This is really something, friend. This month, First Lady Jill Biden flew in from Washington, D.C. to join me at my rally in Orlando. Take a look! 

In the final stretch of this campaign, it amazes me how far I've come in my life. I started out as the daughter of a maid and a janitor in the 1960s South – and here I am today, sharing a stage with the first lady as I run for the U.S. Senate. It's an incredible story of opportunity. 

But my story isn't finished yet. I'm running to expand our Democratic Senate majority and give everyone a shot at achieving the American Dream – but I have to be honest about the state of this race: A recent poll shows me tied with Marco Rubio – and in-person early voting just opened on Monday. It's anyone's race to win – and time is running out to pull ahead.

Florida's last Senate race was one of the closest in the country, and this one is just as tight. I can't afford to cut a single rally, phone-banking session or campaign ad – because failing to reach even a few thousand voters could cost us this race.

As First Lady Jill Biden said, "These fights feel enormous and they are, but they come down to small moments. One ballot cast, one phone call to a neighbor who maybe forgot to vote, one ride offered to the polling place."

That's why I'm personally asking: Please, will you donate $5 right now to help me reach voters from the Panhandle to the Keys? Every dollar will bring me one step closer to defeating Marco Rubio and delivering a Democratic Senate majority.

Thanks for your support,

Val Demings