Hi John — This message is a little longer than what I usually send, but I wanted to take a moment to send you an important update on the state of our race. So, if you have a few minutes to spare, I hope you’ll take the time to read it.

In 2010, I had just finished my Masters program at Johns Hopkins, and was starting my career working at the Department of Health and Human Services as a research nurse. We were two years into President Obama’s historic first term in the White House — and Democrats held the majorities in both the House and the Senate. But then, something happened.

Grassroots energy was much lower than it had been just two years earlier, and that November, fewer voters made it out to the polls. We ended up losing 63 seats in the House and six seats in the Senate that year — and we didn’t regain the majorities of both Houses of Congress until 2020.

The result was disastrous. Republicans launched an all-out assault on affordable health care, and even passed a bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act in the House. In the Senate, Mitch McConnell not only blocked one of President Obama’s Supreme Court nominees, but also rammed three of Trump’s right-wing justices through the confirmation process — and we’re seeing the results of those decisions today as the Court recently overturned Roe v. Wade.

The reason I’m telling you all of this is because I don’t want us to mistake our race for an easy one — because it won’t be. I won my last election by just 5,374 votes. This time around, House Republicans have named me a top target — and they’re breaking fundraising records left and right to take back the House majority.

Now, I’m not sharing this to scare you or make you feel discouraged. I have no doubt in my mind that this team is strong enough to take on right-wing megadonors and win a tough race — we’ve done it before! — but only if we’re willing to really fight for it, and give this election our all.

Right now, our campaign is working around the clock to knock doors, keep our ads up and running, and get our message out in front of voters — and we’re counting on grassroots supporters just like you, John, to help provide the resources we need to power this work.

So today, I’m humbly asking you to split a donation between The Collective PAC and my reelection campaign to help us overcome the challenges ahead, protect this seat, and our Democratic majorities.

Thanks for taking the time to read this message today, and for pitching in, if you can. It truly means the world to me to have you on this team.

— Lauren