Friends -

In a moment, I am going to ask you to make a contribution to our campaign before tonight's debate. Please give me a chance to explain why this request — especially today — is so important.

Here is the truth about tonight's debate:

As you look at the stage and listen to some of the candidates, please know that I do not spend my time — not one minute of one day on this campaign — walking into some wealthy person's home and walking out an hour later with a few hundred thousand dollars.

And that is because we need a nominee with the guts to stand up to Wall Street, the drug companies, and the fossil fuel industry, not one who begs them for money.

This is a different campaign than you have ever seen before:

This is a campaign FOR the working people of this country, powered BY the working people of this country.

More volunteers than any campaign. And more than 4.5 million individual donations at an average of $18 a piece.

But before I take the stage tonight, it would mean a lot if we could add one more to that total. One we'll put right to work trying to win this race. Yours.

So here's where I ask:

Can you make a $2.70 contribution to our campaign before tonight's debate? I would not ask if it were not so important to our success.

We have a rigged economy in this country; one held in place by a corrupt system of campaign finance. And we will never change that system if we so eagerly take its money.

I will never do that.

In solidarity,

Bernie Sanders

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