By Simone Pathé
End Citizens United, a liberal PAC that was a major player in last year’s midterms, announced Wednesday its top targets for 2020.
The initial list of targets, dubbed the “Big Money 20” and obtained first by CQ Roll Call, includes 12 Republican incumbents — five senators and seven House members.
Founded in 2015, End Citizens United backs candidates who support a campaign finance overhaul. The group’s PAC was instrumental in the 2018 cycle in pushing the “no corporate PAC” message that became a core component of many successful Democratic campaigns.
The PAC raised $44 million last cycle and helped elect 58 new Democratic members of the House and two new senators. It connects its endorsed candidates with its 550,000 grassroots donors to help them raise money. The group also has an independent expenditure arm that spent more than $12 million last cycle.
The first round of targets for 2020 includes Reps. David Schweikert of Arizona, Duncan Hunter of California, Ross Spano of Florida, Rodney Davis of Illinois, George Holding of North Carolina, Chris Collins of New York and Will Hurd of Texas. In the Senate, ECU is targeting Sens. Martha McSally of Arizona, John Cornyn of Texas, Susan Collins of Maine, Joni Ernst of Iowa and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.
“These 12 incumbents represent the worst of Washington’s corrupt establishment, and their decades in office are a stark example of how corporate special interests and dark money conspire to rig our political system,” ECU President Tiffany Muller said in a statement.
Schwiekert, Hunter, Spano and Chris Collins have all been plagued by corruption or campaign finance scandals.
“Americans across the country deserve better representation, and End Citizens United will fight vigorously throughout the 2020 election to defeat these politicians who have been corrupted by the flood of corporate special interest money in Washington,” Muller added.