Reprinted from Reader Supported News
Hello,
When I was a little girl, I never in a million years thought that I'd run for the United States Senate. Heck, when my mother was born, women didn't even have the right to vote.
But five years ago today, I began exploring the possibility of running -- and today, I'm proud (and a little amazed) to be the first woman elected to the Senate from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
There's been lots of progress since my mother was a child. Today, we have 20 women in the United States Senate. Last fall during one of my hearings on student debt, the room actually stopped and cheered when Amy Klobuchar noted that five women senators were running the hearing -- with no men.
It's a good start, but let's be honest: 50 women in the Senate would be a lot better.
That's why I'm so excited that we have a terrific group of smart, strong, experienced Democratic women running in some of the toughest Senate races in 2016. These women are the key to taking back the Democratic majority and building a Trump-proof firewall in the Senate -- but they need strong grassroots support.
Our Democratic women Senate candidates are fighting their hearts out right now, and it looks like we have a real shot at taking back control of the Senate with a record number of women in the Senate in January.
But the Republicans and their Super PAC pals are desperate to protect their majority and make sure we lose:
- Rep. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois is a true American hero who lost both legs while serving in Iraq. But Republican Mark Kirk's Super PAC just launched its first ad: a nasty "swiftboat" style attack on Tammy's record of service for veterans. Illinois has been called the Democrats' top pickup opportunity in the Senate -- but if Tammy is going to win, she needs help to fight back against these disgusting smear attacks.
- New Hampshire Governor Maggie Hassan knows a thing or two about attack ads. Since Maggie launched her Senate campaign, her Republican opponent and the right-wing Super PACs have already spent $24 million against Maggie (and remember, New Hampshire is not that big!). Despite all of their efforts to drag Maggie down, the polls are still neck and neck. Every dollar Maggie has to fight back will make a difference.
- Former Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto is also under heavy attack in a too-close-to-call Senate race. The right-wing groups are drooling over the thought of taking the open Senate seat Democratic Leader Harry Reid has held for decades. They've already spent or reserved $26 million in attack ads against Catherine, and that number could skyrocket in these final months of the campaign. Catherine knows how to fight back against the powerful interests, but she needs us by her side.
- Clean energy and environment leader Katie McGinty has jumped ahead in the polls in Pennsylvania, and it has put the Republicans in a panic. The Koch Brothers alone have spent over $5 million to help their friend Pat Toomey, and the outside spending in Pennsylvania will likely get a lot worse. Katie McGinty is a terrific candidate running a strong campaign, and with our help she can win this Senate race in November.
96 years ago today, women got the right to make our voices heard in the ballot box. Now, let's make our voices heard in the halls of the US Capitol -- by sending Tammy Duckworth, Maggie Hassan, Catherine Cortez Masto and Katie McGinty to the Senate.
Thanks for being a part of this,
Elizabeth
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