I would not ask if it was not important ~ @BernieSanders

In just a moment, I am going to tell you about a very exciting trip I took last weekend campaigning for progressives and rallying against Trump's war on the middle class of this country.

But first, I want to tell you about one stop in particular, and that is my visit to Des Moines, Iowa, to campaign for Pete D'Alessandro. I also want to ask you to help him. Here's why this request matters so much.

Pete was the campaign coordinator for our Iowa Caucus effort. For almost a year, he lived and breathed for our political revolution and helped lead us to a virtual tie in the state -- a result that shocked the political establishment to its core.

Now he's running for Congress in Iowa, and I cannot imagine anyone who will fight harder for the working people of his district, and of this country, than Pete. He's with us on Medicare for All, a $15/hour living wage, free tuition at public colleges and universities and more. And he can win this race. But he can't do it alone. He needs us. And in this race, every donation will go a long way. I hope you'll help:

Can I count on you to split a $58 donation between Pete D'Alessandro's campaign for Congress and my work traveling the country rallying people to support progressive candidates? I would not ask if it wasn't so important.

Our political revolution was never about winning the White House alone. It was about building a movement of millions of Americans uniting to upend the status quo and transform our country.

It is about fighting and winning, not just in blue states and districts, but also in places Donald Trump won. Because the continued decline of the middle class, grotesque levels of income and wealth inequality, disastrous trade policies and an inadequate educational system affect them, too.

So I was happy to rally against Trump's war against the working class with more than 1,000 people in Green Bay, Wisconsin, a place Hillary Clinton lost by more than 10 percent of the vote.

We went right into Paul Ryan's district and campaigned for Randy Bryce, the ironworker taking him on. More than 2,000 people attended and filled every inch of Memorial Hall in Racine, including the overflow section.

We went to Michigan and had a wonderful event with thousands of people in Lansing. But before I left, I kept a campaign promise and returned to a church in Flint, Michigan, for an emotional visit. Even though the television news cameras are gone and the campaign is over, many of the problems in that city still persist and in some cases have gotten worse. They still need our help, and I am going to fight for them.

We rallied for Chuy Garcia in Chicago, whom I am strongly supporting in his race for Congress. The turnout was great and the enthusiasm was sky-high. What's great about Chuy's campaign is that he's not just working hard to win an election, but also to build a grassroots movement supporting a slate of wonderful young candidates taking on the political establishment in that city.

And finally, we visited Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to rally against the Trump tax plan, and Des Moines to support my friend Pete.

Throughout our campaign, I told you that no one person could take on the political and financial elite of this country on their own. What this moment requires is people in the streets fighting for change, and a Congress that is willing to stand with them.

Pete D'Alessandro will stand with us. He will fight, relentlessly, for the values we share. You can be proud to support his campaign. And if you do, I think he's going to win.

Can I count on you to split a $58 donation between Pete D'Alessandro's campaign for Congress and my work traveling the country rallying people to support progressive candidates? I would not ask if it wasn't so important.

Change never happens from the top down. It always occurs from the bottom on up. That's why your participation and support for candidates like Pete is so important. The political revolution is gaining momentum. Please support us.

Thank you,

Bernie Sanders

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Message from Gabby Giffords (@GabbyGiffords) via Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders)

Speaking is still physically difficult for me, but my feelings are clear: I am furious.

We have watched, time and time again, as people describe these mass shootings as unimaginable and unpreventable acts of evil.

But we all know that is not true.

We have seen them before, and we will see them again. And what angers me most is that Congress knows how to solve this problem.

Bernie Sanders has fought to reduce the epidemic levels of gun violence in this country. And at the end of the day, both of us know that the root of this issue lies in the outrageous amounts of money the corporate gun lobby spends buying candidates and elected officials.

So if we want to change the equation, that means Congress must realize they have more to fear from all of us standing together and acting than they do from the gun lobby's money.

That starts with all of us making our voices heard. So today I am asking you to do something important, Ray, I am asking you to take my pledge.

Sign my pledge: "I promise that I will Vote Courage in November and support candidates who will stand up to the gun lobby and take action to make our communities safer from gun violence."

SIGN GABBY'S PLEDGE

For decades now, the gun lobby has used its power and influence to instill fear into the hearts of legislators in Congress and state capitals across our country.

But that fear is nothing like what those students fleeing Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School must have felt as they ran out of the building with their hands in the air as officers ran toward them with their guns drawn.

That fear is nothing like what the children and teachers must have felt at Sandy Hook Elementary School, or the club goers felt in Orlando, or the holiday party attendees felt in San Bernardino as shots rang out all around them.

What those legislators who vote to put the profits of manufacturers ahead of the safety of our communities really feel is cowardice.

They look at the most benign and practical solutions offered by moderates from each party and then they look over their shoulder at the powerful, shadowy gun lobby and choose to do nothing.

This November, we are going to vote them out. But it will only happen if we stand together. And that starts with making your voice heard.

Join me and Senator Bernie Sanders. Pledge to Vote Courage in 2018:

https://go.berniesanders.com/gabbys-pledge

We do not have to accept these horrific acts of violence as routine, and we must never stop demanding that our leaders not only acknowledge this devastating problem, but take long overdue action to keep our children safe.

If Congress won't act, the American voters must.

All my best,

Gabby Giffords

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Important message from @BernieSanders

One of the great lessons of our presidential campaign was that we showed candidates don't have to spend all of their time begging millionaires and billionaires for money in order to win

One of the great lessons of our presidential campaign was that we showed -- in a way that can change politics in America forever -- that candidates don't have to spend all of their time begging millionaires and billionaires for money in order to win.

We proved that if you run a campaign that authentically and unapologetically speaks to the needs of the working people of this country, they will respond overwhelmingly.

My friend Ben Jealous is running that kind of campaign as he seeks the Democratic nomination to serve as the next Governor of Maryland. His campaign, like ours, is powered by lots of people giving small amounts of money. He's received more individual donations than any other candidate in the race -- a fact noticed by the special interests likely to spend heavily to stop him. Sound familiar?

Chuy Garcia did the same thing when he ran to unseat Rahm Emanuel as Mayor of Chicago. Thanks to the support of working people of all backgrounds across the city, he did better than anyone could have possibly imagined. Today, he's running for Congress in Chicago. His primary is next month, and he needs our help.

Ben Jealous and Chuy Garcia supported our campaign for president when we needed it most. And right now -- with their Democratic primaries coming up soon -- they both need us. Please help me elect two more allies of our political revolution:

Can you join me in splitting a $58 donation between Chuy Garcia's campaign for Congress in Chicago and Ben Jealous' campaign to serve as the next Governor of Maryland? Both of these elections are coming up pretty soon, so this is important.

Through their campaigns Chuy and Ben are bringing attention to the grotesque levels of income and wealth inequality in this country. Both are talking about health care as a right for every man, woman and child in America. They are talking about our broken criminal justice system and our people's lack of access to affordable higher education. They are addressing the global crisis of climate change and the need for real comprehensive immigration reform.

Thank you for supporting them with your donation before their primaries.

In solidarity,

Bernie Sanders

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