Cisneros, Porter join growing list of ECU-endorsed candidates who refuse corporate PAC money
End Citizens United (ECU) today endorsed Gil Cisneros (CA-39)and Katie Porter (CA-45) for Congress. Both candidates are taking bold steps to make reform a central part of their campaigns with Porter rejecting Corporate PAC donations and Cisneros refusing all PAC and special interest contributions.
The decision to refuse corporate PAC contributions is a growing trend among 2018 candidates, including California Democrats such as Congressman Ro Khanna (CA-17), Andrew Janz (CA-22) and Josh Butner (CA-50) as well as Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Cory Booker, who announced they would turn away the money last week. In total, ECU has identified over 70 candidates who are making a similar commitment to rejecting corporate PAC money.
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 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, particularly independents.
“Gil’s and Katie’s decisions to reject corporate PAC money sends a message that they will be accountable to the people in their districts. When they work with corporations on policy issues, they will be free of the influence that those PAC contributions can bring,” said ECU President Tiffany Muller. “Both candidates have committed themselves to unrigging the system in Washington, where politicians do the bidding of their mega-donors at the expense of their constituents. We’re proud to stand with both campaigns and look forward to helping them get to Washington.”
“Special interests like large financial institutions now have the ability to spend unlimited money, giving them an outsized and unfair role in our election system,” said Katie Porter, candidate for California’s 45th district. “I have spent my career taking on special interests and will always make middle-class families my top priority. That is why our campaign is thrilled to earn the endorsement of End Citizens United and proud that we are running and winning a campaign that does not take corporate PAC money, or contributions from the following industries or those who work there: big banks, big oil, and gas, or big pharma.”
“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.”
ECU’s endorsement will help these candidates compete with high-spending special interests by connecting them with its grassroots members in their own states and districts, as well as to 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 an entirely grassroots-funded organization dedicated to electing members of Congress who will fight to get Big Money out of politics so Congress focuses on all of us and not only its biggest special interest donors.
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