National Anti-Corruption Super PAC Names 8 Targets For Fall Campaign
Friends of Democracy Targets Reps. Bass, Rivera, Conseco, Hayworth, Bono Mack, Lungren, Buerkle, and Renacci as “Foes of Democracy”
Washington, D.C.-Friends of Democracy, a Super PAC fighting the corrosive effect of money on politics, today announced an escalated push against eight Republican Representatives.
The Super PAC, co-founded by Jonathan Soros, specified that Representatives Bass, Rivera, Conseco, Hayworth, Bono Mack, Lungren, Buerkle, and Renacci are their latest targets in a national “Foes of Democracy” campaign.
Friends of Democracy will spend approximately $200,000 in each district to run a micro-targeted direct mail, phone contact and online advertising campaign to defeat the “Foes of Democracy” and elevate solutions to campaign finance corruption.
The targets were chosen due to their opposition to common sense campaign finance reform and votes in favor the big businesses and special interests that are funding their campaign. Friends of Democracy will target persuadable voters who are responsive on the issue ofpolitical corruption with consistent and comprehensive in-district advertising. Based on a successful pilot project in August, the effort will reach enoughvoters in the district to potentially shift the final vote tally.
“Voters have listed corruption as their second highest concern after job creation and with good reason. Billions ofdollars of special interest money dictate who gets elected and predicts whose side candidates are on once they get to Congress,” said Ilyse Hogue co-director of Friends of Democracy. “Confidence in Congress is collapsing. We cannot afford any more bought and paid for politicians who refuse to challenge thestatus quo, which is why we are targeting these Foes of Democracy.”
“Real change won’t come from Washington, it will come from voters in Sacramento county, San Antonio, and Syracuse, who will reject politicians who care more about keeping their own jobs than serving all their constituents,” said David Donnelly, co-director of Friends of Democracy. “Voters are fed up with the collusion between large donors and politicians and they’re ready to embrace champions of a new citizen led politics.”
A copy of one of the mailers can be seen here: http://www.friendsofdemocracypac.org/campaign/rep-nan-hayworth/
A poll released yesterday by Democracy Corps and Public Campaign Action Fund of voters in the 54 most competitive House districts underscores the resonance of a anti-corruption, pro-reform message. Among the findings: Seventy-eight percent of voters say it is personally important to them for candidates to promote a plan to fix the broken campaign finance system, and 71 percent say they are less likely to vote for a candidate after finding out the candidate voted for the Ryan budget to turn Medicare into vouchers while taking thousands of dollars from insurance interests. A full report of the polling can be found at www.campaignmoney.org.
Member-specific press releases: Rep. Nan Hayworth | Rep. Jim Renacci | Rep. David Rivera | Rep. Francisco Canseco | Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle | Rep. Mary Bono Mack | Rep. Dan Lungren | Rep. Charlie Bass
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