By: Aaron Sanderfield
A national group that encourages candidates to reject corporate contributions is endorsing Democrat Jane Raybould for the U.S. Senate.
End Citizens United said it chose Raybould, a Lincoln grocery executive and city councilwoman, because she, unlike Republican U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, seeks campaign finance reforms, including reducing the role of corporate campaign donations. Raybould recently rejected fundraising from corporate political action committees. Fischer has not.
“Nebraskans are fed up with Washington ignoring their needs, and they’re demanding reform,” said Tiffany Muller, the group’s president. “Jane Raybould is showing voters that she’s running to represent them and fight for their interests.”
End Citizens United says it has more than 14,000 members in Nebraska and highlighted its work to help raise $300,000 for U.S. Rep.-elect Conor Lamb in western Pennsylvania and $600,000 for U.S. Sen. Doug Jones in Alabama.
A group spokeswoman would not say how much money it hopes to help raise for Raybould. The group says it has endorsed 124 federal candidates this election cycle. All but one, Sen. Angus King, a Maine independent, were Democrats.
Fischer campaign spokeswoman Allison Bedell dismissed criticism of the incumbent’s fundraising and said Fischer is running a “grass-roots campaign” with support from Nebraskans and groups that represent them, including the Nebraska Farm Bureau.
Raybould faces Chris Janicek of Omaha, Larry Marvin of Fremont and Frank Svoboda of Lincoln in the May 15 Democratic primary. Fischer, of Valentine, faces four challengers in the GOP primary: Jack Heidel and Jeffrey Lynn Stein of Omaha and Todd Watson and Dennis Macek of Lincoln.