Friends – On the campaign trail for president, I'm talking with voters about our vision for big, structural change – to make our country work for everyone, not just the rich and powerful.

But changing our country for the better doesn't hinge just on winning the White House – it depends on Democrats taking back control of the Senate. That's why I need to talk with you about Michigan – a battleground race that experts are saying could decide the Senate majority.

Gary Peters is one of only two Democratic Senators up for reelection in a state Donald Trump carried. On top of that, Nate Silver's FiveThirtyEight said Gary's opponent – John James – is "a strong recruit" handpicked by Trump and Mitch McConnell.

Since The Washington Post listed Gary as one of the most targeted Democratic senators in the country, it's powerfully important that we come together and have his back. His campaign set an urgent goal to raise $20,000 before midnight tonight. But right now, with just hours to go, Gary is falling just a bit short.

The control of the Senate is on the line here, so please give $5 or more now to help Gary Peters defend Michigan's Democratic Senate seat.

The Senate is chock-full of big egos and sound bites written for cable news. But you won't see any of that from Gary. We've worked together for years, and he has the priorities of Michiganders at heart. It's why he's fought for funding to protect the Great Lakes, along with defending the Affordable Care Act and protections for preexisting conditions at all costs.

Gary is exactly the sort of public servant who will fight for a country where everyone's on equal footing – a country where people won't go broke for good healthcare or make less money simply for being a woman. We need him in the Senate.

But recent polling shows Gary in a dead heat with his opponent – 44% to 43%. And if Gary loses in Michigan, the path to a Democratic Senate majority gets significantly more narrow. That's why I'm asking for your donation.

Please, will you chip in $5 or more before tonight's midnight deadline to help Gary Peters defend Michigan's Senate seat and take back the Senate for Democrats?

Thanks for being a part of this,

Elizabeth