When Vanity Fair joined me on the campaign trail, friend, here's what I told them: When I make it to the U.S. Senate, it will not be the same. I will never tire of doing good. 

If you're already committed to our movement to flip Florida blue, I'm asking you to give $5 now. If you aren't, friend, I'm hoping you'll give me a minute to explain to you why I'm running.

The way I see it, senators like my opponent, Marco Rubio, have forgotten who they serve. But from my long days and nights in Congress to even longer nights on the Orlando police beat, I've shown that I know what it means to truly give back. It is ingrained in me and I have my mom and dad to thank for that.

When my siblings and I were young (all seven of us!), Mom and Dad would tell us to define ourselves by our ability to work hard – by our belief in ourselves. "Never grow tired of doing good, Val, never tire," my mom would tell me. These are sentiments I hold close to my heart. Even though we grew up poor, even though life was tough sometimes, Mom and Dad instilled in me a sense of duty that's never wavered. I'll bring this duty to the U.S. Senate, and when I do, the Senate will no longer be the same.

Photo credit: Vanity Fair and Annie Leibovitz

The sad thing about career politicians like Marco Rubio, friend, is that they don't truly see people anymore. It's something I lived through growing up in poverty. As I told Vanity Fair recently, people would walk by my parents like they weren't even there. Like being a janitor and a maid raising seven kids in the segregated South didn't matter. 

That's why I speak so often to strangers here in Florida and invite them back to my office to chat. It's why in Congress I always remember to strike up a chat with painters, janitors, cafeteria workers – the hardworking Americans that are the backbone of our nation's capital. I want people to know I see them. I want people to know they're here, and they matter. I'll bring this humanity to the U.S. Senate, and when I do, the Senate will no longer be the same.

If you're ready for change in the U.S. Senate, if you believe in the opportunity to do good and truly tackle the challenges before us, then I'm asking you to help me win. Pitch in a contribution of $5 or more now to help me defeat Marco Rubio, win in Florida and defend our Senate majority.

After long days on the campaign trail, Mom's words – never tire – resonate in my mind. They're what I hear when I remember gun violence striking my community at Pulse nightclub in Orlando – resolving me to fight for change, to never tire, until the epidemic of gun violence in America is no more.

Never tire, the words I hear as more and more truth comes out about the habitual offender who occupied the most powerful office in the world: former President Donald Trump. Nobody is above the law, and I'll never tire to hold him accountable for what he's done to our democracy.

Never tire, the words I'll hear when I make it to the U.S. Senate. And because a little Black girl grew up with so much grit – because her parents, a maid and a janitor, taught her to persevere – the Senate will no longer be the same.

But I need your support, friend. This campaign is a battle of many things, and an unfortunate reality among them is resources. The Republican Party is already proving they will spend whatever it takes to protect Marco Rubio, so if you're with me, if you want to change our U.S. Senate and entire country for the better, please donate $5 or whatever you can right now.

Thank you for being in this with me. Never tire.

Val Demings