Folks,

This will be one of the longest emails you’ll ever receive from me, so I’d truly appreciate it if you could take some time out of your day to read it all the way through.

Supporters like you are the heart of this campaign. And with just 3 days left before Election Day, I don’t want there to be any confusion over our team’s grassroots organizing strategy -- so I’m going to outline exactly how we plan to win this battleground district the second time around.

But in the age of Citizens United, successful campaigns need to keep raising money right up to the last second -- which is why I’m asking you to chip in $25 or more before midnight tonight so that we can reach our $125,000 online fundraising goal to help us Get Out The Vote >>

Step 1: Organize (Virtually) in Every Corner of IL-06

When I first announced my candidacy in 2017, I knew it wouldn’t be easy. I was a first-time candidate running in a district that Republicans held for nearly half a century without interruption.

But our team worked day-in and day-out speaking with voters of all political backgrounds, whether or not they had voted recently or identified with one party or the other. In the end, it was enough to overcome millions in outside spending and 46 years of Republican control.

We’re up against a new set of challenges in 2020 -- but I promise that we’re having just as many critical conversations with folks across IL-06 through phone banks and virtual events. Your contributions are crucial to the success of our revamped digital operation.

Step 2: Put People First, Not Special Interests

Here’s the thing: Running for Congress would be a lot easier if I threw my integrity out the window and sold out to special interests in exchange for a steady stream of cash in my campaign coffers.

Instead, I’ve shut my door to the gun lobby and stood up to big polluters and giant pharmaceutical companies from day one in office.

Outside groups are trying to boost my far-right opponent’s campaign because of it. But I’m not interested in short cuts at the expense of our community and our values -- I’m counting on supporters like you to power this team.

The right thing to do is not always the easy thing -- but this November 3rd, we’re going to show that we’ve got the numbers on our side.

Step 3: Forget the Noise, Focus on the Real Issues

I’m a top target for national Republicans specifically because I flipped a red-to-blue seat in 2018 that was crucial to securing our Democratic House majority.

That attention comes with a lot of partisan attacks that are so outrageous they can be tempting to respond to. But I didn’t win over swing voters by engaging in political games -- I did it by concentrating on the issues that matter most to the families of our district.

Everyday Americans want to talk about lowering the costs of prescription drugs and making sure they won’t lose coverage because they have a pre-existing condition. They want to talk about protecting their home from the threat of increased flooding due to climate change. They want to talk about ensuring an effective pandemic response so that they can send their kids back to school and hug their friends and loved ones again.

As a scientist and former clean energy entrepreneur, I’m committed to ensuring our federal policymaking is based on the best evidence available so that we can find comprehensive solutions to our nation’s most pressing problems.

I will never stop fighting for our district and our values, but my Republican opponent raised over $1 million in three months and we’re falling short of our online fundraising goal for October by $9,375 -- will you chip in whatever you can before midnight tonight to make sure we can fully fund our Get Out The Vote efforts?

Thanks for reading,

Sean Casten