Press Releases

End Citizens United Endorses Mark Kelly for U.S. Senate

Apr 15, 2019

Kelly is refusing money from corporate PACs

Kelly marks ECU’s first challenger endorsement for 2020 cycle

Washington, D.C. — End Citizens United (ECU) today endorsed Mark Kelly for U.S. Senate. A fierce critic of the broken campaign finance system, Kelly is highlighting his commitment to reform by refusing corporate PAC money. Kelly is ECU’s first challenger endorsement for the 2020 election cycle.

“Mark Kelly knows that Washington’s rigged system is failing Arizona families because mega-donors and corporate special interests have a stranglehold over politicians like Senator Martha McSally,” said ECU President Tiffany Muller. “Senator McSally has accepted more than $1.6 million in corporate PAC contributions during her political career. Mark Kelly is rejecting corporate PAC money and proving to Arizonans that his campaign is about fighting for their interests — not the special interests. End Citizens United is proud to endorse Mark and we look forward to helping him win.”

“There is too much money in our politics, and politicians being accountable to their corporate donors rather than the people they represent is a huge reason why Washington isn’t solving the problems that matter to Arizonans,” said Mark Kelly. “I’m not taking a dime of corporate PAC money, and Arizonans will know that I’m accountable to them. End Citizens United has been a powerful voice for getting big and secret money out of politics and putting control back in the hands of the people, and I’m glad to have their support.”

The early endorsement will allow ECU to connect its 92,000 grassroots donors in Arizona with Kelly’s campaign to help ensure he has the resources to win. ECU raised and spent $44 million in the 2018 election cycle. Its $14.2 million independent expenditure made it the fifth largest issue group spending on the Democratic side, and the only one to be entirely grassroots-funded of the top five spenders. ECU’s members raised $9 million directly for endorsed candidates and state ballot measures. The group also donated nearly $2 million directly to its endorsed campaigns.

ECU is dedicated to getting Big Money out of politics and fixing the rigged system in Washington so government works for all Americans. The group played a pivotal role in helping to pass the For the People Act, a once-in-a-generation anti-corruption and reform bill in the U.S House. ECU also led the movement among candidates to forgo corporate PAC money in their campaigns. Fifty-five members of the 116th Congress are refusing to take corporate PAC money, including 36 new members. The reform group has four million members nationwide and is entirely grassroots-funded with an average donation of just $14.

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