As a mother, grandmother, and a woman elected to the Senate when having just six—six!—woman senators was record-breaking, I believe there is more at stake this November than there has ever been in our lifetimes.
That’s why over the next few months, I’m asking you to join me in my Sprint to 2020.
Our country faces enormous challenges, but this Republican President and Senate have not only rejected solution after solution—they’ve made things worse. As our nation grapples with a global health pandemic, we are seeing the strain they’ve put on our health care system by blocking critical public health investments and ensuring everyone has access to affordable health care. But long before the coronavirus crisis, families have been struggling as costs for things like health care and tuition steadily rise and wages don’t come close to keeping up. Parents and children alike are rightly worried about our planet’s future as we fail to act on the climate crisis. Bipartisan steps to prevent gun violence have stalled. Senator Mitch McConnell and his Republican Senate have refused to act on these challenges and so many more.
We simply can’t wait any longer to make real change and progress, and I’m going to be completely blunt about what that means: defeating President Trump, while absolutely critical, isn’t enough. We’ve got to take back the Senate from Mitch McConnell, too. And with your help, I’m confident we can.
Here are the facts. The Senate currently has 53 Republicans and 47 Democrats (including two independents who caucus with us). There are 35 seats up in 2020, and twenty-three of them are held by Republicans. We only need to win back four to have a clear Democratic majority.
The numbers are in our favor, and I know we can get this done if we’re all in it together. Over the next few months, I’ll be sending out information about strong Democrats candidates across the country—especially some great women!—and I’ll let you know how you can help spread the word and build support for these critical campaigns.
Especially at a time like this, we need leaders we can count on in Congress who will put our families and communities first—and that’s who I’m working to help elect with my Sprint to 2020 initiative.
Let me close by saying one more thing. Over the next several months headed into November, you’re going to hear a lot of pundits and naysayers tell you that Democrats can’t take back the Senate and defeat Donald Trump. But you know what? I got my start in politics when someone told me I couldn’t make a difference because I was “just a mom in tennis shoes.” I refused to listen, and here I am today. So I’ve learned that when someone tells you there’s no way you can do something, or that you can’t have an impact—it’s probably because they’re afraid you actually will.
So let’s lace up together—let’s believe in what we accomplish together—and let’s put a Democratic majority in the Senate in 2020.
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