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A note from Ben's team: This is a special email from Ben’s sister Jackie. We hope you’ll read it all the way through, but if you’re short on time, you can click here to skip it and donate to Ben’s campaign.

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First of all, I’m not a politician. Like most of us who engage politically, I do it as a citizen, and right now, I’m most concerned that we seem to be very divided. The whole country feels split with an ‘Us vs. Them’ mentality, which I think is harmful. A question I find myself asking a lot is: ”How do we all come together and make politics work for everybody?”

I recently discussed this question with my brother. He’s Congressman Ben McAdams, and he’s been representing Utah’s 4th district since January. 

Growing up, Ben was the classic middle child. He was the peacekeeper, bringing us together when things got tough.

And things did get tough: There were nights where the power was turned off because the bills weren’t paid. We didn’t always have health care. Our mom relied on church welfare to get out of an abusive relationship and get back on her feet as a school teacher supporting six kids. When I tell my own kids now what we used to eat for dinner toward the end of the month, before the next paycheck, they say “Mom, that isn’t a meal!” I tell them in our house, it was. 

I’m telling you this because people sometimes roll their eyes when I talk to them about Ben’s job. They think politics is a game that elites play, and that it’s outside the average citizen’s reach. 

I can assure you that it’s not a game to Ben. He didn’t have that typical path into this line of work, and our parents weren’t even in politics, let alone political elites.

Ben went into politics because he has always been someone who wants to make the world around him a better place and find common ground where there seemingly isn’t any. He worked his way to Congress by fighting for people like us and giving voice to our common experiences. From watching him, I’ve learned that politics really is for everybody. By having people like Ben in Congress, we invite people who are often left out into the conversation, which is how we’ll make real change happen. 

Ben has a tough re-election fight ahead of him, and I might be biased, but I think we need to keep his middle child, consensus-building voice in politics during this divisive time in our country’s history. If you agree, I hope you’ll join me in supporting his campaign with a contribution today.

Here’s the link: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/mcadamsq32019

Thanks for being part of the conversation.

-Jackie
Ben’s proud sister