I’ll be honest, Team: nothing in my life has come easy.

Both of my parents passed away by the time I was twelve, and like many kids who have experienced trauma, I struggled as a teenager and was kicked out of school.

While many people could have given up on me, phenomenal public school educators saw my potential and saved my life. They inspired me to become a teacher myself— and eventually, to become President Obama’s Secretary of Education.

I was given a second chance and now I’m running for governor of Maryland to ensure others get the same opportunity to succeed, but I can’t do it without your support.

I knew when I got into this race that it wouldn’t be easy, and now our campaign is just two months away from our biggest test so far. On January 12, our campaign will file our fundraising numbers with the Maryland Board of Elections — and our campaign has set an ambitious goal to raise $300,000 through online donations ahead of this major public deadline.

Will you please pitch in today to make sure we hit this ambitious $300,000 goal? Whether you can give $3, $10, $25, $100, or even $1000, your donation goes a long way in making an impact.

The strength of fundraising numbers on that January report will be a direct reflection of the strength of this campaign, and with so much at stake after what we saw in Virginia, it’s crucial that our campaign has the resources to flip Maryland blue in 2022. This goal may seem bold, but that’s the kind of governor I intend to be. As we recover from this pandemic, it isn't the time for half measures. Instead, we need bold action and progressive leadership.

Please, contribute now to make sure we can hit this $300,000 goal and show up strong for this filing deadline. This is predicted to be the most expensive governor’s race in Maryland history, but with your support, my campaign will have the resources to stand out from the rest of the field and demonstrate that my vision for a more progressive Maryland makes me the right choice for governor.

Thank you for believing in our campaign,

John