Cyrus Patten, Chief Agitator, MAYDAY.US:

The presidential race is getting a lot of attention, but the real news is Jamie Raskin’s victory in the Democratic primary for Maryland’s 8th Congressional district.

This is a huge win for getting big money out of politics. Voters showed they don’t believe in government for the few. Voters want an equal voice for all Americans, and they chose the candidate who campaigned for small donor elections. They stood up to special interests and self-funded candidates to choose Jamie Raskin.  

Credit goes to the grassroots activists who made this win possible. Huge gratitude to our members who organized events, made calls, designed and distributed fliers, and paid for digital ads seen nearly 1 million times by targeted voters. More thanks to our members who took their passion for this issue to go volunteer for the Raskin campaign, and to Raskin’s supporters for backing a people’s champion.

The movement has reached new levels: voters demand reform. The dedicated reformer (who appropriately authored The Wealth Primary) won. But other candidates gave lip service to the need to get big money out of politics.

So what’s the solution?

No one should need wealthy friends to run for office. Maryland could pass a small-donor election law, which works in Connecticut and New York City. Candidates can choose to campaign on small donations from their voters, and on their merits, instead of raising huge money from special interests. This is also the national plan backed by Raskin in the Government By the People Act, sponsored by Congressman Sarbanes and over 150 others. Small donor elections work, and they are the future of American politics.

The voters have spoken, and now they can act to fix our broken political system at www.MAYDAY.US.

Contact Cyrus Patten, Executive Director, MAYDAY.US

(202) 780-5546

press@mayday.us

About MAYDAY.US

MAYDAY.US is a cross-partisan movement of citizens fixing our broken political system. Big money has corrupted American democracy. We elect reformers to pass laws that empower voters, not special interests. The organization was founded in 2014 by Harvard Law Professor Lawrence Lessig and GOP strategist Mark McKinnon.