Campaign Finance Reformers Find Voice on 2016 Trail
Via New Hampshire Public Radio
In December 1999, six weeks before the 2000 New Hampshire primary, John Rauh watched as Republican Sen. John McCain and Democrat Bill Bradley met in Claremont to denounce the role of money in politics.
At the time, Rauh was on the board of Common Cause, the liberal advocacy group working to establish a system to publicly finance presidential elections. He recalls that while McCain and Bradley shared a passion for reform, campaign finance did not resonate as a key concern among voters.
“There was strong interest among reform organizations,” says Rauh, who went on to found Americans for Campaign Reform in 2003. “But across the spectrum of the public in New Hampshire and nationally, it was not a top issue.”
Back