Democratic U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell defeated Republican State Senator Michael Baumgartner in the 2012 Primary for the U.S. Senate 55% to 30%.  Cantwell has always been a hero of mine.

Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell

Maria Cantwell has always been on the forefront of the issues I care about the most: slowing down climate change, campaign finance reform, and banking reform.  Even when no one else stood up for the middle class on these issues, Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell did.  Michael Senator, we are looking forward to six more years.  Below is a post-primary email from her campaign.

First off, thank you to our amazing supporters who turned out to give Maria a huge victory in last night’s primary election — we can’t thank you enough for your incredible support!

But now our attention turns to the November elections, and after last night the troop of Republicans who wanted to challenge Maria has been whittled down to a single opponent: (Republican) State Senator Michael Baumgartner. Given the statements that he has made about Maria in the past, we can only assume that the attacks will be coming soon — and we have to be ready.

Statewide elections in Washington are always close and hard fought, so we can’t take anything for granted. That’s why we’re kicking off the general election by setting a goal of 500 contributions before midnight on Saturday so we can show the grassroots strength that will re-elect Maria to the Senate.

Let’s get the general election off to a strong start — help us reach our goal by contributing $3 or more to our campaign today!

Now that the primary is over, we need to make a huge statement right away. That’s because right-wing mega-donors like Sheldon Adelson and the Koch Brothers — along with shadowy right-wing front groups like Karl Rove’s American Crossroads — will be watching closely in these early weeks of the general election to see if we’re vulnerable.

By making a big statement now, it’s more likely they’ll stay out of the race entirely, without pouring millions of dollars in. These outside forces could change the dynamics of this race overnight, and we can’t let that happen.

There’s just too much at stake in this election for us to risk outside involvement: From educating the workforce of tomorrow and ensuring that Washington remains the hub of American aerospace, to protecting Medicare and Social Security for Washington’s seniors, we need to keep Maria in the Senate so she can continue fighting for us. Will you help, right now?

Please contribute $3 or more today — help us reach our grassroots donors goal and start the general election strong!

Thank you for helping Maria. With your support, we’ll show our grassroots strength and put ourselves on solid footing for the general election race ahead.

Sincerely,

Robin Brand
Campaign Manager
Friends of Maria

Hopefully, it will be a good year for Democrats with Republicans like Mitt Romney, Cathy McMorris-Rodgers, and Michael Baumgartner running.