John,

In the last Congress, more than half of the members were millionaires.¹

The fact is, running for federal office can be expensive — and not just because candidates have to raise tons of money for their campaigns. They also have to be able to afford to run, and that creates significant barriers for candidates of modest means.  

That needs to change.

That’s why Issue One sent a letter to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) expressing our support for amending agency regulations to make it easier for more Americans to run for federal office.

For instance, non-incumbent candidates are permitted to use campaign funds to pay themselves a salary, but the way the rule is written, it has unintended consequences, such as hurting people with gaps in employment or who have been out of the workforce to take care of children or other family members in the previous year. We believe that no one should be prevented from running for office because of their financial circumstances and support the FEC establishing a reasonable “salary floor” that’s consistent and fair.

We also wrote in support of standardizing the date that candidates in different states can begin collecting salaries and treating health insurance costs for candidates as a permissible campaign expense.

We need a Congress that more fully represents America and we believe that the ability for all Americans to run for office is vital for a healthy democracy.

Add your name to show your support for this proposed FEC rulemaking.

Running for office should be something that all Americans can do — not just the elite few who can afford it.

Our research found that more than 20% of candidates who ran in competitive open seat U.S. House races from 2012 through 2020 personally bankrolled at least 10% of their campaign costs — with many of them investing $500,000 or more into their races. This is an option that many in this country simply can’t afford.

It’s time to adjust the rules to help more Americans run for office. Add your name NOW if you agree.

Your support is critical,

Ethan Rome
Chief of Communications and Strategic Initiatives, Issue One

^{1 OpenSecrets.org, “Majority of lawmakers in 116th Congress are millionaires,” https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2020/04/majority-of-lawmakers-millionaires/}