was warm, wonderfully humid, bustling with lively, diverse communities, lush, and all so, so beautifully green. We spent the next few days visiting all of Monica's favorite places in her new city — the spots with the most beautiful views and the best cafes to get a cafecito. The people we met were even warmer than the weather. Everyone was welcoming, friendly, and proud to call this state their home.

I boarded my plane back to my home with a heavy heart but a new resolve. As soon as I was able, I sold my car and moved across the country to make a new home in Miami. (My mom, always my closest confidant, wasn't far behind.)

Since moving here all those years ago, I've had the privilege to build a beautiful life in the Sunshine State. I fell in love here, found the community I had longed for, raised a family of my own, and dedicated my career to serving this state. I've helped protect the Everglades, expanded access to health care, worked for Florida International University, and became the first South American immigrant elected to Congress, right here in Florida.

I've spent my life serving this state and getting to know the communities who call it home. But my opponent, Rick Scott, has spent his career scamming Floridians, lying to voters, and making himself richer. He wants you to think that Florida families agree with his extreme, hateful agenda. But I can promise you, friend, that couldn't be further from the truth.

Listen, my campaign is deeply personal because of my love for this state — and more importantly, because of what it will mean for my fellow Floridians. Rick Scott wants to sow division and undo decades of meaningful progress. He wants to destroy reproductive rights, gun safety laws, and vital public services, like Medicare and Social Security, that support millions of his constituents, including my own mother.

Florida is ready for a change — I hear it from voters every day as I travel around all 67 counties. I know this November, Floridians will choose unity, progress, and kindness over Rick Scott's extremist agenda.

But the truth is, we're up against a mega-millionaire who spent $64 million of his personal fortune to buy this seat last time. If we're going to break through Rick Scott's lies, build unstoppable grassroots momentum, and win this critical race, I'll need your help.

Please, will you donate $5 (or whatever you can spare today) to help me defeat Rick Scott and give our home the leadership that we deserve? This will be the year that we flip Florida blue, but only if grassroots activists like you believe in my campaign.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and fight for a better future for Florida.

With gratitude,

Debbie