Friend, when I was serving as an Ohio state representative, I didn't spend much of my spare time hanging out with other legislators. Instead, I spent countless hours at United Steelworkers Local 169 in Mansfield, Ohio, the town where I grew up.

I would listen to workers who stopped at the hall before or after their shifts. I learned how they made steel, built cars, and generally, how hard they worked – most gladly accepted six-day workweeks because of the overtime pay. Their goal, like so many fighting to achieve the American dream, was to give their kids a better future.

I thought often then, as I do now, about a lesson taught by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: that all work has dignity, whether you punch a clock, swipe a badge, work for tips, are raising children or caring for an aging parent. 

Whatever their occupation, folks take pride in working. That's why, to this day, I'm fighting to uphold the Dignity of Work – but it's not a fight I can win alone. Will you chip in now to help me defend our progress and keep up the fight for workers across the country?

Friend, over the past 40 years, Ohioans and Americans have worked harder than ever, yet that hard work doesn’t pay off like it should. All while corporate profits and executive salaries are higher than ever.

That's why I'm in this fight – and if you're with me, friend, I need your help. I'm facing my toughest reelection yet, and with CNN analysts reporting that I'm one of the most vulnerable senators on the ballot, my seat is in serious jeopardy.

If we lose in Ohio, the GOP could take back Senate control – giving them a mandate to pass more tax breaks for corporations and the ultra-rich and guarantee fewer rights for workers. Only together can we stop them.

So please, will you chip in $5 or more right now to win in Ohio, defend the Senate, and keep up the fight for the Dignity of Work?

When you love this country, you fight for the people who make it work. I can't thank you enough for being in this fight with me, friend.

– Sherrod