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But instead of coming from the Inslee campaign, the commercials were funded by a super PAC that an Inslee ally helped spread.
The initial expenses of the pro-Inslee group underscore the fact that the super PACs triggered by the super decision of the Supreme Court, Citizens United, nearly a decade ago, and the other court decisions that followed, will still play a role. in the 2020 campaign even though they pose political risks candidates.
Super PACs, which can collect and spend unlimited sums to influence elections, have become one of the most powerful tools of modern politics: they allow wealthy donors to spend millions of dollars to stimulate candidates the most favored. But Liberal Party activists warned that the super PACs would take the voice of average voters and sought to make the rejection of much money a litmus test for Democratic candidates.
In an environment populated by candidates vying for campaign dollars, the super PACs offer the unknown candidates a way out.
In 2012, for example, highly-funded external political groups helped extend a Republican presidential primary comprising a dozen candidates. Super PAC funded by two wealthy supporters – mutual fund multinational Foster Friess and casino magnate Sheldon Adelson – aired TV ads that helped keep the campaigns of former Senator Rick Santorum and the former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich.
"These were candidates who were basically running on fumes," said Anthony Corrado, a campaign finance expert who teaches at Colby College, Maine. "They relied on the support of the super PACs to give them new legs to stay in the running for another month or two."
In the end, the former Massachusetts governor, Mitt Romney, won the nomination, but not before a flood of announcements from the super PAC, Gingrich Pro, was not sure. Attacks on his career and career in private capital – themes that the Democrats revisited during the general election to help President Barack Obama to a second term.
Four years later, the 2016 Republican candidacy had 17 candidates and almost as many outside groups aligned with candidates.
But the 2020 race marks the first major open primary for Democrats since the 2010 court rulings paved the way for these groups to influence the elections.
No less than ten other candidates, including former Vice President Joe Biden, three members of the House and two former governors, are evaluating their offers.
Many Democratic candidates are eager to show that they will reduce the influence of wealthy special interests in elections. The 14 candidates for the Democratic presidency, for example, have stated that they would reject any donation from business ventures. At least six of them said that they did not want help from the super PACs.
Among the leading Democratic candidates with public statements opposing super PACs to one candidate include Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro, New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Senator of California Kamala Harris, Senator of Vermont Bernie Sanders and New Jersey Senator Cory Booker.
Inslee, a governor who has spent two terms and has put his fight against climate change at the center of his campaign, is distinguished by his membership in this position while he is mounting a long-running candidacy for the White House.
A few days after the kickoff of his campaign, Act Now on Climate – the super PAC that supports him – announced that he would spend at least $ 1 million on television ads in Iowa and on the national cable, as well as a digital advertising campaign.
A key member of the group, Corey Platt, was the political director of the Democratic Governors Association, chaired by Inslee last year.
Christy Setzer, a spokeswoman for the super PAC, said the group was "another way for those who really care about solving the climate crisis – and who support Jay Inslee's leadership on this issue – to make sure that they do not have a problem." ;imply".
Inslee's posture has provoked strong criticism from progressive activists.
Act Now on Climate "does not exist to fight climate change," said Patrick Burgwinkle, spokesperson for End Citizens United, a political action committee dedicated to overturning the 2010 ruling. There is a way to give wealthy donors a way to pay unlimited sums to help Governor Inslee win. "
Democratic voters, he said, "want candidates to show leadership in getting large sums of money out of their campaigns."
Friday, End Citizens United has partnered with six other Liberal groups to send an open letter to the 2020 field, asking each candidate not only to disavow the super single candidate PAC, but also to require their allies to close these groups.
At least one other candidate-specific super PAC is planning to attend the 2020 primary.
Steve Phillips, a leading Democratic donor in San Francisco, launched Dream United, a super PAC to support Booker's offer for the Democratic nomination.
Booker and his campaign associates claimed that he opposed any super PAC participation in the presidential race. Jeff Giertz, spokesman for Booker campaign, emphasized this fact by saying that the senator was opposed to super PACs that were intended to support "his candidacy for the presidency or anyone".
But Phillips promised to continue.
"The candidacy of Cory Booker is the best way to inspire the kind of strong voter turnout in the color communities that will be needed for progressives to win and decrease their ticket by 2020," Phillips said in a recent statement to CNN. "What we do goes beyond Booker, we do it for our country."
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