Press Releases

End Citizens United Endorses Betsy Dirksen Londrigan for IL-13

Jun 26, 2019

Dirksen Londrigan rejects corporate PAC money; Davis has taken over $2.4 million from corporate PACs and voted against anti-corruption legislation

Washington, DC –– End Citizens United (ECU) endorsed Betsy Dirksen Londrigan for Congress in Illinois’ 13th Congressional District. Dirksen Londrigan is part of the first round of 2020 House challenger endorsements made by ECU, a reform group dedicated to getting big money out of politics. A committed reformer, Dirksen Londrigan is rejecting corporate PAC money.

“Betsy Dirksen Londrigan never backs down from a fight, especially when it comes to standing up to for Illinoisians who are being robbed of quality healthcare,” said End Citizens United President Tiffany Muller. “Betsy’s reform-focused campaign will take on the big special interests that make healthcare unaffordable for too many Illinois families. Her opponent, Rep. Rodney Davis, has a long history of taking money from Big Pharma and voting for their interests at the expense of his constituents. ECU is proud to support Betsy Dirksen Londrigan, and we look forward to helping her win in 2020.”

“The corruption in Washington has sucked politicians like Rep. Davis into a black hole of special interest money,” said Betsy Dirksen Londrigan. “I’m running a people-powered campaign for Congress and putting the working families of Central Illinois first. From day one, I will fight to protect people with preexisting conditions, work to lower the cost of healthcare, and build up the middle class. I’m honored to receive an endorsement from End Citizens United, and I look forward to working together to make sure Illinois’ families have someone fighting for them in Congress.”

While Dirksen Londrigan rejects corporate PAC money, Congressman Davis relies on corporate special interests and their cash in Washington. Over the course of his career, Davis has taken $2.4 million from corporate PACs. Davis led the Republican opposition against the most comprehensive anti-corruption and reform bill since Watergate that was passed by the House in March. Dirksen Londrigan came within 1,638 votes of unseating Davis in the 2018 midterms.

During the 2018 election cycle, ECU spearheaded the movement among candidates to forgo corporate PAC money in their campaigns. Fifty-eight members of the 116th Congress are refusing to take corporate PAC money, which includes 27 members of the House freshman class who flipped their district.

ECU is dedicated to getting Big Money out of politics and fixing the rigged system in Washington so government works for all Americans. The reform group has four million members nationwide,  including 6,800 in IL-13, and is entirely grassroots-funded with an average donation of just $14. The early endorsement will allow ECU to connect its over 550,000 donors members with Dirksen Londrigan’s campaign to make sure she has the resources to win.

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