Wow, friend.

I just looked at our fundraising results for this month, and I'm just so humbled by and grateful for what I'm seeing: thousands of grassroots supporters donating to this people-powered movement.

We're off to a great start, but we aren't quite out of the woods yet. I just refreshed ActBlue, and we're still $8,213 short of what we forecast to raise by midnight tonight. I'm worried because pundits say my greatest obstacle to winning in Florida is likely to be a lack of funding. 

If I can be candid, friend, I don't like asking you for money like this, but this is what it takes. I don't like that we're up against Marco Rubio, who's waiting to shell out millions of dollars, or that the full force of the GOP and its dark-money allies are at his back to spend more. 

But do you know what I dislike even more? That Marco Rubio's career in the Senate has failed Floridians. It's a career marked by efforts to take away affordable health care, strip reproductive freedoms, undermine voting rights and worse.

It's time for a change. But I can't win without hitting these fundraising goals – and I can't hit these fundraising goals without you. Friend, if everybody reading this email donated just $5, we'd hit these goals within minutes. 

I only have a couple hours left until midnight. The best link to donate to help me hit my goal, defeat Marco Rubio and win in Florida is right here: https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/vd_senate-fr-email-september

This race won't be easy – but not much in my life has been. I've never tired, and I can’t afford to be tired now. Let's win this. 

I'm so grateful for your support,

Congresswoman Val Demings