Henderson, NV — End Citizens United (ECU) today announced its endorsement of Representative Jacky Rosen for U.S. Senate in Nevada. As one of the most competitive Senate races of the 2018 cycle, Nevada will be a hotbed of outside spending as corporate special interest groups look to prop up Senator Heller’s failing campaign. Last cycle, total outside spending reached over $87 million in the Nevada Senate race, which included $8 million in dark money.
“End Citizens United is proud to endorse Representative Rosen. She’s been an outspoken voice in Congress and has stood up against the Big Money donors trying to buy Nevada. Her independence stands in sharp contrast to Senator Heller who just last week voted to repeal health care after his campaign mega-donors told him to,” said ECU Executive Director and President Tiffany Muller. “Nevada will be a top priority for ECU this cycle and we look forward to working closely with Rosen’s campaign and help her fight back against the special interests who will do and say anything to protect their handpicked candidate.”
“I’m grateful to End Citizens United for their support, and I will be their partner in the fight against mega-donors flooding our elections with unlimited and unaccountable dark money,” said Representative Jacky Rosen. “Washington hasn’t been listening to the needs of Nevadans because billionaires and special interests are drowning out the voices of real people in our communities. If we’re going to make real progress on issues like climate change, gun violence and health care, then we need to bring some transparency and accountability to our broken campaign finance system. Unlike Senator Heller, I will stand up for Nevadans by speaking out for real reform and a reversal of this catastrophic Supreme Court decision.”
A proven reformer and staunch opponent of Citizens United, Representative Rosen has been steadfast in her fight against Big Money, co-sponsoring the Democracy For All Amendment (H.J. Resolution 31) to set limits on campaign spending by corporations.
In sharp contrast, Senator Heller voted against limits on money in politics and voted three times against the DISCLOSE Act. In the clearest example of Heller’s willingness to do the bidding of his Big Money backers, Heller reversed his vote on health care after a call from mega-donors Sheldon Adelson and Steve Wynn and voted yes on last week’s repeal bill. Senator Heller benefitted from millions in spending backed by mega donors and special interest groups pushing for ACA repeal. Even some conservatives are accusing him of being bought and paid for by corporate America.
In 2016, ECU was one of the first to endorse Rosen’s campaign for Congress. ECU’s endorsement this cycle will allow the grassroots-funded PAC to connect its 28,000 members in Nevada with Rosen’s campaign and activate its 360,000 small-dollar donors to help ensure she has the resources to once again take on the outside special interests. This cycle, with an average donation of $12, ECU has already raised almost $2 million for its endorsed candidates. ECU will also elevate campaign finance reform as a critical campaign issue through a number of advocacy activities throughout the state.
Information on Rosen, including her answers to the ECU questionnaire, can be found here.
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