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Represent.Us
From Ballotpedia
| RepresentUs | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Location: | Florence, Massachusetts |
| Type: | 501(c)(4) |
| Top official: | Maria McFarland Sanchez-Moreno, CEO |
| Founder(s): | Josh Silver and Joshua Graham Lynn |
| Year founded: | 2012 |
| Website: | Official website |
RepresentUs is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization based in Florence, Massachusetts. The group works on issues related to ethics, elections and campaigns, and campaign finance at the federal, state, and local levels.[1]
Since 2016, RepresentUs has taken positions on at least 30 statewide and local ballot measures.
Background
RepresentUs, was launched in November 2012 as a campaign advancing policies concerning ethics, elections, campaigns, and campaign finance with a goal of rallying support for the American Anti-Corruption Act.[2] As of July 2025, RepresentUs' website said the group is "America’s leading nonpartisan grassroots organization fighting for a government accountable to the people."[1]
Leadership
As of July 2025, the following individuals are leaders of RepresentUs:[1]
- Maria McFarland Sanchez-Moreno , CEO
- Jose Carbonnell, vice president of marketing and communication
- Megan Caska, vice president of political
- Mike Dolence', vice president of finance and administration
- Heather Gresham, counsel and vice president of people and culture
Work and activities
Legislative and policy work
RepresentUs had over a dozen active campaigns in 2025, according to its website.Cite error: Closing </ref> missing for <ref> tag The group also creates public service announcements on campaign finance issues.[3] RepresentUs co-hosts the American Democracy Summit each year, which its website in 2025 called "the premier nonpartisan pro-democracy event of the year."[4]
Ballot measure activity
RepresentUs routinely advocates on ballot measures in states and municipalities across the country. In 2024, RepresentUs took a position on 26 state and local ballot measures.[5]
Overview of ballot measure support and opposition
The following table details RepresentUs' ballot measure stances available on Ballotpedia:
Redistricting
RepresentUs has supported initiatives that propose to create independent redistricting commissions.
- In 2024, RepresentUs indicated its support for a measure which would have established the Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission (CRC), which would have been responsible for adopting state legislative and congressional redistricting plans.[5] The measure was defeated.
- 2020: RepresentUs indicated its support for an independent redistricting commission initiative proposed in Nevada for 2020. The ballot measure was designed to transfer the power to draw the state's congressional and legislative districts from the state legislature to a seven-member independent redistricting commission.
- In 2018, RepresentUs supported five statewide measures to create independent redistricting commissions. The group released a campaign advertisement supporting the passage of Colorado Amendments Y and Z. RepresentUs also supported Michigan Proposal 2 and Utah Proposition 4. The group also supported Missouri Amendment 1 which created a position called the nonpartisan state demographer, which is tasked with drawing state legislative districts. The measure also prohibited the Missouri State Legislature from passing laws allowing for unlimited campaign contributions to candidates for the state legislature.[33]
Elections, campaigns, and voting
RepresentUs supports measures related to voting, ranked-choice voting, voter registration, and other matters related to elections, campaigns, and ethics.
- In 2024, RepresentUs indicated its opposition to a measure that would have returned Alaska to partisan primaries and general elections in which the candidate who received the highest number of votes won the election.[5] The measure was defeated.
- In 2022, RepresentUs supported at least two ballot measures related to ranked-choice voting. Nevada Question 3 was designed to establish open top-five primaries and ranked-choice voting for general elections, which would apply to congressional, gubernatorial, state executive official, and state legislative elections. The measure was approved. RepresentUs also supported the [[Missouri Top-Four Ranked-Choice Voting Initiative (2022)}Missouri Top-Four Ranked-Choice Voting Initiative]], which did not appear on the ballot.
- In 2020, RepresentUs supported four measures related to ranked-choice voting in Alaska, Arkansas, Massachusetts, and North Dakota.
- In 2019, RepresentUs supported New York City Question 1, which established ranked-choice voting for New York City beginning in 2021.
- In 2018, RepresentUs supported Nevada Question 5, which provided for the automatic voter registration of eligible citizens when receiving certain services from the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).[33]
- In 2018, RepresentUs supported the defeat of a ranked-choice voting referendum in Memphis, which was defeated.[33]
- In 2018, RepresentUs supported Michigan Proposal 3, which added eight voting policies to the Michigan Constitution, including straight-ticket voting, automatic voter registration, same-day voter registration, and no-excuse absentee voting.
- In 2018, RepresentUs supported Maine Question 1, which sought to overturn sections of Legislative Document 1646 (LD 1646), which was written to postpone and repeal ranked-choice voting (RCV) unless a constitutional amendment was passed before December 1, 2021, to enable the legislature to determine election methods. Represent.Us gave $50,000 to the support campaign.
- In 2018, RepresentUs supported three measures related to ethics commissions and government accountability in New Mexico, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The measures in New Mexico and North Dakota were approved. The measure in South Dakota was defeated.
Campaign finance measures
RepresentUs supports initiatives to enact limits on campaign contributions and campaign finance transparency.
- In 2019, RepresentUs supported San Francisco Proposition F, which was approved. The measure established requirements for campaign advertisement disclaimers and restrictions on campaign contributions. RepresentUs wrote, "The measure, championed by the Sunlight on Dark Money coalition has two primary purposes: It will create transparency by requiring groups that produce campaign ads to show their major funding sources, and it will root out conflicts of interest by preventing LLCs and those with an interest in certain city decisions—like zoning—from contributing to the officials with a role in making those decisions."[33]
- RepresentUs supported Phoenix Proposition 419 in 2018, which amended the city charter to require individuals and organizations to disclose any campaign donations in excess of $1,000 with the intention of influencing a city election.
- In 2018, RepresentUs supported Baltimore Question H and Denver Measure 2E, which were both approved. Both measures were related to local campaign funding.
- In 2018, the group supported New York, New York, Question 1, which amended the city charter to lower the amount that a candidate for city elected office may accept from a contributor. The proposal was also designed to increase the public funding available for a citywide candidate participating in the city’s public matching funds program.[33]
- In 2018, RepresentUs supported Massachusetts Question 2, which proposed to establish a 15-member citizens' commission to advocate for certain amendments to the United States Constitution regarding political spending and corporate personhood, specifically overturning Citizens United.[34]
- In 2016, RepresentUs was advocating for the passage of South Dakota's Revision of State Campaign Finance and Lobbying Laws measure, which proposed to revise state campaign finance and lobbying laws and create a publicly funded campaign finance program and an ethics commission. RepresentUs was one of the top donors. The measure appeared on the ballot on November 8, 2016. It was approved.[35][36]
- In 2016, the group also supported Washington state's Campaign Financing Funded by a Non-Resident Sales Tax initiative, which proposed to create a campaign-finance system allowing residents to direct state funds to qualifying candidates, repeal the non-resident sales-tax exemption, restrict employment of former public employees and lobbying, and revise campaign-finance laws. The measure appeared on the ballot on November 8, 2016. It was defeated.[37]
Notable endorsements
This section displays endorsements this organization made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope.
Affiliations
RepresentUs has a sister 501(c)(3) group, RepresentUs Education Fund, that works on advocacy campaigns and research related to ethics, campaign finance and elections issues.[38] As of July 2025, its website said its mission was "to revitalize American democracy by ending political corruption, partisan extremism and policy gridlock."[38]
Finances
The following is a breakdown of RepresentUs revenues and expenses for the 2020 to 2023 fiscal years, according to documents submitted to the Internal Revenue Service.
| Annual revenue and expenses for RepresentUs, 2020–2023 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Tax Year | Total Revenue | Total Expenses |
| 2023[39] | $2,199,180 | $497,021 |
| 2022[39] | $2,682,131 | $2,484,946 |
| 2021[40] | $6,528,597 | $5,852,496 |
| 2020[40] | $5,484,009 | $3,515,392 |
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Represent.Us'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- What is an influencer?
- Ballot measure influencers
- San Francisco, California, Proposition F, Campaign Contribution Restrictions and Advertisement Disclaimer Requirements (November 2019)
- New York City Ballot Question 1, Elections Charter Amendment: Ranked-Choice Voting, Vacancies, and City Council Redistricting Timeline (November 2019)
- 2020 ballot measures
- 2019 ballot measures
- 2018 ballot measures
- 2016 ballot measures
External links
- Represent.Us website
- Represent.Us Facebook page
- Represent.Us Twitter page
- Represent.Us Instagram page
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 RepresentUs , "About RepresentUs," accessed July 29, 2025
- ↑ Mother Jones , "New Group Unveils Its Plan to Get Money Out of Politics," November 13, 2012
- ↑ RepresentUs , "RepresentUs, OpenSecrets Put Spotlight on Record-Breaking Pace of Election Spending by Big Donors," October 10, 2024
- ↑ American Democracy Summit , "Home," accessed July 29, 2025
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 RepresentUs , "2024 Campaigns," accessed July 29, 2025
- ↑ Represent.Us, "Endorsements," accessed December 21, 2023
- ↑ Represent.Us, "IN HISTORIC WIN FOR VOTERS, NEVADANS SAY 'YES' TO NONPARTISAN PRIMARIES, RANKED CHOICE VOTING," accessed January 11, 2022
- ↑ [ https://www.mec.mo.gov/MEC/Campaign_Finance/CommInfo.aspx?MECID=C211677 Campaign Finance, "Better Elections," accessed January 11, 2022]
- ↑ Reform St. Louis, "Homepage," accessed February 19, 2022
- ↑ Yes on E, "Endorsements," accessed March 8, 2021
- ↑ North Dakota Secretary of State Campaign Finance Online, "North Dakota Voters First," accessed July 23, 2020
- ↑ Arkansas Ethics Commission, "Filings," accessed July 21, 2020
- ↑ Alaska Public Offices Commission, "Alaskans for Better Elections Third Quartly Report 2019," October 10, 2019
- ↑ Voter Choice Massachusetts, "Supporters," accessed November 26, 2019
- ↑ The Nevada Independent, "Ballot question filed to create independent redistricting commission, place limits on gerrymandering," November 14, 2019
- ↑ Represent.Us, "2018 Campaigns," accessed November 8, 2018
- ↑ Represent.Us, "2018 Campaigns," accessed November 8, 2018
- ↑ Represent.Us, "2018 Campaigns," accessed November 8, 2018
- ↑ Represent.Us, "2018 Campaigns," accessed November 8, 2018
- ↑ Maine Commission on Government Ethics and Election Practices, "Ballot Questions," accessed January 18, 2018
- ↑ Maine Commission on Government Ethics and Election Practices, "Ballot Questions," accessed January 18, 2018
- ↑ Maine Commission on Government Ethics and Election Practices, "Ballot Questions," accessed January 18, 2018
- ↑ Maine Commission on Government Ethics and Election Practices, "Ballot Questions," accessed January 18, 2018
- ↑ Maine Commission on Government Ethics and Election Practices, "Ballot Questions," accessed January 18, 2018
- ↑ Maine Commission on Government Ethics and Election Practices, "Ballot Questions," accessed January 18, 2018
- ↑ Maine Commission on Government Ethics and Election Practices, "Ballot Questions," accessed January 18, 2018
- ↑ Maine Commission on Government Ethics and Election Practices, "Ballot Questions," accessed January 18, 2018
- ↑ Maine Commission on Government Ethics and Election Practices, "Ballot Questions," accessed January 18, 2018
- ↑ Maine Commission on Government Ethics and Election Practices, "Ballot Questions," accessed January 18, 2018
- ↑ Represent.Us, "2018 Campaigns," accessed November 8, 2018
- ↑ Represent.Us, "2018 Campaigns," accessed November 8, 2018
- ↑ Represent.Us, "2018 Campaigns," accessed November 8, 2018
- ↑ 33.0 33.1 33.2 33.3 33.4 RepresentUs, "Our wins," accessed November 15, 2019
- ↑ RepresentUs, "Massachusetts Election 2018," accessed November 15, 2019
- ↑ South Dakota Secretary of State, "South Dakotans For Integrity," accessed August 16, 2016
- ↑ Follow the Money, "Measure 22, Top Supporting Donors," accessed September 14, 2016
- ↑ RepresentUs, "2016 Initiatives" accessed September 14, 2016
- ↑ 38.0 38.1 RepresentUs , "RepresentUs Education Fund," accessed July 29, 2025
- ↑ 39.0 39.1 'RepresentUs, "2023 990," accessed July 22,2025
- ↑ 40.0 40.1 "RepresentUs," "2021 990," accessed July 29, 2025
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