John, watching my son Matt get sober was one of the hardest things I have ever witnessed.

Addiction grips a person with a strength you simply cannot imagine if you've never experienced it firsthand. And while your family can support you, so much of the process of staying sober has to be done alone. Sobriety is never easy, and it's rarely a straight line. It's a matter of making it through enough of the hard days, minute by excruciating minute, until the good days outnumber the bad ones.

And John, I just don't think most lawmakers understand that.

The folks in charge are slow to empathize but quick to cast judgements. They think that a few half-baked line items in a budget will fix things. And then they're free to go about their days, ignoring the opioid epidemic until election season rolls around again. 

But I understand. I know the complicated, difficult reality of addiction firsthand. I know exactly what happens to families when lawmakers refuse to truly address this issue. And it's a big part of why I am running for United States Senate.

John, we need Senate leaders who will make treatment accessible (especially in rural areas), listen to the experts, fund new research, hold Big Pharma accountable, strive for a better and more fair criminal justice system, and end the stigma and shame associated with addiction. That's exactly the type of legislation that I will fight tooth and nail for as Missouri’s next Senator.

If you are on board with this fairer future, I need you with me. Please, can I count on you to make a grassroots donation to my campaign? I promise you that I will do whatever it takes to end this opioid epidemic, but with just a few days left until the election, I cannot get to Washington alone.

You have my word that in the Senate, I will work day and night to make sure that we live in a country where people get the lifesaving care, support, and treatment they deserve.

With gratitude and hope for the future,

Trudy