John,

"Be kind and have good manners."

I can't count the number of times I repeated this mantra to my children – before family gatherings, on the first day of school, at the dinner table. Above everything else, I made sure that my kids were raised with compassionate hearts and respect for others.

But frankly, I have been thinking about what it will be like in the Senate, and it seems like far too many of the folks running things in Washington lack both kindness and manners. Legislators are pushing their far-right, out-of-touch ideologies instead of actually helping the families who are counting on them. They're picking partisan fights instead of putting their heads down and doing the work. And if my opponent, Eric Schmitt, gets to Washington, he'll be just another extremist with no manners and no kindness.

I promise you, John, that I will be different. As senator, I will treat everyone who comes through my office doors with the manners and compassion that my parents taught me – and which I passed on to my own kids. I will always lead with kindness, respect, and a listening ear.

But in order to get there and bring this commitment to Washington, I need your help. Please, with the election just 13 days away, can I count on you to make a donation to help me flip this seat blue and bring kindness and respect to Washington? We'll only win if people like you join our campaign to build a truly grassroots movement.

Thank you so much for all that you do.

– Trudy