A lot of things have changed since 2008, when, as chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, I went to Michigan to campaign to help elect a strong, principled candidate for Congress named Gary Peters. Barack Obama was elected president that November and Democrats were hopeful for the future.

But just two years later the Tea Party came to Washington – and the rest is history. Empowered by Mitch McConnell's scorched earth tactics in the Senate, the Tea Party blocked progress on many key issues – like my DISCLOSE Act legislation to end secret money in politics, which passed the House in 2010 but lost to a filibuster by one vote in the US Senate!

More than a decade later we are locked in a pitched fight for the future of our democracy against folks who are prepared to use violence to advance their narrow anti-democratic agenda.

National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Senator Rick Scott is working overtime to build an army of donors to fuel their 2022 campaign to win the Senate gavel for Mitch McConnell by unseating Democratic Senators like me who are up for reelection next year. He and Mitch McConnell are actively working to recruit our two-term Republican Governor to enter this Senate race, and promising him boatloads of super PAC money.

And make no mistake about it, we need to take this seriously.

That's why I am asking if you will consider making a contribution to our campaign today. Every dollar will help our team prepare to defend this Maryland seat in 2022 and protect our majority:

Thank you for your commitment to this important fight for our democracy and to the work of moving our country forward.

Together, we’re going to continue making progress for the American people.

Onwards,

Chris