A Southern California businessman working for his community

Rep. Harley Rouda (CA-48), in his first run for office, defeated 15-term incumbent Rep. Dana Rohrabacher. Prior to running for Congress, Rouda was a businessman who helped create and support thousands of jobs. He was active with Orange County charities and with issues including reducing gun violence.

A campaign finance reform champion

Rouda rejects corporate PAC money, and promised to fight for campaign finance reform if elected. As a candidate, he regularly criticized the power of big money in politics on the campaign trail. As Rouda likes to say about Citizens United, “I’ve never held hands with a corporation, I’ve never dated a corporation, and I’ve never made out with a corporation.” He was an original co-sponsor of H.R. 1, the For the People Act.

A critical re-election campaign

Congressman Rouda’s 2018 race was one of the most expensive of the cycle, and he is expected to draw a competitive challenger in a district that had been reliably Republican since its creation in 1993. ECU is committed to ensuring that Rep. Rouda wins re-election and continues his fight to get Big Money out of politics.