John, can I tell you a story?

You might not guess it today, but growing up on the South Side of Chicago, I was actually quite the athlete.

As a young teen, I was lucky enough to swim for the South Side Stars. 💫

We practiced in a gritty 25-meter urban gym, while our suburban rivals had access to an Olympic-sized pool – complete with a sauna and hot tub.

Needless to say, we didn’t exactly have a competitive edge. And most teams we went up against counted us out before the starting whistle even went off.

Despite the uneven playing field, we never backed down. In fact, we trained hard and I made it to the junior national competition — a testament to the power of dedication and community spirit.

My swim team taught me the power of resilience and that when we work together, we can overcome the deck being stacked against us.

But this story isn’t just about me. It’s about every child who’s ever been told they can’t succeed because of where they come from or the resources they don’t have access to.

And it’s about Congress working for the people they were elected to represent by creating opportunities for all of our kids.

That’s why I’m running: to fight for people who’ve been counted out before they’ve even had a chance.

Too many of our kids are set up for failure simply based on their zip code and what resources they have access to. And in Congress, I’ll fight like hell to change that.

But to fight for those who’ve been left behind by DC, we have to swim through the finish line and keep up the grassroots support.

So please, will you give $27 so that we can make waves in Washington, and to give real opportunity to all of our kids, regardless of their zip code? >>

Your support means the world to me, and together, we can ensure every kid gets a fair shot at success, no matter their zip code.

-- Robert Peters

State Senator (D-IL)