Hello,

We have a choice as a country.

We can just give our “thoughts and prayers” every time a school shooting happens and do nothing, knowing it’s only a matter of time until the next mass murder; or we can actually do something about it.

We can keep electing people like my opponent Chuck Grassley who unabashedly take millions from the NRA and then block even the most common-sense gun laws. Or we can elect more tough Democrats willing to stand up to the NRA.

Allowing this gun violence epidemic to continue is a choice.

I’m running against one of the biggest recipients of the NRA’s blood money: Republican Senator Chuck Grassley. And last week, he did their bidding yet again when he stood up to block Senator Chris Murphy’s bill requiring universal background checks.

So today I present you with a choice: Will you give today to my campaign and help me take on the NRA and defeat Chuck Grassley?

This is a race we can win. The latest poll from the highly-respected Des Moines Register shows just 27% of Iowa voters want to reelect Chuck Grassley. His approval ratings are tubing to the lowest they’ve ever been.

But the NRA and Mitch McConnell’s Super PACs are going to spend millions of dollars trying to defeat me. I’m a hard target for them, but they’ll try mightily because Senate control is on the line.

I’m facing my biggest deadline of the campaign yet at midnight tonight, and we’re still just short of our $20,000 goal. Please, can I count on you to chip in $5 or more right now – whatever you can afford before midnight tonight – to help me defeat Chuck Grassley, turn Iowa blue, and protect our Democratic majority in the Senate?

Thank you so much for your support and giving what you can when you can,

Mike Franken, Vice Admiral, U.S. Navy (ret.)