Press Releases

End Citizens United Endorses Six Reform Candidates for Congress

Aug 01, 2018

Washington, D.C. ‑ End Citizens United (ECU) today endorsed six reformers running for the U.S. House, all of whom are dedicated to curbing the influence of Big Money in politics. All six challenger candidates have also taken the bold step of rejecting corporate PAC money in their campaigns.

The endorsed candidates are:

  • Dr. Hiral Tipirneni (AZ-08)

  • Mary Barzee Flores (FL-25)

  • Chris Pappas (NH-01)

  • Liuba Grechen Shirley (NY-02)

  • Sri Preston Kulkarni (TX-22)

  • Julie Oliver (TX-25)

“Americans know that special interests are calling the shots in Congress and they’re demanding reform,” said ECU President Tiffany Muller. “These candidates are running campaigns that put the interests of their communities first and they will fight to unrig the system in Washington so that it works for people ‑ not Big Money special interests. We’re proud to endorse them and look forward to helping them win in November.”

A recent bipartisan poll conducted by the George W. Bush Institute, the University of Pennsylvania’s Biden Center and Freedom House found that money in politics is one of the top reasons people believe the government does not represent them. Americans’ concerns about money in politics is fueling a wave of candidates in this election that make money in politics a central issue in their campaigns, with more than 140 of them outright rejecting corporate PAC money. To date, nearly 70 candidates rejecting corporate PAC money have already advanced to the general election.

ECU is dedicated to getting Big Money out of politics and fixing the rigged system in Washington so it works for all Americans. ECU connects its endorsed candidates with its grassroots members and its 400,000 small-dollar donors to help ensure they have the resources to win. So far this cycle, ECU has contributed $1 million to endorsed candidates and raised $5 million in small-dollar donations directly for their campaigns. ECU continues to elevate campaign finance reform as a national priority and advocates for meaningful legislation.

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