Underwood has led efforts to protect voting rights and pass anti-corruption reforms
End Citizens United (ECU) // Let America Vote (LAV) today endorsed Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14) for reelection, as part of the group’s first round of House of Representatives endorsements for the 2022 election cycle.
Underwood was first elected to the House in 2018 as part of the historic class that flipped the chamber by promising to stand up for working families––not special interests and big corporations––and working to protect and expand voting rights. Since arriving in Washington, she has followed through on her promise to return power to Illinoisans by cosponsoring and twice passing the For the People Act (H.R. 1)––a once-in-a-generation piece of legislation that would stop billionaires and corporate special interests from buying our elections, shine a light on dark money, end partisan gerrymandering, protect and expand the freedom to vote, and institute iron-clad ethics laws to crack down on corruption.
“End Citizens United and Let America Vote is proud to endorse Congresswoman Lauren Underwood for reelection,” said End Citizens United // Let America Vote President Tiffany Muller. “During her time in the House, Congresswoman Underwood has stood up to special interests and big corporations and has taken bold action to protect access to healthcare, invest in local infrastructure, and build up small businesses. With dark money-fueled voter suppression laws being passed around the country and special interests doing everything they can to hold onto power, we need Congresswoman Lauren Underwood to continue to fight for working people and we look forward to helping re-elect her to Congress.”
“Throughout my tenure in the House, one of my top priorities has been cleaning up corruption in Washington, which is why one of the first pieces of legislation I supported as a member of Congress was the For the People Act, because it reduces the role of money in politics, strengthens ethics rules, and makes it easier, not harder, to vote,” said Representative Lauren Underwood (IL-14). “We have a lot of work to do to restore our country’s faith in democracy, and I will always be a champion of that work. I am grateful to End Citizens United and Let America Vote for their endorsement and the work they do every day.”
ECU // LAV raised and spent $65.5 million in the 2020 election cycle. Its $12.5 million independent expenditure made it the 4th largest issue group spending on the Democratic side. ECU // LAV’s members raised $9.5 million directly for endorsed candidates and state ballot measures. The group also donated over $2.5 million directly to its endorsed campaigns.
ECU // LAV 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 led the effort to flip the House in 2018 by supporting pro-reform candidates that stood up to Big Money and corporate special interests. In 2020, ECU // LAV led the fight to protect all Americans’ right to vote, and played a pivotal role in electing anti-corruption Senate candidates that helped flip the chamber. ECU // LAV has more than four million members nationwide, including 13,400 in IL-14.
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