I’m used to being written off.

When I first ran for Congress in 1997, nobody thought I would win, especially when an extremely popular challenger jumped into the race — who won his last election in a landslide.

I remember huddling with one of my staffers at the time, and she said, “Well Tammy, maybe you want to rethink what you’re doing because it’s going to be tough.”

I looked her right in the eye and asked, “Do you think I should wait my turn?”

The next thing I said was this: I believe that women have to run especially when it’s hard and not wait our turn. We can’t wait until we get a tap on our shoulder or we’ll never get anywhere.

I ended up winning that race and became the very first woman elected to Congress in Wisconsin. It wouldn’t be the last time this team would make history.

Because when I ran for U.S. Senate in 2012, folks like you fought alongside me — even as they wrote us off. You helped me become the first woman elected to the chamber from our state and the first openly gay Senator in our nation’s history.

In 2018, despite being a top target for national Republicans and enduring over a year of attacks, you stood with me again and we won re-election in a landslide.

Time and again, grassroots supporters like you have defied the odds. The battle to flip Wisconsin will be no different, and it will require all of us working to defy the odds once more because they’ve already counted us down and out. They think we don’t have what it takes to stop Donald Trump from winning our state again.

I’m reaching out to you today to ask that you prove them wrong, and double down on your commitment to the movement that will take this fight directly to Donald Trump and flip Wisconsin in November. Chip in right here:

If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately:

Chip in $10 now Chip in $25 now

Chip in $50 now Chip in $100 now

Chip in $250 now Another Amount

Over the years, our team has weathered just about every storm — from outside groups spending millions against us to nasty attacks — only to get back up and keep fighting.

In November, we will need someone with a proven record of winning Wisconsin to deliver a victory against Donald Trump. I believe that person is me. But I cannot do this without you.

— Tammy