Friend, I need you to know this and take it to heart:

I will never stop standing up to Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell and their Republican allies who are hell-bent on undermining our democracy and threatening Americans’ fundamental rights – including the right to cast a vote in a free and fair election or to decide when and whether to bear children.

But the truth is this: My efforts to hold Trump and his GOP loyalists accountable have made me a target for defeat.

That’s why I’m coming to you today with a troubling update: As of now, my campaign is still $7,132 short of what we need to raise before our next big fundraising deadline, so I’m reaching out to humbly ask for a donation to get us back on track. Please, if you support my efforts to hold extremist Republicans accountable, will you make a contribution now to protect this seat and keep the Senate under Democratic control?

We’re up against powerful forces: Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell, and the entire Republican establishment are determined to flip a Democratic seat – perhaps even this one – to take back control of the chamber. They only need to flip one seat to succeed. We can’t take anything for granted.

Shifting political grounds in this state make this year particularly unpredictable: Recently, RNC chairwoman and noted Trump apologist Ronna McDaniel helped christen a new national Republican campaign office in this state – the national GOP’s first-ever office in Connecticut.

I won’t mince words: They are making this state, and this Senate seat, a target.

That’s why I’m counting on your support today. If you and everyone reading this chipped in just $5 right now, we’d close our shortfall and then some within mere seconds. So – with so much at stake – I have to ask: Please, will you make a contribution now to protect this seat and keep Democratic control of the Senate?

With your support, I know we can win this race, keep this seat blue, and protect (and expand!) Democratic control of the Senate.

Thanks for all you do.

Dick