“Live Free or Die.”

Hello, this is Senator Maggie Hassan — and welcome to my first Substack post. Given the state of the country, I’m trying to reach as many people as I can, which is why I’ll be posting here from time to time.

It’s impossible to overstate the damage that Donald Trump and the Republican majorities have done to our country; unraveling hard-fought progress as they strip away health care access for everyday Americans, defund food assistance for children and families, and make it harder for seniors and people with disabilities to get the essential care that they need.

As if that isn’t bad enough, this inept, careless, and corrupt majority has flouted the rule of law and the example of professional law enforcement by unleashing undisciplined and untrained ICE agents on our communities and our way of life — all to meet arbitrary and extreme deportation quotas. Meanwhile, Americans are facing a cost-of-living crisis while the Trump family and its billionaire allies rake in more and more money for themselves.

And even worse, Donald Trump has launched a war of choice without the support of the American people, coordination with our allies, or a strategy.

Americans are experiencing something I never thought we would — a group of so-called leaders who don’t believe that they are accountable to the American people. Government of, by, and for the people has been replaced by a group of grifters and extremists who have two goals: impose an unpopular and extreme agenda on the country and enrich themselves in the process. So it’s up to us to fight for freedom.

In New Hampshire, we’re known for our state motto, “Live Free or Die.”

We take our individual liberties seriously and know that we can never be complacent about protecting them. Fighting for freedom is an all-hands-on-deck kind of thing. It’s why we insisted on pulling the presidential nominating process out of convention back rooms and into the hands of the people as we became the First in the Nation state. It’s why we hold elections for state office every two years. And it’s why we don’t wait for other people to step forward to solve a problem or meet a need.

People in New Hampshire know that when they get involved in their communities and advocate unapologetically for what they believe in, they can affect change.

My election in 2016 is an example of just that. It was a neck-and-neck race against my Republican opponent, but ultimately, I was elected to the U.S. Senate by a razor-thin margin of 1,017 votes. Months later, the Trump administration attempted to gut the Affordable Care Act, and my one vote was the margin that saved health care for millions of Americans. That’s the difference an election can make — the difference that comes when we organize, advocate, and vote.

Which brings me to this year’s midterm elections: an all-hands-on-deck moment if there ever was one.

This is our opportunity to reclaim our House and Senate majorities so we can take power away from the Republican extremists and careless charlatans who are devastating our country and democracy. And it’s a critical opportunity to put a necessary check on Donald Trump’s power before he wreaks even more havoc over the next two years.

From New Hampshire to Georgia to Maine to Ohio to Texas, Democrats are fighting tooth and nail to take back our majority. Trump and his super PACs have already raised over $300 million this election cycle to defeat our Democratic candidates — but I believe that our grassroots movement of freedom-loving patriots is up to the challenge.

I’m committed to supporting Democrats who are running in battleground races across the country, so that we can take back the Senate and rebuild our country.

So I’ll be reaching out here to keep you up-to-date on the fight that we are waging — right now in the Senate, on the ground in New Hampshire, and with highlights from critical races across the country. Sometimes I’ll just share what’s on my mind.

And if you find my posts interesting or the races I describe compelling, and you’re one of the grassroots supporters who can commit to making a small donation today to flip the Senate blue, please do. The majorities in both the House and the Senate will be won — or lost on the margins.

Finally, I want to leave you with this. These are hard, profoundly troubling times. But our country has faced moments like this before, and in each instance, freedom-loving people have reached down deep to find inner strength — and then reached out far and wide to spread their faith in the American experiment. They’ve added more patriots to the cause and together, they’ve built a stronger, better country. America turns 250 years old this summer. And her call to action has never been stronger. We can do this too.

Thanks for all you do to support Democrats.

With every good wish,

Maggie Hassan

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