Public Campaign Action Fund - Voters First Pledge

Have your candidates signed the pledge?

Adam Smith — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 17:17:27 +0000

Today, as candidates for the House and Senate submit their third quarter fundraising reports filled with record breaking numbers, it's time to ask these people to sign the Voters First Pledge to put voters, not big campaign donors, first in the political process.

Who Wants to Put Voters First?

Katie Schlieper — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 19:18:47 +0000

Want to see where the candidates running to represent you in Congress stand on a Fair Elections system of full public financing for congressional campaigns? Visit our new and improved Voters First Pledge website that lets you search by state, party, or position on public financing to find out whether the people who want your vote are ready to get big money out of politics. Visit the site and find out where the candidates stand!

To Really Put Voters First

Katie Schlieper — Thu, 15 May 2008 15:54:50 +0000

Public Campaign Action Fund's Executive Director Nick Nyhart reflects on the study of small donors by the Campaign Finance Institute in this piece for the Huffington Post. As the hype about small donation in the presidential race fails to cut in to big donors influence in congressional races, the best hope to put the balance of power in the hands of small donors remains full public financing of elections, which is what we're asking candidates for Congress to show their support for via the Voters First Pledge.

Voters First

Katie Schlieper — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 21:22:27 +0000

Hey, Maine's District 1, stop hogging the Clean Elections supporters! Seriously though, we put out a statement today on the high level of support for the Voters First Pledge, and full public financing of campaigns, among congressional candidates in the district in the wake of a dust-up between two candidates -- both supportive of Clean Elections -- over campaign fundraising. Read more about what's going on here.

Pingree Signs

Katie Schlieper — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 19:08:43 +0000

Two years ago as President of Common Cause Chellie Pingree was asking candidates to sign the Voters First Pledge and commit to supporting full public financing of congressional campaigns. Now, as a candidate for Congress from Maine, where Clean Elections was passed in 1996, Pingree is signing on to Public Campaign Action Fund's 2008 Voters First Pledge. We look forward to seeing many more candidates take this pledge.

Hang On, Hoyer

Katie Schlieper — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 19:27:03 +0000

NPR's Marketplace did a story last night on the loophole that allows lobbyists to fund lawmaker getaways to exotic locales by calling the trip a fundraiser and funneling the lobbyist money through the lawmaker's political action committee (PAC). Of particularl interest to Marketplace are the travel plans of House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), who campaigned last year on cleaning up corruption.

What's the Word?

Katie Schlieper — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 16:45:01 +0000

With at least 20 Voters First Pledge signers coming in as freshman members of Congress, joining 73 incumbent signers and another 14 incumbents on the record in support of Clean Elections-style public financing of campaigns (and this with several races yet undecided) we are seeing a strong voter mandate for cleaning up Congress. What do you think about the election results?

Election Aftermath

Katie Schlieper — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 16:34:24 +0000

Even as votes are still being counted in close races around the country, speculation on reforms to counter the high-cost, special-interest dominated election process is being offered up. Writers at both the Chicago Sun-Times and the Winston-Salem Journal cite the Voters First Pledge, its principles and signers, as showing the way forward.

Who in North Carolina Puts Voters First?

Katie Schlieper — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 16:35:47 +0000

Last week Nick Nyhart, our executive director paid a visit to North Carolina to talk about the Voters First Pledge and cleaning up Congress -- today the News & Observer in Raleigh, North Carolina spotlights the pledge, including North Carolina candidates who have signed (see second section).

The Pledge in the States

Katie Schlieper — Fri, 03 Nov 2006 17:41:38 +0000

Local press is taking an interest in who is signing the Voters First Pledge. The Charlotte Sun-Herald looks at Florida activists working to get candidates to sign on, and The Capital (see the second section) highlights the Maryland candidates who have pledge to put voters first.