Press Releases

End Citizens United Endorses 39 Candidates 10 Years After Citizens United Decision

Jan 21, 2020

Candidates are committed to rooting out government corruption and strengthening our democracy by overturning Citizens United and passing the For the People Act (H.R. 1/S. 949)

ECU has endorsed a total of 124 candidates for the 2020 election cycle

Nearly $4.5 billion has been spent in federal elections from outside groups since Citizens United

End Citizens United (ECU) today endorsed 39 reform-focused candidates for U.S House and Senate races across the country. The endorsements, which include both incumbent and challenger candidates, coincide with the ten year anniversary of the Supreme Court’s disastrous Citizens United decision.

To view all 124 ECU endorsed candidates click here.

“For the past decade, our democracy has been undermined by Citizens United,” said End Citizens United President Tiffany Muller. “We need to change how Washington works and that starts with electing leaders who represent the interests of the American people. These candidates are committed to fighting against the disastrous Citizens United decision and passing critical anti-corruption legislation to remove the stranglehold of special interests over government. End Citizens United is proud to endorse these candidates a decade after Citizens United, and we look forward to helping them win to restore our democracy.”

The list of endorsed incumbent candidates includes: Sen. Cory Booker (NJ-Sen), Sen. Chris Coons (DE-Sen), Sen. Dick Durbin (IL-Sen), Sen. Jack Reed (RI-Sen), Sen. Mark Warner (VA-Sen), Rep. Pete Aguilar (CA-31), Rep. Ami Bera (CA-07), Rep. Anthony Brown (MD-04), Rep. Cheri Bustos (IL-17), Rep. Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Rep. Katherine Clark (MA-05), Rep. Jim Clyburn (SC-06), Rep. Ted Deutch (FL-22), Rep. Eliot Engel (NY-16), Rep. Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Rep. Steny Hoyer (MD-05), Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08), Rep. Derek Kilmer (WA-06), Rep. Zoe Lofgren (CA-19) Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02), Rep. Carolyn Maloney (NY-12), Rep. Stephanie Murphy (FL-07), Rep. Donald Norcross (NJ-01), Rep. Nancy Pelosi (CA-12), Rep. Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Rep. Raul Ruiz (CA-36), Rep. Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Rep. Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11), Rep. Darren Soto (FL-09), Rep. Greg Stanton (AZ-09), and Rep. Paul Tonko (NY-20).

The list of endorsed challenger candidates includes: Al Gross (AK-Sen), James Mackler (TN-Sen), Phil Arballo (CA-22), Adair Boroughs (SC-02), Chris Bubser (CA-08), Margaret Good (FL-16), Kristy Gnibus (PA-16), and Julie Oliver (TX-25).

All challenger candidates are rejecting corporate PAC money. ECU has endorsed 32 challenger candidates so far in the 2020 cycle.

Since the 2010 Supreme Court decision of Citizens United, nearly $4.5 billion has been spent in federal elections by outside groups. In the 2018 midterms alone, $176 million was funneled from dark money groups to super PACs. Eighty-six percent of all outside spending since 1990 came after Citizens United. As a result of Citizens United, races where outside spending topped candidate spending increased eight times what it was before 2010.

new bipartisan poll shows that a majority of voters see corruption in the political system as the most serious problem facing the country, especially among independents. The poll also finds that unlimited, undisclosed political contributions and the influence of big money in politics are seen as major problems.

ECU is dedicated to getting Big Money out of politics and fixing the rigged system in Washington D.C. so government works for all Americans. The reform group has four million members nationwide and is entirely grassroots-funded with an average donation of just $14.

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