Washington, DC –– End Citizens United (ECU) today named its first 12 targets to the Big Money 20, the group’s top Republicans to defeat in 2020. ECU’s Big Money 20 campaign is focused on defeating Republicans in Congress who protect the corrupt political system in Washington by showing voters how these politicians put corporate special interests ahead of the people they’re supposed to represent.
“These 12 incumbents represent the worst of Washington’s corrupt establishment, and their decades in office are a stark example of how corporate special interests and dark money conspire to rig our political system,” said End Citizens United President Tiffany Muller. “Collectively, they worked to pass the Republican tax bill that hurt everyday people but pleased their corporate donors. Four of the Republicans are currently or have previously been under investigation for corruption or campaign finance violations. Americans across the country deserve better representation, and End Citizens United will fight vigorously throughout the 2020 election to defeat these politicians who have been corrupted by the flood of corporate special interest money in Washington.”
The full list of first-round Big Money 20 incumbents includes: David Schweikert (AZ-06), Martha McSally (AZ-SEN), Duncan Hunter (CA-50), Ross Spano (FL-15), Joni Ernst (IA-SEN), Rodney Davis (IL-13), Mitch McConnell (KY-SEN), Susan Collins (ME-SEN), George Holding (NC-02), Chris Collins (NY-27), John Cornyn (TX-SEN), and Will Hurd (TX-23). Of the 12 incumbents, four are currently or have previously been under investigation.
The Big Money 20 aims to educate voters about incumbents who represent the worst of Washington and rally support for reforming the political system. The members of the Big Money 20 are incumbents who take money from corporate special interests, mega-donors, and industries like Big Pharma and Big Oil and then put those interests ahead of their constituents.
In the 2018 cycle, End Citizens United helped defeat 82% of the Big Money 20 targets. ECU will connect its more than 550,000 grassroots donors to endorsed candidates who are challenging Big Money 20 targets.
ECU has conducted extensive polling and research showing that voters across the political spectrum support getting big money out of politics. ECU is a traditional political action committee (PAC) with more than four million members. ECU raised $44 million in the 2018 last cycle and helped elect over 150 members to the 116th Congress, including two new U.S. Senators and 58 new U.S. Representatives. The reform group is entirely grassroots-funded with an average donation of just $14.
For a full list and additional background on the Big Money 20, click here.