Folks, it’s Jasmine Beach-Ferrara. I’m a gay woman, Christian minister, mom of three, and county commissioner running to defeat insurrectionist Republican Madison Cawthorn’s brand of extremism.

In a moment, I’m going to ask you to chip in to this people-first campaign – but first, let me explain why I need your support today.

During his time in office, Cawthorn has been focused on building his brand, causing division, and helping to incite violence. Recently, he was caught plotting with Trump to create an extremist takeover across the entire state of North Carolina.

Cawthorn represents the most extreme, far-right branch of the Republican Party, and he won’t stop the attention-grabbing stunts to be in the national spotlight. I’m running for Congress to bring empathy into politics and bring our community together – can you chip in $25 or more before my FEC deadline to help me get it done?

Let me share a bit of my story with you – not just as a candidate – but as a person.

When I was a kid, I grew up in North Carolina, raised by my mom, Martha, who was a nurse and a single parent. I played football, soccer, and basketball, I was a part of student government, and I was a nerd who genuinely liked school.

My mom raised me in a church that played a big role in forming not just my faith but also my understanding of love, empathy, and justice. When I came out at age 18, it ushered in a new chapter of my life – one that was both more honest and riskier.

Telling the truth about who I am was an enormous relief on one hand; on the other, it tested some of the most important relationships in my life. And it meant letting go of a lot. I stopped feeling at home in the church, even though my faith never wavered. It wasn’t easy to imagine a future for myself in North Carolina, as much as this was home to me.

During my twenties, I worked at a coffee shop, took a job as a janitor, and taught writing in colleges and prisons. I also moved back to North Carolina. I knew that ultimately this was where I belonged, even though I still harbored questions, and sometimes fear, about what it would mean to be out here.

I started organizing on political campaigns and LGBTQ rights campaigns. And I met my wife Meghann. Suddenly so many of the questions I’d been wrestling with felt a lot clearer: whatever I did, I’d be doing it alongside her and that made anything feel possible. With her support, I followed a call to ministry and then in 2011, we launched the Campaign for Southern Equality together.

As we organized to win marriage equality in the South, skeptics told me that I was absolutely wrong, that what we were doing was dangerous, and that we would set back the marriage equality movement by years.

But we saw a way to win. So we barnstormed the South, organizing in living rooms, church basements, and library meeting rooms. One conversation at a time, one town at a time, one action at a time. Every step of the way, our work was guided by love and empathy.

And we did win. By building a community of people across the South who were ready to step up, and by running a nimble, strategic campaign.

In 2016, I ran for county commissioner. And throughout my time in office I have worked to tackle issues such as the opioid crisis, funding for early childhood education, paid family leave, climate change, and advancing criminal justice reform.

Whether it’s grassroots organizing or serving in elected office, I strive to do what’s just and what’s right. That’s why I’m giving this campaign my all.

Madison Cawthorn’s extremism is a danger to our democracy and he just doesn’t represent who we are in Western North Carolina.

We have what it takes to replace Cawthorn and we’re going to bring real leadership and compassion to Western North Carolina together. Can I count on you to chip in $25 towards my FEC goal and to my grassroots movement so we can win this together?

Thank you,

Jasmine