Navy veteran Cisneros joins growing coalition of ECU-endorsed candidates rejecting
corporate PAC money
End Citizens United (ECU) today endorsed Gil Cisneros in California’s 39th Congressional district. In his campaign to fill the seat vacated by Congressman Ed Royce, Cisneros is making reform a key pillar of his campaign and rejecting all PAC contributions, including corporate donations. Cisneros is part of a growing number of candidates committing themselves to reforming the broken system in Washington where politicians do the bidding of special interests who fund their campaigns.
“Gil’s decision to reject all PAC money is a powerful commitment to the people of California,” said ECU president Tiffany Muller. “As a decorated veteran, Gil knows the importance of loyalty and service, and he knows the people of California’s 39th district have not been served well. It’s becoming more evident every day that Americans are tired of politicians in Washington whose votes are bought by special interest money. We’re energized by Gil’s grassroots-powered campaign and look forward to helping him get to Washington.”
“I am honored to earn the endorsement of End Citizens United. California families know big money is hurting our democracy. Billionaires and big corporations buy elections and hire lobbyists to write the rules to benefit themselves at the expense of everyone else,” said Gil Cisneros. “As a result, I refuse to accept campaign contributions from special interest PACs and will work to overturn the Citizens United decision that allows corporations to unduly influence elections.”
A recent study shows that Americans’ faith in the government is at an all-time low, with over 90% believing the government is working for the benefit of a few special interests. A robust reform agenda is critical to winning support from voters. A recent ECU poll found that 62% of voters believe that a candidate who refuses to accept corporate PAC money is a sign that the candidate is serious about reform. A money in politics reform platform has also been proven to help win voters, particularly independents and unaffiliated voters.
The decision to refuse corporate PAC contributions is a growing trend among 2018 candidates. Last week, Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Cory Booker announced they are rejecting corporate money in their campaign. The two join a group of over 70 candidates identified by ECU this cycle who are declining to accept corporate PAC contributions. ECU-endorsed candidates in California who are also rejecting corporate PAC money in California include Congressman Ro Khanna (CA-17), Andrew Janz (CA-22), Katie Porter (CA-45), and Josh Butner (CA-50).
ECU’s endorsement will help Cisneros compete with high-spending special interest groups by connecting him with its 3,7000 grassroots members in CA-39, as well as its national network of 400,000 small-dollar donors. With an average donation of $14, ECU is projected to raise $35 million for the 2018 election cycle.
ECU is a grassroots powered organization giving a voice to millions of American families. The group is dedicated to getting unlimited and undisclosed special interest money out of politics and ending the rigged system in Washington where politicians do the bidding of their donors at the expense of the American people.
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