Governor Beshear honored me last week by endorsing me for the United States Senate seat currently held by Jim Bunning. The Governor and I have worked closely together over the past year on health care, adventure tourism, and cleaning up the fiscal and ethical mess left behind by the last administration. I am honored to have his support.
Many people doubted that Steve Beshear and I could win a Democratic primary when we began our campaign in early 2007. Against a strong field, we did so without a runoff. Many people doubted that I could, as a relatively unknown State Senator, defeat U.S. Senator Jim Bunning in 2004. Most people thought I would not come close.
Despite challenging Bunning in 2004 when he had strong support from the incumbent Republican Governor, despite taking him on when he was running with President Bush at the height of his popularity, and despite being outspent by a margin of more than 2:1, we came within 1.5% of defeating Senator Bunning in 2004.
Today is a different day. Today there is a strong Democratic Governor in Frankfort, whom I am proud to serve as his Lt. Governor. Today there is a dynamic President in the White House, whom I was proud to be the only statewide elected official to support in his Democratic primary. And today I am even more determined to have the resources necessary to bring Kentucky the representation it so richly deserves in the U.S. Senate.
Tomorrow is the first test of our campaign. There are now just 38 hours left to collect seed funds for our Senate campaign, and I am writing you again this week to implore you to do all you can in these difficult times.
Your contribution of $100, $50, $35, or whatever you can will make a real difference as we put together a first rate campaign and take on Jim Bunning. Our first financial reporting period, our first sign of real strength, closes tomorrow night at midnight. It would mean a lot to me if you could click on www.drdanforkentucky.com and make a contribution today, or send a check to P.O. Box 4023 Frankfort, KY 40604, but please make sure that it is postmarked by March 31st.
The stakes could not be higher. As Governor Beshear said in his endorsement statement, our country faces tremendous challenges. I believe that my serving as the only doctor in the majority party in the United States Senate, and the experience that I have setting up a Kentucky plan to transform healthcare, making Kentucky a model for the nation - a plan that has caught the attention of the Obama Administration, can help make a real difference. But to make sure that we finish what we started in 2004, I will need your help. And today I am humbly asking for all the help you can give in these difficult times. Together we can make a real difference.
Daniel Mongiardo
