The Super PAC to End All Super PACs Is Backing These Candidates
The Mayday Super PAC, a crowdfunded Political Action Committee designed to support pro-campaign finance reform politicians, announced two of the candidates it will support in the upcoming 2014 midterm elections. The PAC is supporting State Senator Jim Reubens in the New Hampshire Republican Senate primary. It's also supporting Democrat Staci Appel in the race to represent Iowa's third congressional district. Reubens has made "fundamental reform to the way campaigns are funded" a central platform in his campaign, the group said. In that race, the group is also opposing former Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown, who it says opposes several key campaign finance reform measures and supports the lightning rod Citizens United Supreme Court decision. Appel, meanwhile, is also a dedicated campaign finance reformer. Mayday PAC has said it will support a total of five candidates in this year's midterms. However, it has left three of the five candidates it will ultimately support unannounced as a "warning shot," as the group calls it, to other politicians. "If a candidate for Congress wants to be inoculated from being on our target list," the group said in a press release Monday, "there is an easy way to do so get on the right side of reform.", Mayday PAC says candidates have until 5 p.m. eastern time on August 5 to meet the group's requirements or else risk being named a target. Whether any candidates will switch their positions on campaign finance reform as a result of the groups' ultimatum remains to be seen. The "Super PAC to end all Super PACs" was launched by the academic and campaign finance reform activist Lawrence Lessig. The group has raised 7.7 million to spend influencing key races this year, much of it Kickstarter-style through small donations.