[1]Mandela Barnes for Wisconsin

My story is a Wisconsin story. My story wouldn’t be possible without my parents’ union jobs.

I don’t come from a wealthy or well-connected family. I grew up in Milwaukee in a proud union household.

My grandfather worked as a steelworker at A.O. Smith after he came back from World War II. My dad worked 3rd shift at the GM factory. My mom was a public school teacher.

Those jobs were our ticket into the middle class.

That’s a ticket too many people can’t get anymore.

The type of job that lets you pay down your mortgage, and put some money away to get you through tough times.

The type of jobs that let your kids go to college if they want to, or lets you take care of your parents when they get sick without worrying about putting food on the table.

And that’s what is at stake here. Because the jobs we’re fighting for are the type of jobs you can raise a family on.

As I look around our state and the country, I see times are getting harder. Prices are rising but wages are not. The manufacturing industry that gave my family a shot is in crisis. And the middle class is under attack by politicians like Ron Johnson.

It feels like the deck is stacked against us.

But we don’t want handouts. We just want a fair shot. An opportunity to have dignity at work.

And we won’t get it with Ron Johnson in the Senate.

We’re talking about a person who secured more than $200 million in tax deductions for two of his biggest donor families alone, but he wants to put the Social Security benefits our seniors have worked their entire lives for on the chopping block.

This is a person who has received hundreds of thousands of dollars from Big Pharma while he calls to repeal the Affordable Care Act and voted against lower drug prices.

And when his corporate donors decided to create new jobs in South Carolina instead of Wisconsin, he didn’t fight for us – he made excuses for them. He chose his wealthy donors over working people in Wisconsin like he’s done since the day he got into office.

Plain and simple: if it doesn’t help his wealthy donors or his own self-interests, you can’t count on Ron Johnson to support it. He’s only ever thinking about the big corporations and the CEOs raking in millions while we struggle.

And while Ron Johnson tries to divide us and distract us from what he’s doing in Washington, here’s what he doesn’t understand.

We have more in common with each other than any of us do with a self-serving multi-millionaire like Ron Johnson.

This isn’t about Red or Blue. It’s about who’s been at the top and who’s been left at the bottom.

But if we’re going to change Washington, we have to change the people we send there.

It’s time for us to be represented by people who share our experiences and our values.

Someone who believes workers have earned the right to be respected, protected, and paid.

We need to elect people who will fight for the right to organize, fair wages, and stronger pensions.

When I go to Washington, I won’t stand with the fancy lobbyists that love Ron Johnson. I’m going to stand with unions, with workers and with Wisconsinites from all corners of our state.

Now, I don’t have millions of dollars of personal wealth. I don’t have the backing of special interests and lobbies like Big Pharma or Big Oil.

What I do have is skin in the game.

I’ve seen the impact that anti-worker laws have had on our state and its people. We all know someone who was laid off because of outsourcing or corporate consolidation.

These are the struggles we’re dealing with. And yet everyday workers wake up, come together, and fight for a better tomorrow. For a better future.

I share your fears and struggles. I also share your hopes and dreams.

And we should have hope.

Because in our challenges we have opportunity.

We have the opportunity to bring manufacturing back and give everyone a fair shot.

We have the opportunity to put workers first, and to bring supply chains back to America.

I know it’s going to be hard. Everything worth doing is hard.

But hard doesn’t scare me. Because I know it’ll be that much easier when we do it together.

I’m running for Senate because I believe that better is possible. I believe in the strength of unions. I believe we can create a future where hard work pays off and everyone can get a fair shot at the American dream.

And I know you believe that too. That’s why you organize.

So I’m asking you to help me make it happen.

We’re going to every community to remind folks that no one is going to be left behind.

Those days are done. Ron Johnson has had his day. Now it’s our time.

This is a fight for freedom, for fairness, and for our future – and guess what? This is a fight we’re going to win.

Thank you so much. Let’s move forward, together.

Mandela

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In the Senate, Mandela will never stop fighting to rebuild the middle class and guarantee opportunity for everyone. But first, he needs your help to win this race and defeat Ron Johnson.

Can you please make a contribution to Mandela Barnes' campaign today to flip Wisconsin's Senate seat and expand the Democratic majority? This is important.

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