(Crossposted at DailyKos, Burnt Orange Report, and Texas Kos--please recommend if you like what you read. Thanks.)

It's been an exciting last few months. I have been working very hard to get support in my bid to defeat Lamar Smith and bring a real voice for positive change to Texas Congressional District 21. Thanks to you, the netroots, I have been honored by becoming your Democracy for America Grassroots All-Star and your Senator Feingold Progressive Patriot.

Now I am on the threshold of getting into the final round of Governor Mark Warner's Mapchanger contest, with just a few hours left to vote, and I wanted to let you know about our campaign and what we have been up to down here in Central Texas.

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It has been 9 months since I was honored by DFA members around the country and was elected as DFA's first Grassroots All-Star.

It was gratifying to know that thousands of DFA members, friends, and supporters from all over the country were interested in and committed to helping us win this campaign.

Several months later, I became Russ Feingold's Progressive Patriot and you helped catapult me to becoming the netroots candidate of Texas. This victory helped with thousands of dollars--money that has been helpful in telling my district that there are other options besides Tom DeLay's shadow.

The commitment of our campaign in the 21st District of Texas is to restore honesty and integrity to government; to preserve and protect the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, our civil liberties and privacy. We continue to fight for services and investments in our children, our seniors, our working families and our veterans. We, like many other campaigns, are committed to a better America and a better world free of fear, hunger, poverty, strife and war.

As I have said before, the stakes are too great, we cannot fail, so we each strive to win one seat at a time, but together we can take our county back.  As Howard Dean has taught us, We Have the Power! And you have the power to make an impact in Texas.

I ask one more time for your support in our efforts to carry the banner for DFA by casting a first-place vote for me in the Mapchanger poll being conducted by the Forward Together PAC. We are going for the Triple Crown of online polls. We believe that our momentum will grow and our opportunity for victory will be greatly enhanced by reaching the top of this contest, and it will bring us one step closer in our quest to take back the House.

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Your votes and hard work helped me become Democracy for America's first Grassroots All-Star, as well as Russ Feingold's first Progressive Patriot, and now I need your support one more time. 

You can help me advance to the next phase of Mark Warner's Forward Together PAC Mapchangers competition.

Our work is not finished.  In this stage of the contest, the top 5 vote-getters in a field of 20 receive $5,000 per campaign, and then go on to compete for the grand prize of a fundraiser with Governor Mark Warner.

Right now, I am on the cusp of earning $5,000. Voting for me as your first-choice candidate will push me over the edge and double the amount of money Texas campaigns take home. By voting"Straight Ticket Texan" with me as your first choice, you can help bring not only $5,000 to Team Courage, but you can also send $25,000 to Texas, which in turn help candidates on the statewide level due to money being spent locally. 

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