Happy Holidays John,

I am sending you this email to offer my personal thanks. More than 220 individual donors have provided financial support to my grassroots campaign for Tempe city council, and I am overwhelmed with gratitude!

(If you want to join our community of contributors, please use this link to donate today: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/bobby4tempe)

Because of supporters like you, we have been able to print 110 campaign shirts for our volunteer canvassers, 60 limited edition shirts for supporters who contribute more than $50, 200 yard signs that can be requested through my website (www.Bobby4Tempe.com), 40 street signs that have been planted around Tempe, and over 6,000 palm cards from unionized print shops. Your financial support has also bought water, refreshment, sunscreen, umbrellas, and for more than 100 volunteers who have knocked nearly 10,000 doors to tell Tempe voters about our campaign!

Last but certainly not least, your generosity has allowed me to hire experienced campaign leads to manage our field team, design our graphics, produce our videos, train our volunteers, knock on doors, manage our communications, and direct my passion for public policy into productive plans. I cannot begin to express how valuable this professional assistance has been over the last few weeks, and it is only possible because of your generosity.

Allow me to say again that I will not EVER take money from corporations or business lobbyists. I refuse to accept support from private developers or corporate landlords. I reject completely any financial contributions offered by monopoly utilities and wealthy capitalists who profit most from our unequal society and brutal economy.

I don't want to work for them, I don't want their input, I don't want their support, and I don't want their money.

Several of my opponents have argued that accepting donations from the wealthy business owners who created America's affordability crisis cannot possibly compromise their candidacies, because no donation can "buy" their vote.

Putting aside any questions of honesty, I believe that they have missed the point entirely. Accepting corporate donations isn't about selling votes, it is about selling access and attention.

As a candidate for public office, I spend well over half of my campaign time contacting supporters to ask for money. That may sound mind-numbing (and it is) but it also takes real intellectual investment. You can't just dive into begging; you have to earn every cent.

Once I know I am speaking to the right person, I always lead with some variation of this timeless question:

"What do you want from me?"

This is the question that every politician asks every potential donor they get on the phone. It gives the supporter an opportunity to voice their ideas, complaints, and insights, and it gives the candidate insight on how best to represent their constituents.

A thorough candidate will have plans and policies prepared for discussion. This displays political competence and ensures the supporter that this candidate will listen to constituents and act effectively on their advice.

Only then can the candidate ask for money, and usually the answer will be "no." But just the process of regularly connecting with potential donors builds bonds all the same.

But don't take my word for it, Jennifer Adams, who is currently running for her third term on Tempe City Council, said this during a candidate forum in 2022: "I do accept donations from developers... I have relationships with developers since I am currently on council... and you have to remember that we have very close relationships with people that give to our campaigns." (You can find that quote on YouTube at the 36:13 mark of this video: https://youtu.be/U0Fk_xwyqa0?si=fEKYyxdGRIQnib3N)

The difference between a candidate who swears off corporate money and a candidate who does not is in the relationships they choose to prioritize. Just look at the financial disclosures. My incumbent opponents in this race would rather prioritize relationships with developers, land use attorneys, and big business lobbyists than working people or even Tempe voters. When they call out to potential donors, they're calling the wealthy, the privileged, and defenders of our unequal status quo. And that strategy pays well.

All the same, I reject that strategy because I understand the cost. When I ask a potential donor "what do you want from me?" I don't want an answer that serves private profit or corporate greed. I don't want the out-of-touch perspectives of business dynasties or their lobbyists.

I want to serve working people, and I know that selling my time and attention to the rich and powerful will make that more difficult.

So, to everyone who has made a donation, thank you.

Together, we have raised over $18,200. That is a significant number, and I could not be more grateful, but we will need to continue building on that figure if we really want to win.

Our goal for 2025 is $20,000, and we only have three days until the annual reporting deadline.

That is why I am once again asking you to make a donation.*

In order to win, I need to pay my professional staff, mobilize my small army of volunteers, print a few thousand more palm cards, and send postcards to more than 20,000 Tempe residents.

That won't be cheap, and I know our economy is imploding, but I promise you this:

I will never take the easy way out. I will never accept money from the corporate powers that created our affordability crisis. I will make sure that this grassroots campaign is always and in all ways by the people, of the people, and for the people.

Please use this link to make a donation today: DONATE HERE

In gratitude and solidarity forever,

Bobby Nichols

www.Bobby4Tempe.com

*If you have already donated $650, you cannot make any more donations to the campaign this cycle, but you can still share the following donation link with your friends and family: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/bobby4tempe