It’s Ben, Rob’s Digital Director here. I hate that my last two emails now have both been delivering bad news. I hope it’s not the beginning of a trend.

Well, no use sugarcoating things, John: We came up short of our January digital fundraising goal.

Not by a lot — we came very close — but in a race this close, every single dollar matters, because this thing’s going to be won or lost on the margins.

But we’re not panicking here at Sand HQ, because we know what this grassroots team is capable of, and we’ve seen how it responds to challenges.

I’m hoping to stoke a bit of that fighting spirit right now: Will you help us start February with an emphatic and resounding message that we’re ready to win this hyper competitive governor’s race by chipping in $25? How we respond now will tell us a lot about our chances in November.

If you’ve saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately.

A big fundraising day today, and a strong start to the month, will help get us back on track.

Rob’s counting on us!

—Ben Cobley

Digital Director

Rob Sand for Iowa