The influence of corporate money has long been a staple of American politics. But now a new political trend is emerging in Virginia to resist campaign contributions from major corporations.
It wasn’t all that long ago that the utility monopoly Dominion contributed campaign cash to every member of the General Assembly. Then something changed. Now it’s the new hip thing among progressives to make a show of refusing to take money from Dominion. So what happened?
Quentin Kidd at Christopher Newport University says it was the Supreme Court decision in Citizens United.
“That ruling really resonated in a way that was really important on the progressive side of politics, and it created a movement to try to tackle the money in politics issue.”
Thirteen members of the General Assembly have sworn off Dominion money, and two members of Congress. Now Attorney General Mark Herring says he won’t take Dominion money in his campaign for governor.
Stephen Farnsworth at the University of Mary Washington says that puts pressure on the other candidates.
“If you want to be a Democratic nominee for governor in Virginia, you really do have to refuse Dominion money at this point. The activist base that votes in the primaries will accept nothing less.”
Campaign finance records from the Virginia Public Access Project show Dominion is one of the most generous corporate interests in Virginia politics, donating about $7 million in direct campaign contributions over the last decade.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
