I had no idea what I was doing

(I don’t love admitting this…) {NAME} – When I launched a long-shot bid for Congress a few years ago, there were a lot of obstacles to overcome. Fundraising, messaging, field strategy. Where do you even begin?  To be blunt, I had no idea how to run a campaign. Thankfully, I had a group of folks supporting me who DID have the right experience. I couldn’t have done it without them, and I’ve learned a LOT since then working with hundreds of candidates for office.  National political organizations don’t often invest in red states like ours, and it’s hard to find people with experience to staff a grassroots campaign.  [We started Vortex to solve that problem for Democrats in Arkansas.](  We spent all last year traveling the state, meeting people in each community, and getting to know people interested in running for Congress. Four of them ended up as your Vortex slate, and we’re committed to helping them win in November.  A whole bunch more decided to run for another office instead – some for local office, and some for state legislature. So many that Arkansas has more Democrats on the ballot this year than any time in the last decade.  Many of these campaigns face the same obstacles I did. Where do you even begin?  Starting soon, Vortex will begin conducting Monthly Candidate Forums. We’ll bring together not only our own Vortex slate but other candidates running for office down ballot.  We’ll cover everything they need to get their campaigns headed in the right direction. And in the process we will build on our collective knowledge base and experience so that each election we learn a bit more and do a bit better.  We are building organizing capacity for long-term change in this state. And I know Arkansas is ready for change.  To sustain these initiatives, I need you to invest in Vortex today with a monthly recurring contribution in any amount. [Start a monthly contribution]( [ Make a one time donation Â]( A strong base of recurring donations helps us pay staff, cover expenses like our statewide Road Show, and give our candidates the strategic support they need to win.  It also reduces the number of emails we need to send asking for contributions, because the overwhelming majority of our funding comes from individual grassroots donations made to emails just like this one.  I decided to run for Congress in 2018 not because I was certain I could win, but because I knew we had to try.  [So if you’re like me – if you believe Arkansas is worth fighting for and you believe we can win if we invest resources over the long haul – then join me with a monthly contribution today.](  Let’s go!  Robb Ryerse Executive Director [Support Vortex PAC >>](      Vortex PAC is a new grassroots movement to transform Arkansas politics away from the far-right. We are recruiting, training, and supporting Democratic candidates to flip all four of Arkansas’ U.S. congressional districts and help win back the House majority in 2024. [DONATE >>](   You can follow Vortex PAC on social media using the links below:  [Facebook]( | [X]( | [Instagram]( | [TikTok](   Paid for by Vortex PAC  ©2024 Vortex PAC, all rights reserved  Our mailing address is: Vortex PAC PO Box 1141 Springdale, AR 72765 We're sad to see you go, but if you believe you received this email in error, or you no longer wish to receive our emails you can unsubscribe using the link below: [Click here to unsubscribe.]( Sent via [ActionNetwork.org](. To update your email address, change your name or address, or to stop receiving emails from Vortex PAC, please [click here](.