Hello and Happy Holidays to you and yours! I hope you are enjoying a wonderful time with your family and loved ones. I am writing this on the way to Florida where I am visiting my in-laws with my family.
Last Thursday, I spoke at the Progress Iowa event in Des Moines to 250 Democratic activists and civic leaders. It was a tremendous night for the campaign. The response was phenomenal.
Among the things people said to me afterwards:
“Thank you for being here. You made really important topics crystal clear in a way I’ve never heard before.”
“I was riveted from start to finish.” She went on to buy a signed copy of my book for $125 to benefit Progress Iowa.
“I want to see more of you. I loved what you said about women in particular.”
“I want you to speak to my people. When can we have you visit?”
“I’ve seen a lot of candidates in my day. You can finish at the top.”
We came away with many new friends and a ton of new invitations for my next visit to Iowa in January. You can see a video of my speech here, the text here, and press coverage here. Our support in Iowa continues to grow; I am getting stopped on the street more and more as we travel the state. One young man drove 5 hours to see me speak and wants to work on the campaign. We will surprise everyone.
Of the other speakers, I was particularly impressed with Pete Buttigieg, the Mayor of South Bend, Indiana. He approached me afterwards with questions about how the economy is evolving. I expect that Pete and I will work together in the future.
In other important news, the DNC announced its plan for its primary debates: 6 debates in 2019, followed by 6 debates in 2020. The first two debates in June and July of 2019 are meant to be inclusive: The DNC plans to have candidates mixed together, perhaps over two nights, to accommodate a larger group.
This is a golden opportunity for us. We are being given every chance to make the debate stage. If we are there, millions of Americans will hear our message and get the chance to compare our vision to that of Joe Biden and the other front runners.
The two criteria the DNC has announced for determining who participates in the debates are polling and ‘grassroots fundraising.’
This is where we need your help.
I have started to be included in national polls and expect to slowly climb the ranks. But we need your help to demonstrate popular support.
Please donate any amount today to show that you support this campaign. This is particularly important if you have yet to contribute. And then tell your friends, and spread the word. The amount is less important than the number of people. We have a filing deadline December 31st so time is of the essence.
Thank you for your belief and support. This past week, hundreds of you have made new contributions – it has meant the world to me and the team. With your help, we can change the course of history for our country. Our path gets clearer to me with each passing day.
Let’s show what we can do.
Hug your families and get ready for a huge year in 2019. I’m beyond excited for it.
-Andrew
P.S. The government shutdown and Mattis resigning may be a new low point for this administration – let’s get him out of there.