Democratic Senate candidates are running ads on anti-corruption and democracy reform
Senate Democratic candidates in key battleground states are making anti-corruption and democracy reforms a top message in their races. And they are drawing a clear line between taking on corporate special interests in order to deliver results for working families.
What they’re saying
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ARIZONA – Mark Kelly runs on not taking a dime of corporate PAC money and publishing his schedule online.
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ARIZONA – Mark Kelly on banning members of Congress from trading stocks.
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COLORADO – Michael Bennet’s first TV spot of the cycle highlights him not taking corporate PAC money while fighting to ban members of Congress from trading stocks or ever becoming lobbyists.
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PENNSYLVANIA – John Fetterman’s fight for good American jobs and high wages because he works for the people and is not taking corporate PAC money.
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NORTH CAROLINA – Cheri Beasley runs on banning members of Congress from trading stocks.
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NORTH CAROLINA – Cheri Beasley runs on not taking corporate PAC money and banning corporate PACs all together.
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GEORGIA – Raphael Warnock talks about cracking down on the corporations gouging prices on working Georgians.
- WISCONSIN – Mandela Barnes talks about a healthcare system that protects people, not corporate bottom lines.
Drawing the contrast with Republicans
At the same time, Republicans’ ties to wealthy corporate special interests are a vulnerability. The corruption inherent in their pay-to-play politics is a key contrast in top races.
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NEVADA – Adam Laxalt hit for blocking investigation into EXXON while taking $2.5 million from Big Oil.
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NEVADA – Adam Laxalt hit for putting his wealthy corporate donors over Nevada small businesses.
- NEVADA – Adam Laxalt hit for trying to protect his Big Pharma donors from being held accountable for their role in the opioid epidemic.
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OHIO – J.D. Vance hit for using his bogus non-profit to line his own pockets and pay his political allies.
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WISCONSIN – Ron Johnson hit for taking $1 million from the insurance and drug industry while opposing lowering drug prices and taking hundreds of thousands from Big Oil while opposing efforts to crack down on price gouging.
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WISCONSIN – Ron Johnson hit for giving a $215 million tax handout to three of his wealthiest backers while also throwing in a tax break he admitted he personally benefited from.
Anti-corruption message resonates with swing voters
Why are candidates hammering this message? Because it resonates with voters.
End Citizens United // Let America Vote conducted polling in Senate battleground states. It showed anti-corruption messaging persuades swing voters and mobilizes the Democratic base.
What we’re seeing from candidates on the trail reflects what swing voters are clamoring for:
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94% of voters supported bringing more transparency into lobbyist fundraising
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92% supported ending dark money
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88% of voters supported prohibiting corporations from spending unlimited money to benefit political candidates
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85% of voters supported banning members of Congress from trading stock
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84% of voters supported banning candidates from taking corporate PAC money
White House Midterm Strategy: Taking on big money special interests
A new memo from the White House lays out this midterm strategy:
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Drive one clear message to voters: Democrats beat the special interests and delivered what was best for the American people, while Republicans sided with corporate special interests and pushed an extremist ultra-MAGA agenda.
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Democrats have taken on:
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Big Pharma, cutting prescription drug costs
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Gun lobby, passing historic gun safety legislation
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Oil & Gas, making one of the biggest investments in history in clean energy
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Republicans, on the other hand, sided with the special interests and:
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Protected Big Pharma, voting against capping insulin costs and allowing Medicare to negotiate prescription drug costs
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Catered to Big Oil & Gas, opposed investing in American clean energy
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Sided with the gun lobby, voting against common-sense gun safety legislation
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Pushed to cut Medicare and Social Security and eliminate the Affordable Care Act
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This is the choice for voters: Democrats taking on the corporate special interests and working for the American people or Republicans’ extreme agenda that serves the wealthy special interests.
Bottom Line
With growing extremist movements, the dominance of money from corporate special interests and billionaires in our politics, and dark money flooding the airwaves, voters have had it with the typical political back and forth. They see the system failing them and as a result want big changes.
Running on anti-corruption and unrigging the system gives candidates an opportunity to distinguish and differentiate themselves from Washington and national political parties and show they are on the side of the American people.
We will continue to see Democratic candidates from the Senate, to the House, to statewide races bring these issues up on the trail and in their ads.
Stay tuned.
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