John,

I got a favor to ask you. Not for me. For the country.

I want you to donate to a campaign. Not mine. Josh Riley’s. And to BACKROADS PAC, too.

Who? Glad you asked. Josh was my General Counsel on the Senate Judiciary Committee from 2011 – 2014 and is now running for an open House seat in upstate New York. Even during a period of partisan gridlock, Josh and I successfully got two bills through Congress and signed by the President. One created new rights for survivors of domestic violence. The other provided new funding for addiction treatment and mental health programs.

Josh grew up in Upstate New York in a working-class family. His entire career has been dedicated to making life better for people who don’t have people fighting for them. Get to know Josh and what he stands for here. I was fortunate to have had many, many brilliant, dedicated staffers during my years in the Senate. None was better than Josh. And I can’t think of one who would make a more effective member of Congress.

More often than not, I was the best-prepared member of the Judiciary Committee. That’s because I took my work very seriously, and so did Josh. That said, we had fun.

Josh’s seat is a new one, created during redistricting. In a year where every seat will count, this is a toss-up district that is a MUST-win for Democrats.

Thanks for your attention.

Al

P.S. No other former staff member of mine is running for Congress. So, this is the last one of these!