Friends –

I am writing to ask you to make a $5 contribution to Mandela Barnes' campaign for U.S. Senate in Wisconsin. I hope you will give me a moment to explain why your contribution is so important to his campaign.

Mandela is running to defeat Republican incumbent Ron Johnson, one of the most reactionary and self-serving members of the U.S. Senate. A recent Marquette poll shows Mandela down by one point, and he is up against some very powerful special interests who are spending obscene amounts of money to try to defeat him.

So Mandela needs your help, especially before his FEC fundraising deadline at the end of this month. 

Ron Johnson is someone who relies on corporate interests to fund his campaign. But Mandela is funding his campaign the right way – from lots of people making small donations. 

That is the only way he is going to have the resources to win this race, and that is why I need to ask:

Can you please split a $5 contribution between Mandela Barnes' campaign for U.S. Senate in Wisconsin and Gary Peters? As long as we are in this together, we are going to send Mandela to the Senate and expand the majority.

At this moment in American history – in the midst of massive income and wealth inequality, a global pandemic and the existential threat of climate change – it has never been more important to elect candidates like Mandela who will fight for the working class of this country. 

We need to elect more candidates who will take on corporate greed, authoritarianism and bigotry and who are prepared to fight for justice. In order to do that, we must bring our people together in a multi-generational, multi-racial movement to take on the big-money interests that have so much political and economic power in our country. 

Mandela Barnes is building that kind of movement through his campaign in Wisconsin. And if he wins in November, he will continue our struggle for justice in the U.S. Senate.

First, we need to come together to defeat a Republican extremist who denies the reality of climate change, participated in a scheme to overturn the 2020 election results and has repeatedly sided with corporate interests at the expense of working people.

But this Wisconsin Senate race isn't just about replacing Ron Johnson. It's also about expanding the Senate majority so we can finally have the votes to pass meaningful legislation to address the many crises we face. 

Mandela Barnes is in a very close race right now, and he is relying on grassroots support in order to fund his campaign between now and Election Day. So I am asking you one more time:

Please split a $5 contribution between Mandela Barnes' campaign for U.S. Senate in Wisconsin and Gary Peters. He is rejecting all corporate PAC money, and your contribution today will ensure he has the financial resources to flip this seat.

We are engaged in many struggles right now. We are trying to save the planet from the ravages of climate change. We're trying to create an economy that works for all and not just the billionaire class. We're trying to defend our democracy against those who are moving us toward authoritarianism. And that's just to name a few. 

But, in the midst of all these struggles, we cannot simply remain on the defensive. We need to continue building our movement to transform this country. 

That means standing with candidates like Mandela Barnes who will take on powerful special interests. Thank you for adding a contribution to his campaign today. 

In solidarity, 

Bernie Sanders