Hi John,

Coming off of Mother’s Day, I’ve been thinking a lot about my mother — and how she inspires the values I bring to my campaign for U.S. Senate.

My parents moved here from India when I was a baby in search of the American Dream.

Growing up as one of the only Indian families in Peoria, we never felt quite like we fit in. My mother was always dressed in a sari. My parents spoke Tamil, a South Indian language, most of the time. We traveled with our rice cooker. I felt like an “other” most of my childhood. 

Despite that, my parents worked incredibly hard to give us a better life, and believed in the American Dream stronger than anyone I knew. 

To help pay for my college, my mother learned COBOL in order to get a job coding, worked clerical positions and took every odd job she could. And she instilled the same spirit in me — waking up at 4 a.m. every morning to take me to my first ever job as a newspaper boy in grade school.

And when times were tough, we were able to make it through because of critical programs like public housing and SNAP assistance.

Growing up, every night at the dinner table my parents would say: “Think of the greatness of this country. Whatever you do, make sure this country is there for the next families who need it.” That’s always been my North Star, my personal compass, my ‘why,’ my mission statement for life and the way I run this campaign. It all started there.

That’s why I’m running for Senate, John. Because the American Dream achieved by my family is slipping from the grasp of millions of people every single day. 

And now, Donald Trump wants to dismantle those critical services that provide a helping hand to help families like mine succeed. I REFUSE to sit by and watch him and his cronies dismantle these crucial programs. 

But I need your help to keep up this fight, John. Can you take a chance on me and rush $5 before midnight to fuel my fight for hardworking Americans like my mother, and to stop Trump’s reckless agenda?

Thank you for standing with me,

Raja Krishnamoorthi