Government should answer to people, not the corporations or the biggest checks.
Ask voters on either side of the aisle what is wrong with Washington, and you’ll hear a version of the same answer: the system feels rigged for the people with the most money.
They’re not wrong.
Every election cycle, billions of dollars flow into politics through super PACs, dark money groups, corporate interests, lobbyists, and ultra-wealthy donors. That money buys access, influence, and attention that ordinary people do not have.
This is not a partisan problem. It is a corruption problem.
Erik is running because we can do better.
He is running a campaign funded by individual donors, not corporate PAC money. That’s not just a talking point. It’s the standard he will bring to Congress.
Erik’s Priorities
Erik will fight to:
- End the influence of unlimited corporate and dark money in elections
- Support a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United
- Ban members of Congress from trading individual stocks
- Close the revolving door between Congress and lobbying firms
- Strengthen disclosure rules so voters know who is trying to influence elections
- Protect our political system from undisclosed, unaccountable, and foreign money
- Restore trust by making government answer to the people again
…by sending a representative to Washington who does not take corporate PAC money, does not answer to dark money groups, and will fight to make sure ordinary people have a stronger voice than the special interests writing the biggest checks.
Overturn Citizens United
The Citizens United decision helped open the door to unlimited outside spending in American elections.
Since then, super PACs, dark money groups, corporations, and ultra-wealthy individuals have gained more power to shape campaigns, influence elected officials, and distort the priorities of government.
Erik supports a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United and restore the ability to set real limits on money in politics.
Elections should be decided by voters, not by the people and organizations able to spend the most.
Ban Congressional Stock Trading
Members of Congress should not be able to use their positions to profit from the industries they regulate, fund, or oversee.
Even the appearance of insider advantage damages public trust.
Erik supports banning members of Congress from trading individual stocks while in office. Public service should be about serving the public, not building a personal portfolio.
If elected officials write laws, control spending, and oversee powerful industries, they should not also be personally trading in those industries.
Close the Revolving Door
Too many members of Congress leave office and walk into lobbying jobs that pay far more than public service ever did.
That creates a dangerous incentive: vote the right way now, get rewarded later.
Erik supports strong restrictions on former members of Congress lobbying the federal government after they leave office, including a lifetime ban on lobbying Congress.
Public office should not be a stepping stone to cashing in.
Require Real Transparency
Voters have a right to know who is trying to influence their elections.
Dark money groups, shell organizations, and poorly regulated spending channels make it harder for voters to see who is funding political messages and what those funders want in return.
Erik supports stronger disclosure rules so voters can see who is spending money to influence their vote.
If someone is trying to buy influence in our elections, the public should know who they are.
Stop New Forms of Dark Money
Campaign finance laws have not kept up with new technology.
Cryptocurrency and other emerging financial tools can create new pathways for money to move through politics with less transparency, weaker oversight, and more risk of abuse.
Erik believes campaign finance rules should apply no matter what form the money takes.
No donor, corporation, political group, or foreign actor should be able to use new technology to hide political influence from the public.
Put People Back in Charge
Getting money out of politics is not about helping one party or hurting another. It is about restoring trust.
The people of Western Minnesota should have a government that answers to them — not corporate PACs, dark money groups, lobbyists, or whoever can write the biggest check.
Erik does not take corporate PAC money, and he will fight in Congress to make sure ordinary people have a stronger voice than special interests.
Washington works better when elected officials remember who they work for.