Why's being rich a prerequisite to being in Congress?

It doesn't have to be this way. ‌‌ [Ritchie Torres For Congress]( {NAME}, I’m not a typical Congressman. I was raised by a single mother in the Bronx. We lived in public housing. She made the minimum wage. Looking at my upbringing, no one would’ve ever thought I’d one day be a Congressman -- and that’s the issue, {NAME}. [The system is set up to keep people like me out of the halls of power.]( But donations from grassroots donors like you make change possible. I’ll be honest, {NAME}. We are coming up on our end-of-quarter deadline and we aren’t on track to hit our $10,000 goal. [Can you chip in $3 or whatever you can afford to keep me fighting for the working class people of this borough?]( If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately: [CONTRIBUTE $3 »]( {NAME}, while some people in Congress can call their rich, corporate friends to give to their campaigns, I can’t -- but more importantly I won’t. I am beholden to no one but the people of the Bronx. But that’s only possible because when I ask this team to step up, they do. [So I am calling on you to step up once more, {NAME}.]( [If just 2% of the people who read this give $3, we will be in a perfect spot to finish off this quarter, so please, {NAME}: Will you give $3 before midnight?]( If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately: [CONTRIBUTE $3 »]( [CONTRIBUTE $10 »]( [Or a custom donation »]( [( Thank you, Ritchie Paid for by Torres For Congress [PO Box 580303, Bronx, NY 10458](#) [www.torres.nyc](#) Ritchie Torres represents the future of the Democratic Party. Raised by a single mother in public housing, Ritchie personally understands the hardships that working families endure. At age 25, Ritchie made history as the youngest elected official to serve on the New York City Council. He fought tirelessly for the working families of The Bronx, and now, he's fighting for those families and for progressive values in Congress. He is the first openly gay Afro Latino ever elected to Congress. Ritchie is a champion for progressive policies to fight poverty and to improve the lives of families just like the one he was raised in. {NAME}, please, consider making a [one-time contribution by clicking here](. To make the most powerful lasting impact and to join Ritchie in the fight for progressive values in Congress, make a [monthly sustaining contribution by clicking here](. Click here to [receive fewer emails](. Click here to [unsubscribe](. [Donate Once a Month to Help Ritchie »]( [Donate Just One Time »](