This is a long email. I'm going to be brutally honest, and say some things I've never said before -- I hope I can count on you to read until the end.

I got a lot of backlash from the last debate.

I spoke my mind. And I did what I told you I would do in this campaign -- I stood up for people who were being ignored.

And frankly, my fundraising numbers have taken a hit because of it.

But do I regret it? Absolutely not.

When I announced my campaign for president, it wasn't because the establishment or mainstream media expected me to.

It wasn't because I knew I'd be at the top of the polls, or because I had the personal wealth to build a campaign from my own pocket.

I'm running because I refused to sit by while no one with my voice, from my background, or with my story was part of the conversation.

Why do we expect Democratic voters -- the most diverse base in history -- to settle for more of the same?

I know my campaign is bigger than just me, or this election. It's a testament to how we won't stay quiet anymore. Will you pitch in $5 before midnight to help me earn my way onto that next debate stage and ensure that no one else can silence our message? >> secure.actblue.com/donate/julian-em?refcode=20190925_em_fr_b1_castro_all&recurring=auto&amount=5&amounts=25,50,100,250

My grandmother was a Mexican immigrant.

She cleaned houses and worked as a babysitter to earn her piece of the American dream.

My mother was a second generation immigrant.

She raised me and my twin brother as a single parent, pouring her heart and soul into community activism to make a better future for us.

We kept our heads down and trusted that if we worked hard enough, we would be deserving of the promise of this country.

Imagine how it felt when Donald Trump's first campaign pledge was to demean, brutalize, and attack Mexican immigrants like my family.

To see his bigotry and hatred make its way up to the highest office in our nation wasn't just heartbreaking... it was devastating.

We can't ignore that this is a part of our history now.

And we can't deny that we need voices like mine on that debate stage taking this head on like we've never done before.

I don't mind if my ideas get backlash -- but I won't be told to sit down.

I need your support now more than ever before to earn my place on that next debate stage and keep speaking truth for us.

I need you to chip in $5 before midnight. I need you to forward this to a friend or a family member and explain why we need their help, too. And I need you to not give up on me.

secure.actblue.com/donate/julian-em?refcode=20190925_em_fr_b1_castro_all&recurring=auto&amount=5&amounts=25,50,100,250

Thank you,

Julián
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