Can I tell you a story, friend?

I grew up in Mansfield, Ohio – a working-class town between Cleveland and Columbus. My dad was a doctor and my mom was a local activist, leading the Ohio Hunger Task Force and our YWCA. They taught me what it meant to be a part of a community – to care for your neighbors as you care about your friends and family.

My parents couldn't have been prouder when I became an Eagle Scout as a teenager, and their influence is one of the biggest reasons I got into public service.

I loved growing up in Ohio, especially attending Cleveland baseball games with my dad. I'm proud to call Ohio home to this day – my wife, Connie, and I now live in Cleveland with our rescue dogs, Franklin and Walter.

When I was a kid, Mansfield was made up of ironworkers, carpenters, autoworkers, and electricians. Back then, those were jobs you could count on to own a home, support a family, and save up for a comfortable retirement. Over the years, we've seen jobs shipped overseas and the cost of living rise dramatically while wages remain stagnant, all in service of big corporations and the rich and powerful – and at the expense of working families.

I got involved in public service because I believe our country is better than that, and I wanted to make sure it lives up to its promises. Today in the Senate, I'm fighting for progress on the issues that matter most to workers and families, from better wages and safer working conditions to protecting affordable health care to the Social Security benefits folks have worked for their whole lives. 

But the truth is, I need your help to keep up this fight, friend. I'm facing my toughest race yet, with CNN analysts calling me one of the most vulnerable senators in the country and Politico analysts reporting this race could decide Senate control. Now, Mitch McConnell has personally listed me as a top GOP target. I know we can win this thing, but it's going to take a historic outpouring of grassroots support, and I need you on my team.

Please, friend, will you give $26 – my average campaign donation – or any amount that's meaningful to you to help me keep up the fight for workers, win in Ohio, and defend our Democratic Senate majority?

Every dollar truly makes a difference – thanks in advance for giving what you can.