Phillips renews invitation for Congressman Paulsen to sign The Minnesota Way Pledge
Minnesota’s Third District Congressional Candidate Dean Phillips announced today that more than 54,000 individuals have given to his campaign. The news came hours before his only scheduled debate with his opponent, despite Phillips’s request for more public forums.
More than half of Phillips’s donors are Minnesotans, and the vast majority contributed less than $20. Phillips has garnered national attention for his principled stance on getting special interest money out of politics.
“Tens of thousands of people have come together to make a statement: It’s time to get special interest money out of politics,” said Dean Phillips. “Simply put, Erik Paulsen’s votes have been bought and sold. He is no longer accountable to his constituents. Instead, he is beholden to the PACs and wealthy special interests that fund his campaigns.”
The New York Times featured Dean Phillips as the only candidate in the country to reject money from PACs, federal lobbyists, special interests and even Members of Congress.
Paulsen is the sixth largest recipient of special-interest money in the entire 435 member Congress, having taken more than $8.7 million from PACs in his career, including more than $2 million in this election cycle alone. That compares to just $90,000 raised from low-dollar contributors.
“I invited Congressman Paulsen to campaign The Minnesota Way back in April, which would mean rejecting special-interest money and self-financing, reducing or eliminating outside spending, and holding open and accessible voter forums,” said Phillips. “I renew my invitation to Congressman Paulsen today — join me in signing The Minnesota Way Pledge,” said Phillips. “Voters want this campaign to be about the issues impacting their lives, not the special-interest influence that has control over Congress today.”
Phillips has invested $5,400 in his own campaign, the individual limit for a federal race. Phillips has also loaned the use of his 1960 International Harvester Truck, 1983 pontoon boat and office space for use by his campaign – totaling less than $30,000 of in-kind contributions.