End Citizens United Spotlights Priority Candidates

This election cycle, End Citizens United (ECU) has helped put its endorsed candidates in a position to win.

The candidates below are some of the strongest champions for reform and were ECU’s top priorities for the 2018 cycle. On a daily basis, ECU worked with these campaigns to help with policy positions, research, fundraising, and communications to bolster their reform-centered campaigns and ultimately win over voters.

ECU also spearheaded the movement among candidates to reject corporate PAC money, which became a central theme for many campaigns with over 133 federal candidates rejecting corporate PAC money. All of the House challengers listed signed a letter that was sent to the U.S. House of Representatives demanding that a reform bill be the first item on the agenda in 2019.

ECU’s priority candidates include: Jason Crow (CO-06), Katie Porter (CA-45), Brendan Kelly (IL-12), Jared Golden (ME-02), Elissa Slotkin (MI-08), Dean Phillips (MN-03), Andy Kim (NJ-03), Xochitl Torres Small (NM-02), Max Rose (NY-11), Antonio Delgado(NY-19), Anthony Brindisi (NY-22), Conor Lamb (PA-17), Colin Allred (TX-32), Abigail Spanberger (VA-07), Jon Tester (MT-Sen), Jacky Rosen (NV-Sen), and Beto O’Rourke(TX-Sen).

Below are highlights of the group’s work in these priority races:

C0-06: Jason Crow

• ECU endorsed Crow in its first round of House endorsements in September 2017. Crow was one of the first House challengers to reject corporate PAC money.

• ECU launched a $1 million ad campaign in October that included TV ads, digital ads, as well as direct mail. The ads targeted Rep. Mike Coffman for being in the pocket of the special interests and corporate PACs that have spent over a million dollars to keep him in Congress.

• ECU also launched a digital issue ad campaign criticizing Coffman’s vote on the tax bill, which favored special interests over Colorado families.

• ECU’s grassroots members made 2,900 contributions, totaling $30,000, directly for Crow’s campaign, with an average contribution of $10.

CA-45: Katie Porter

• The CA-45 race was the first time ECU made an independent expenditure in a primary, emphasizing how much of a priority Porter was for the group. ECU spent $100,000 in a joint effort with EMILY’s List to mobilize and educate voters in the district about Porter.

• In October, ECU launched a $400,000 digital and direct mail campaign in support of Porter.

• ECU’s grassroots members made 6,000 contributions, totaling $60,000, directly for Porter’s campaign, with an average contribution of $10.

IL-12: Brendan Kelly

• ECU launched a $600,000 television, digital and mail ad campaign in September to spotlight Kelly’s record, and expose Bost for the tax break he gave Big Pharma in Congress and for taking money from drug companies that are profiting from the opioid crisis.

• ECU’s grassroots members made nearly 1,500 contributions, totaling $20,000, directly for Kelly’s campaign, with an average contribution of $13.

ME-02: Jared Golden

• ECU endorsed Jared Golden during a competitive primary, where campaign finance reform was the major focus, because of Golden’s proven record on the issue

• In October, ECU launched a $270,000 ad campaign that included television and radio ads.

• ECU’s grassroots members made 500 contributions, totaling $20,500, directly for Golden’s campaign, with an average contribution of $41.

MI-08: Elissa Slotkin

• In the primary, ECU ran $50,000 in digital ads, targeting moderate and Democratic women in the district. The ads highlighted her no corporate PAC pledge, as well as her background as a national security leader.

• In the general election, ECU made its second independent expenditure with a$620,000 ad campaign that included television ads, digital ads, and direct mail.

• ECU’s grassroots members made nearly 3,800 contributions, totaling $35,000, directly for Slotkin’s campaign, with an average contribution of $9.

MN-03: Dean Phillips

• ECU endorsed Phillips in its first round of House endorsements in September 2017. Phillips is the only House challenger to reject campaign contributions from all PACs, lobbyists, and party leaders.

• The group made its first independent expenditure in September with a $754,000 ad campaign spotlighting Phillips’ no PAC pledge and contrasts it with the PAC money Congressman Erik Paulsen took this cycle. In October, ECU launched a $575,000 TV ad campaign, focusing on the hundreds of thousands of dollars Paulsen has taken from Big Pharma and insurance companies, and his support of legislation that could lead to premium hikes for constituents.

• ECU also ran a digital issue ad campaign criticizing Paulsen’s vote on the tax bill, which favored special interests over Minnesotans.

• ECU’s grassroots members made nearly 3,000 contributions, totaling $35,000, directly for Phillips’s campaign, with an average contribution of $11.

NJ-03: Andy Kim

• ECU endorsed Kim in its first round of House challenger endorsements in September 2017. Kim was one of the first House challengers to reject corporate PAC money.

• ECU launched a $658,000 ad campaign in October that included television, digital, radio, and direct mail. The ads focused on the campaign contributions Congressman Tom MacArthur took from the insurance industry and the disastrous health care amendment he authored.

• ECU’s grassroots members made 2,700 contributions, totaling $21,000, directly for Kim’s campaign, with an average contribution of $7.

NM-02: Xochitl Torres Small

• ECU announced a $116,000 radio ad campaign in October, focusing on Yvette Herrell’s state ethics violation in which she failed to disclose that she made almost a half million dollars off of taxpayer-funded contracts.

NY-11: Max Rose

• In October, ECU launched a $200,000 direct mail campaign in support of Max Rose.

• ECU’s grassroots members made nearly 2,300 contributions, totaling $19,000, directly for Rose’s campaign, with an average contribution of $8.

• In June 2018, ECU President Tiffany Muller traveled to NY-11, where she held a roundtable discussion with Rose about unrigging the system in Washington.

NY-19: Antonio Delgado

• ECU announced a $412,000 ad campaign in October. The ad highlighted the fact that Rep. Faso took thousands of dollars from the pharmaceutical and insurance industries and voted to gut protections for pre-existing conditions.

• ECU President Tiffany Muller also traveled to NY-19 to join Delgado for campaign events.

NY-22: Anthony Brindisi

• ECU endorsed Brindisi in its first round of House endorsements in September 2017. Brindisi was one of the first House challengers to reject corporate PAC money.

• ECU launched an almost $700,000 campaign that included television ads, digital ads, and direct mail.

• ECU’s grassroots members made 1,300 contributions, totaling $17,000 directly for Brindisi’s campaign, with an average contribution of $13.

PA-17: Conor Lamb

• ECU was Lamb’s first major endorsement after he declared his candidacy and the organization worked with him on his announcement to reject corporate PAC money.

• In total, ECU has raised $300,000 in small-dollar donations for both of Lamb’s campaigns this year. The group’s grassroots members made 37,000 contributions, totaling $322,000, with an average contribution of $8.

• In February, ECU announced a $250,000 TV and digital ad campaign, making it the first outside group after the DCCC to go on air.

TX-32: Colin Allred

• ECU launched a $532,000 ad campaign in October that included television, digital, and direct mail. The ads focus on the millions of dollars Sessions has taken from corporate PACs in contrast to Allred’s refusal to take a dime of corporate PAC money.

• ECU President Tiffany Muller, along with Reps. David Cicilline and Katherine Clark, traveled to the district to stump for Allred.

VA-07: Abigail Spanberger

• ECU launched a $712,000 ad campaign in September that included television ads, digital ads, and direct mail. The ads exposed Congressman Dave Brat for taking money from the pharmaceutical industry and voting against protecting access to affordable prescriptions for seniors.

• ECU’s grassroots members made nearly 600 contributions, totaling $20,000, directly for Spanberger’s campaign, with an average contribution of $34.

Senate-Montana: Jon Tester

• ECU endorsed Tester in April 2017, highlighting his record in the Senate to increase transparency in government and campaigns and to get dark money out of politics. He was one of the group’s first endorsements for the cycle.

• The group launched a $2 million TV and direct mail ad campaign in July. In October, ECU added to the investment with a $250,000 radio buy

• ECU’s grassroots members made 22,600 contributions, totaling $170,000, directly for Tester’s campaign, with an average contribution of $8.

Senate-Nevada: Jacky Rosen

• The group launched a $2.1 million TV and digital ad campaign in August, exposing Senator Dean Heller for taking money from the pharmaceutical and payday loan industries, and for supporting legislation that benefited his corporate donors.

• ECU also launched a $170,000 digital issue ad campaign criticizing Heller for his vote to repeal health care following pressure from party leadership and mega-donors.

• ECU’s grassroots members made 9,200 contributions, totaling $121,000, directly for Rosen’s campaign, with an average contribution of $13.

Senate-Texas: Beto O’Rourke

• ECU’s grassroots members made 30,800 contributions, totaling $418,000, directly for O’Rourke’s campaign, with an average contribution of $13.50.

• ECU was O’Rourke’s first major national endorsement, and it marked ECU’s first Senate challenger endorsement for the cycle.