Throughout the country, in the most competitive races this election cycle, Democratic incumbents and challengers continue to make anti-corruption a central theme in their campaigns. Whether it’s spotlighting their refusal to take corporate PAC money or calling out their opponents’ corruption, these reformers are putting significant resources into paid communications to get that message out. Here are some of the highlights from August:
Senate:
Jon Ossoff (GA)
“Politicians like David Perdue put the donors and lobbyists who fund their campaign ahead of ordinary people. I approve this message because I’m not taking corporate money, and I’ll put working families and small businesses first.”
Theresa Greenfield (IA)
“I’m Theresa Greenfield and I’m running for Senate to work for Iowans. After taking $2 million from corporate PACs, Joni Ernst has forgotten that. She gave huge breaks to Wall Street, drug and insurance companies and we got the short end of the stick. I’m Theresa Greenfield, and I don’t take a dime of corporate PAC money and I approve this message because we need a senator who works for Iowa.”
“Joni Ernst said she’d stand up for farmers. That changed the minute she got to Washington. She’s taken huge campaign contributions from Big Oil, voted to put one of their guys in charge of the EPA. And now EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler approved RFS waivers that are destroying our ethanol industry and hurting Iowa farmers…”
“So why is it the EPA and Washington keeps signing RFS waivers left and right, making it harder for our Iowa farmers and our ethanol producers to get by? One reason: Joni Ernst took corporate PAC donations from Big Oil, then voted for one of their guys to run the EPA. I don’t take corporate PAC donations because when I’m in the Senate I’ll always put Iowans first.”
Sara Gideon (ME)
“Susan Collins thinks this campaign has turned into an auction? Now that’s rich. Perhaps Collins doesn’t want to remember she was the deciding vote against getting dark money out of politics. Speaking of auctions, it’s Collins who has taken $5.9 million from corporate PACs like drug and insurance companies, and voted seven times against protecting coverage for Mainers with pre-existing conditions…”
“Susan’s been in Washington for a long time. It’s colored her judgment. I don’t know how accepting money from special interests cannot bias you. There needs to be change in Washington, and Susan Collins is not going to give us that, not ever.”
Steve Bullock (MT)
“In America, we pay more for our medicine than any other country in the world because big drug companies spend more than any other industry, buying politicians and helping their friends like Senator Daines. He gave billions in tax breaks to them while blocking lower prices for you. As Governor, I took on drug companies to reduce prices.”
Cal Cunningham (NC)
“Money and politics have corrupted our healthcare system. Time after time, politicians have sided with the special interests, voting against protections for pre-existing conditions and keeping drug prices sky-high. It’s a corrupt system that rewards the preferred corporations and leaves North Carolina families behind. I’m Cal Cunningham, and that’s why I’m refusing corporate PAC money. And I approve this message because lowering healthcare costs starts with changing how Washington really works.”
House:
Cindy Axne (IA-03)
“When David Young went to Congress he was supposed to carry Iowa priorities with him but he ended up with much more baggage from his time in DC. He voted to gut protections for pre-existing conditions and strip health care for millions.”
Betsy Dirksen Londrigan (IL-13)
“I’ll fight for every family to have quality, affordable care that won’t bankrupt them if they get sick… But the drug and insurance industries are standing in the way. They’ve given millions to Washington politicians to vote their way on healthcare to gut protections for people with pre-existing conditions and overcharge patients for prescription drugs. Corporate special interests can’t buy me. I don’t take their money.”
Josh Hicks (KY-06)
“…We don’t have enough folks in Congress who know what that feels like, and if they ever did know what that kind of stuff feels like – lord they’ve been in Washington DC too long now, accepted too much of them corporate PAC donations to either know or care what it means to the people to be struggling.”
Rep. Jared Golden (ME-02)
“But on healthcare, Washington Republicans won’t budge. They vote with insurance companies to take away protections for pre-existing conditions. And here’s why: Millions in donations from corporate PACs. I approve this message because I won’t take their money, I work for you.”
Dan Feehan (MN-02)
“…So I’m fed up with politicians like Jim Hagedorn who sell out and serve the big drug and insurance companies instead of us. It’s Republicans and Democrats. I’m Dan Feehan, and I don’t take corporate PAC money, I approve this message because we need new leaders, who will put people first again.”
Kara Eastman (NE-02)
“I’m Kara Eastman, and this is why I’m running for Congress. It costs $2,500 and not by accident. Don Bacon took tens of thousands from the drug industry, helped them hike prices, and voted ‘hell yes’ to gut protections for preexisting conditions. This pill was for my mom, she spent months fighting cancer and her bills got out of control. I’m Kara Eastman and I approve this message because we need to take the money out of politics to fix this.”
Rep. Tom Malinowski (NJ-07)
“I don’t take corporate PAC money because I do not want to be beholden to anybody but the voters of this district. Most Americans want to see legislation to lower the cost of prescription drugs but we can’t pass it because corporations have more lobbyists in Washington than there are members of Congress. That’s what’s broken in our democracy and I am fighting to pass legislation to clean up our campaign finance system.”
Tedra Cobb (NY-21)
“Elise Stefanik is a prescription for disaster. She voted repeatedly to kill protections for pre-existing conditions and leave 64,000 Northern New Yorkers without healthcare. Stefanik took money from drug and insurance companies, giving them a big tax cut while they raised our drug prices and fed the opioid crisis.”
Anthony Brindisi (NY-22)
“Truth is Anthony Brindisi continues to hold Spectrum accountable…He spearheaded efforts to have the cable company investigated for its debt collection tactics. No wonder Spectrum wants Claudia Tenney back and bankrolled her campaign. Claudia Tenney gave Spectrum a $9 billion tax break while they were raising rates…”
Dana Balter (NY-24)
“John Katko has changed. He’s totally Trump now. Like voting for Donald Trump’s tax law which helps corporate special interests. They want to pay for it by cutting social security and medicare. And John Katko voted with Trump to block medicare from negotiating lower prescription drug prices.”
Adair Ford Burroughs (SC-02)
“Now Adair Burroughs is running for Congress. She’s for term limits, a pay freeze for politicians, and she’s not taking any corporate PAC money. She’ll work for you.”
Rep. Abigail Spanberger (VA-07)
“Growing up, my parents taught me to correct what is wrong, maintain what is right. I’m Abigail Spanberger. When I ran for Congress, I promised to refuse money from corporate PACs. I’ve kept that promise. And one of my first votes was for the strongest anti-corruption bill we’ve seen in decades. I’m going to keep pushing for more transparency and to limit lobbyist influence. I approve this message because the way to fix what’s wrong is to do what’s right.”
“In Congress, I’m working with Republicans and Democrats to serve national interests, not special interests, passing laws to strengthen border security and to protect America from future dependence on Chinese technology that could leave us vulnerable to hacking.”
Carolyn Long (WA-03)
“I’m Carolyn Long and I believe the amount of money in politics is making us sicker. Insurance and drug industries spend millions to buy out politicians. Last campaign, Jaime Hererra Beutler proudly said ‘I think I voted more than 80 times to repeal the ACA.’ She bragged about voting to cut coverage for pre-existing conditions. A decade in office and thousands of dollars of drug and insurance money have changed Jaime Herrera Beutler.”
“Why are prescription drugs so expensive? It’s a cycle. Politicians like Jaime Herrera Beutler run for Congress and the prescription drug industry funds her campaign. She votes to give those big drug companies big tax breaks and lets them raise prices. And they rake it in. So when it’s campaign season again there’s more money to give out.”
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