For Immediate Release

Leading Voice on Fixing Our Democracy Backs Macías’s Independent Bid to Protect Voter Choice and Root Out Political Cronyism in Illinois’s 4th District

Chicago, IL — End Citizens United (ECU), a leading voice in the fight against money in politics and the rigged political system, today endorsed Mayra Macías for Illinois’s 4th Congressional District. Macías, a lifelong Democrat and Back of the Yards native, is running as an independent candidate to combat corruption and ensure voters have a choice at the ballot box this November. ECU joins a growing list of Macías’s endorsers, including Congresswoman Nydia Velásquez, Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernández, Moms Fed Up PAC, and Nuestro PAC.

“Mayra Macías knows that when politicians answer to corporate donors, it’s working families who pay the price,” said End Citizens United President Tiffany Muller. “She understands the needs of her district because she grew up in it and has spent her career fighting to deliver real gains for the people who live there. By rejecting corporate PAC money, Mayra’s making it clear to voters that she won’t be bought or compromised by corporate special interests. We’re proud to endorse Mayra and we look forward to helping her win.”

Despite being a lifelong Democrat, Mayra Macías launched her congressional campaign in December as an independent candidate after outgoing-Congressman Chuy García cleared the way for his Chief of Staff, Patty García, to be the only Democrat on the ballot. At a time when it is vitally important for Democrats to hold the Trump administration accountable for its undermining of democracy, Macías is running to prevent undemocratic actions at home and to give Chicago voters a choice in November.

“Our democracy is strongest when people can fully participate in it. I’m running for Congress because our representatives should be chosen by the people, not handpicked by special interests or behind closed doors,” said Mayra Macías. “Our district deserves a leader who earns voters’ trust, promotes transparency, and stands up to the Trump administration’s undemocratic actions. Not one who treats public office as an inheritance.

“But we cannot effectively fight Trump’s attacks on our democratic system if we’re willing to turn a blind eye to anti-democratic ‘machine’ tactics in our own backyard. We must hold our party to the same standards we demand of the Trump administration. I am humbled to receive End Citizens United’s endorsement because rooting out corruption in Washington begins with safeguarding free and fair elections right here in Chicago.”

For 10 years, ECU has been dedicated to combating the two biggest challenges facing our democracy: the corrosive impact of Big Money in politics and attempts to block access to the ballot box. Since its founding in 2015, ECU has had over 1.4 million donors with an average donation of just $14. The group has more than four million members nationwide and is one of the nation’s leading anti-corruption organizations.