Friend, at a moment like this, when our democracy is being attacked by GOP extremists trying to rig our elections, I turn to the lessons of my hero and mentor, Congressman John Lewis.

John faced beatings and bloodshed for the simple belief that every American should have the right to vote.

It's his courage that inspired me to become a voting rights lawyer – and when he joined me on the campaign trail in 2018, he reminded me that every generation has a duty to protect our democracy.

Today, that duty of ours has never been more important.

Because right now in Texas, Republicans like my opponents Ken Paxton and John Cornyn are actively attempting to rig our elections – pushing an extreme redistricting scheme, calling on the FBI to target Democrats, and bending over backwards to appease Donald Trump.

If you're as outraged as I am, I need you with me to help take on whichever extremist emerges from their nasty GOP primary. Will you donate $5, $25, or whatever you can spare to flip this Senate seat and defend our democracy?

This is a direct threat to free and fair elections in our country.

Should these maps come to pass, five Democratic seats will be removed outright – bypassing the people's vote and setting a dangerous example for other states to follow.

This is the exact thing John Lewis fought against during his years as a voting rights activist. And today, I'm honoring his legacy by carrying that fight forward.

But if we're going to succeed, win this seat, and champion free and fair representation in Texas, I need your support, friend. That's why I'm asking: Will you chip in now so that I have the grassroots strength needed to take on the massive influx of Republican dollars that's going to be spent against me?

For John. For Texas. For our democracy. Let's win this together.

In solidarity,

Colin Allred