Hey, it's Ruben.

I've been going through orientation in the Senate over the last week since we won, and as you might expect, a lot of people want to know how we pulled it off in Arizona.

It's a big question, and it was a lot of work, but the answer isn't as complicated as you might expect. I talk about it here, in this article in the New York Times. Check it out — but I'm also happy to talk it through with you.

From the very beginning I knew my campaign was going to need to set our own path to win. If I was going to connect with voters they were going to need to understand who I was.

I'm the son of immigrants. I grew up poor. I worked hard to support my family. I got into Harvard, I served in the Marines, and I did my best to support my family and serve my country after I came home.

I understand what it's like to struggle to make ends meet. I know how hard it is when it feels like you're letting your family down. And I knew that in Arizona, a lot of people felt like that.

As much as people are coming down on "identity politics" right now, you have to tell people who you are if you're going to build trust. And my identity — a first generation Latino, a Marine, a father, somebody who grew up poor — helped me connect. You have to be real with people because they won't trust you to solve their problems if they don’t know who the hell you are in the first place.

But that's just one piece.

The other part is taking that trust, that understanding, and showing them what you're going to do for them. We have to connect the dots between good policy and how it's going to solve the problems that people are facing.

Until people actually feel something — higher wages, lower costs, more security — you’re not going to get credit no matter how good your plans are.

You do that, you have as good a chance as anyone to win. That's how we did it in Arizona, and I am incredibly proud that I'll be able to represent my people in the Senate when they really need a fighter.

But now, we have to deliver. And I aim to do that.

So, as we buckle down and face the challenges ahead, I hope you're still with me.

If you are, could you become a sustaining monthly donor to my campaign? We're working on a budget based on our monthly recurring donations right now, and it would give me a lot of peace of mind as I work in Washington to know that I've got a big team backing me up at home. Can I count on you?

BECOME A SUSTAINING DONOR: [link removed]

I’ll never forget that I wouldn’t be in this position if it wasn’t for your support. So, as I get ready to take office next year, thank you so much for helping me get here.

Semper Fi,

Ruben
 


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