Hi friend,

I'm not sure when my team will get this note to your inbox, but I have a few minutes to spare right now – so I wanted to talk to you about the final 88 days of this campaign, starting with a quick story from when I was a little girl. 

My parents, James and Elouise, weren't rich. My father worked as a janitor. My mother was a maid. Neither finished high school. But they had such a profound sense of duty to make life better for me and my six brothers and sisters. They grounded the importance of education and civic responsibility into us. 

As a matter of fact, my parents took their civic responsibility so seriously that they were 100% faithful to voting. Every time. In one instance, when our station wagon wouldn't start, they paid someone to drive them to the polls.

They were so committed to voting, friend, that as a little girl, I thought it was illegal not to vote! 

My mind is on my parents in these final 88 days of the election. People just like James and Elouise Butler – people who count so much on our democracy – are already casting their ballots in Florida's primary. They'll likely be thinking of their families as they tick off a box, hoping the people they send to Washington will do right by them and commit to bettering the lives of those they serve.

I know this because as I travel across Florida and meet so many incredible people, I hear stories that remind me of my upbringing. I hear stories that inspire me every day to win this race so we can do better for Floridians and all of America. So take this to heart straight from me, friend: I am in this race to win, and when I make it to the U.S. Senate, we’ll be able to pass a bold legislative agenda.

My time is up, and I need to get on with my day. Before I sign off though, I've got to ask: With polling showing me neck and neck with Marco Rubio, can you chip in a grassroots donation of $5 or whatever you can spare to help me pull ahead, win and expand our Democratic Senate majority? Here's a link where you can make a contribution: https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/vd_senate-fr-email

Enjoy the rest of your day, friend – and thanks for everything you do for this grassroots campaign. 

Val Demings