Folks,

Democrats are taking 2018 very seriously.

I’m reaching out on behalf of Tim Kaine. We need to do well in every corner of Virginia and empower Virginians to keep their state blue by re-electing Tim to the Senate.

Voters in Virginia and across the country have had enough of the attacks Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress have leveled against working families.

They’re hungry for Democratic leadership because they know Democrats have their back. They know Democrats share their values. And they’re ready to fight for those values at the ballot box. That’s what this election is all about.

We need to elect fighters:

The best way to fight back against Donald Trump is to elect Democrats like Tim Kaine who stand up to him every day. The Tim Kaine I know puts working families first and never backs down from a fight.

We need to unite as Democrats:

When I was elected DNC Chair I said that unity would be our greatest strength and Donald Trump’s worst nightmare. That’s as true today as it’s ever been. When we’re united around our shared values and organizing for fighters like Tim Kaine, we’re unstoppable.

We need to compete everywhere:

We’ve seen incredible enthusiasm for Democrats across the country, even in deep-red districts that Trump won by double-digits in 2016. Look no further than Virginia, a critical battleground state that many pundits said Democrats would lose in 2017. Instead, we elected a Democratic governor by nearly 9 points and gained 15 seats in the House of Delegates. When we organize and lead with our values, we can compete everywhere.

This year we have the opportunity to build on those victories. And if we want to turn more areas of the country blue, we need a program that empowers everyone to get involved, knock on doors, and talk to their neighbors about just how important this election is to our future.

Tim is building that kind of program.

We need to show we’re fighting for everyone:

Every Republican running against Tim would be a rubber-stamp for Donald Trump in the Senate. They support his attempts to take away health care from millions and his disastrous economic agenda that has put wealthy corporations ahead of working families. They’ve echoed his messages of hatred and bigotry, while embracing the lies and conspiracy theories this administration peddles every day.

Tim knows that diversity and inclusion are America’s strengths. He knows that we’re at our best when we choose compassion over cruelty, and when we work to expand opportunities for everyone.

We can’t take anything for granted:

A recent poll has any generic Republican opponent within just three points of beating Tim. That’s not something we can take lightly. Tim needs us to stand with him. His fundraising numbers go public at the end of this month, and we have the chance to show just how much grassroots support Tim has across Virginia.

Will you chip in to Tim’s campaign today to make sure his opponents know that we are taking this race seriously?

Thanks for taking the time to read,

Tom Perez
Chair
Democratic National Committee