John, it’s been a few weeks since I won the Democratic nomination for governor of New Jersey. But this race is already a rollercoaster — we’ve seen an outpouring of grassroots support and also faced a barrage of right-wing attacks.

Today, I need your help to stop MAGA Republicans from flipping New Jersey red, and I’m humbly asking you to split $10 between my team and Democracy Defense Action to power our campaign to victory. But if you’re not sure (which I understand!), here are five reasons I hope will convince you:

1) New Jersey is not a safe Democratic state anymore — far from it. The last governor’s election here? It was decided by 3%. New Jersey’s margin in the 2024 presidential election? 6%. The first polling in this race of the general election? It shows me leading my GOP opponent by only 3%.

2) Donald Trump is going to do everything he can to defeat me in this race. He’s already endorsed my opponent, Jack Ciattarelli, and led a rally for him — meaning MAGA money from all over the country is going to pour into Ciattarelli’s campaign.

3) Unlike my opponent, I won’t ever hesitate to stand up to Trump when he attacks New Jersey families. I’ve sworn an oath to the Constitution, and I’ve spent my career honoring it to the best of my ability every single day — before loyalty to any other politician or political party. Ciattarelli has already made clear that his number-one priority is staying in Trump’s good graces.

4) My top priority as governor will be making life more affordable for New Jersey families. I’ve put forward detailed plans for lowering the cost of everything from housing and energy to health care, child care, and groceries — and I’m going to hit the ground running on Day 1 making them a reality.

5) The stakes of this race are high not only for New Jersey, but for the country. This is our chance to show the entire nation that the people reject the Trump administration’s incompetence and authoritarianism. And it’s our chance to get started on a better path forward — one where we prioritize doing what’s best for working families over what’s best for billionaires and corrupt political allies. There is no more important bellwether ahead of 2026.

If any of these reasons speaks to you, I hope you will split a $10 donation between my team and Democracy Defense Action to help me defeat my Trump-endorsed opponent in this incredibly competitive election to determine who leads our state for the next four years.

Thanks for reading, and have a great rest of your day.

-Mikie

Use of photographs in uniform does not imply endorsement by the Department of the Navy or the Department of Defense.