Crossposted at Burnt Orange Report, SquareState, and TexasKos (If you agree with our message of unity, please consider recommending this diary. Thanks! We will be liveblogging at DailyKos at 10:30 a.m. CST/9:30 a.m. MST. We hope you will join us! --John and Bill)

Dear Governor Warner,

We were both very honored and excited to be a part of your Mapchangers contest throughout the past several weeks. The netroots community and all of the campaigns involved have appreciated your support of the grassroots--giving candidates a chance to be seen on the national picture, bringing attention to our respective fights against Lamar Smith and Tom Tancredo, and overall just giving us a boost in general.

Today marks the final day in the contest. The vote has swung back and forth, and one of us is usually in the lead by only a few dozen votes one way or another. Supporters all over the state in both Colorado and Texas have put their fingers to the keyboards, and have promoted this contest, voted, and spread the word more than either of us could ever have hoped for. It is incredibly encouraging to see the power of the grassroots in full effect, and by working together, we will advance to victory in November.

Today, we make an open letter, formal request to you, Governor, through the conduit of the netroots that this contest has coursed through across this country.

In general circumstances, Courage supporters would fight tooth-and-nail for Winter, and Winter supporters would do the same for Courage. We're both challengers, we're both bringing the fight to incumbents who have left their (and our) districts as well as our nation behind, and we are both Fighting Dems.

In the military, we were taught to never leave a brother behind. And neither one of us wants to leave a fellow Fighting Dem behind either.

Governor Warner, we are both formally requesting a visit from you--please come join us for a fundraiser in Texas for John Courage as well as one for Bill Winter in Colorado.

We understand that this may be unusual and respect your rules of the contest--and if you cannot come to both of our states, may the best man win.

However, if you could accept our request, we would both be incredibly honored.

In Democratic Unity,

John Courage

Fighting Dem, Candidate, U.S. Representative, TX-21

Bill Winter

Fighting Dem, Candidate, U.S. Representative, CO-06