John – I want to talk to you about my Grandpa Finkenauer, a World War II veteran who worked on the line at a packing plant in Dubuque. He's a big part of the reason I'm running to defeat Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), and I hope you'll allow me a moment to explain why.

Grandma and Grandpa Finkenauer lived in a three-bedroom, two-bathroom home in Dubuque. It had a backyard and wasn't much unlike any other middle-class home – except when you went down to the basement. Going down there as a kid, I felt like I walked into a different world: There was a bar area with fancy glasses and dishware. Everything glittered. 

It's where my grandparents would entertain their friends. After coming home from a long, hard day of work on the line, Grandpa would get cleaned up and he and Grandma would put on their best clothes. Grandma probably wore some of her jewelry that my grandfather gifted her. (He always loved spoiling her.)

John, my grandparents were not rich. But they worked hard, and the wage my grandfather earned – and later in life, his pension and Social Security – enabled them to live a good life. They enjoyed life. But that kind of security my grandparents enjoyed – where if you work hard you can not just get by but also thrive – has slipped away from people. It's still slipping away – and it's because of people like Sen. Grassley who have failed working families for decades now.

You see, as health care costs have skyrocketed, Sen. Grassley has done everything in his power to side with those making profits over his constituents who need care. He's spoken out against laws that would strengthen workers' rights and unions. He was in Donald Trump's pocket, especially when it came to the nearly $2 trillion tax windfall favoring the wealthy and corporations. I'm running to defeat Sen. Grassley to be a true voice for working families. To get things done for them – because working families are my family.

If you're with me in this fight for working Americans – if you believe it's time for Sen. Grassley to go – then I'm asking you to make a grassroots contribution ahead of tonight's midnight deadline. Every dollar you give – $10, $20, $50 at a time – will fuel our fight for working families and build up the resources we need to defeat Sen. Grassley and win in Iowa.

Thank you,

Abby