Friend,

The conventional wisdom of fundraising emails is to keep them short and sweet. To talk about party over policy, and to stay focused on what’s in the headlines.

Well, I’ve never been one for following the conventional wisdom. After all, many thought I was crazy when I decided to run for Congress against a longtime Republican incumbent.

So yes, this is a request for a contribution to my campaign. It’s that time of year. But it’s also a more substantive look at what’s at stake in the upcoming election. Specifically, it’s about building bridges.

I want to tell you about the Saugatuck River Bridge in Westport. The bridge dates back to President Roosevelt’s (Teddy, not Franklin) administration, and unsurprisingly it’s in desperate need of repair. This bridge, which carries four railroad tracks, is a critical artery for both Metro-North and Amtrak’s Northeast corridor.

Unfortunately, the Saugatuck River Bridge is so old that trains are required to reduce their speeds as they approach the river crossing. What's more, rising tides caused by climate change mean that the drawbridge often dips into the water as it opens or closes.

State officials have been eager to renovate this bridge for years but lacked the resources to do so. So when Congress passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, I made it a priority to bring back funding to my district for projects like this. A few months ago, I announced $23.2 million in funding from the Federal Railroad Administration to fund the bridge’s replacement.

Every day, I have the chance to push projects like this forward. They rarely make the headlines, but they help to speed up the trains, address climate change, and improve constituents’ lives in meaningful ways. I want to keep doing this sort of work – that’s why I’m running for another term in Congress. But I need your help to win in November.

Which brings me back to fundraising. Will you chip in $5, $25, or $50 so I’ll have the resources to continue fighting for local investments like this?

— Jim