A big update--and a big decision

***OFFICIAL BALLOT*** Which candidate should MoveOn endorse in the U.S. Senate race in New York between Kirsten Gillibrand and Joe DioGuardi? Cast your vote today.

Dear MoveOn member,

All summer long we've run a massive campaign to convince candidates to stand up against the corporate stranglehold on our democracy and fight for the Other 98% of us. Thanks to the incredible work of MoveOn members, that campaign has blown away this summer's goals.

In fact, more than 200 candidates and members of Congress, along with 500,000 individuals, have endorsed the Fight Washington Corruption pledge—our three-part blueprint to reverse the Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling, enact publicly-financed elections, and reduce the influence of lobbyists in Washington. Among the candidates where you live, only Kirsten Gillibrand supported the Fight Washington Corruption pledge campaign. Joe DioGuardi did not.

Thanks in part to our work together, corporate lobbying and influence have become increasingly important themes in the election. Just last week, for example, The New York Times ran a front-page profile of Republican leader John Boehner focused on his links to corporate lobbyists.¹ And candidates like Paul Hodes in New Hampshire have come out with new plans to shut the revolving door between government and lobbying.²

Meanwhile, though, the problem is only getting worse. In the wake of Citizens United, corporate interests are spending an astounding $400 million to buy the election for Republicans.³ Which is why our focus between now and November needs to be on supporting the candidates who've stood up against corporate influence and beating back the hostile corporate takeover of Congress!

Throughout this campaign, MoveOn members have told candidates that support for the pledge would be a factor in MoveOn's endorsements this fall. But in the end, endorsement decisions are made by a vote of MoveOn members in the state or district, taking into account all the information about the race.

So today, we need your help making an important decision: which candidate should MoveOn endorse in the U.S. Senate race in New York between Kirsten Gillibrand and Joe DioGuardi? Please take a moment to vote now on MoveOn's endorsement in your area:

http://pol.moveon.org/2010/e/exampleballot.html?id=23453-10220574-dEc9k6x&t=2

Voting ends at 11:59 p.m. tomorrow night. This ballot email is not transferable. If you want to encourage your friends who are MoveOn members to vote, encourage them to look for their personal MoveOn ballot email. You must be a resident of New York and a MoveOn member prior to today to participate in the online endorsement vote.

In races with two candidates, a two-thirds majority is needed to win our endorsement. In races with more than two candidates, the one who receives a majority of votes cast will win the endorsement. If no candidate meets our threshold, we won't endorse a candidate.

The campaign around the Fight Washington Corruption pledge has shown how much of a difference we can all make when we work together. Now we need to turn that same energy to winning this election! That starts with choosing which candidates we will support on November 2nd—and to make the best decisions possible, we need your input. Click below to cast your vote:

http://pol.moveon.org/2010/e/exampleballot.html?id=23453-10220574-dEc9k6x&t=3

Thanks for all you do.

–Adam, Jeff, Duncan, Laura, Steven and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "A G.O.P. Leader Tightly Bound to Lobbyists," The New York Times, September 11, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=90358&id=23453-10220574-dEc9k6x&t=4

2. "Hodes Announces Plan to Stop Washington Lobbyists' 'Revolving Door,'" press release, paulhodesforsenate.com, August 4, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=90357&id=23453-10220574-dEc9k6x&t=5

3. "Conservative Groups Gearing Up To Spend $400 Million On Midterm Election," Think Progress, August 27, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=90215&id=23453-10220574-dEc9k6x&t=6

Want to support our work? We're entirely funded by our 5 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.

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PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. This email was sent to eddie alfaro on September 16, 2010. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.