End Citizens United // Let America Vote (ECU // LAV) today endorsed Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon for reelection as part of its first ever “Democracy Defender” program for preeminent Attorney General and Secretary of State candidates in the 2022 cycle. These constitutional officers are critical in the fight in combating dark money-fueled restrictive voting laws being passed across the country and protecting the right to vote. ECU // LAV will spend $7 million in key races across the country, including in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, Wisconsin, and Texas.
Click here for CNN’s coverage of the endorsement.
“It is thanks to Secretary Steve Simon’s leadership that Minnesota had the highest voter turnout of any state in the nation. He has championed increasing voter turnout and his dedication to this issue has clearly paid off,” said Tiffany Muller, President of ECU // LAV. “As lawmakers in the Minnesota Senate try to pass legislation that mirrors the restrictive voting bills we’ve seen in states like Georgia and Texas, Secretary Simon has been outspoken about how dangerous these bills would be for Minnesota. His leadership is proof that when a state does more to advance voting rights, more people vote. We are proud to endorse Secretary Simon for reelection.”
“I’m truly grateful for the vote of confidence from ECU // LAV,” said Secretary Simon. “Their leadership on clean and accessible elections has inspired people all over America to lean into democracy. We agree strongly on the need to remove unnecessary barriers to the freedom to vote – and to resist attempts to take our country backwards on voting rights.”
Steve Simon was first elected in 2014, winning in an increasingly competitive state. Since being elected, Secretary Simon has put Minnesota on the map as one of the best states for voting rights. His efforts to bring automatic voter registration to Minnesota and restore the vote to ex-felons are perfect examples of why Minnesota’s voter turnout may go even higher. Secretary Simon’s voting rights advocacy did not begin when he became Secretary of State. As a member of the Minnesota State House of Representatives, Simon was the Chair of the House Elections Committee where he led the charge to expand no-excuse absentee voting and online voter registration.
ECU // LAV raised and spent $65.5 million in the 2020 election cycle. Its $12.5 million independent expenditure made it the 5th largest issue group spending on the Democratic side. This will be the first time ECU // LAV is making a multi-million dollar investment in AG and SOS races. The “Democracy Defender” program is part of ECU // LAV’s Fight for Reform (FFR) project that supports candidates at the state and local level.
End Citizens United and Let America Vote merged in 2020. The group is dedicated to combating the two biggest challenges facing our democracy: the corrosive impact of Big Money and attempts to block access to the ballot box. ECU // LAV has more than four million members nationwide, including 121,967 in Minnesota.
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