CounterPAC

CounterPAC is a United States-based political nonprofit and Super PAC that promotes campaign finance reform by encouraging electoral candidates to pledge against outside spending. The entity operates by proposing nonaggression pacts and candidate agreements designed to reduce the influence of undisclosed financial contributions in elections. Funded primarily by donor contributions from Silicon Valley supporters, the organization targets voters and political initiatives, notably endorsing the California Is Not For Sale campaign in 2016. The group's leadership and steering committee have included recognizable political and business figures such as Mark McKinnon, Lenny Mendonca, Daniel G. Newman, and John Pudner. During the 2014 and 2016 election cycles, the organization actively intervened in specific contests, including the 2016 New Hampshire Senate race, to convince candidates to disavow independent expenditure groups. CounterPAC was originally founded in 2014 by Jim Greer.

CounterPAC is not a company, but rather a nonpartisan political action committee (PAC) focused on campaign finance reform[6].

High-Level Overview

CounterPAC is a political organization dedicated to reducing the influence of "dark money"—undisclosed political spending—in U.S. elections[1]. Rather than operating as a traditional business, CounterPAC functions as an advocacy group that pressures political candidates to reject unlimited corporate spending and sign pledges committing to more accountable campaigns[1][6]. The organization works to change electoral incentives by launching public campaigns against candidates who refuse to adopt transparency commitments[1].

Origin Story

CounterPAC emerged from the Citizen Engagement Laboratory (CEL), a progressive organization focused on social activism and democratic participation[1]. Jay Costa, who serves as CounterPAC's executive director, previously worked as CEL's campaign director, and a majority of CounterPAC's staff comes directly from CEL[1]. This organizational lineage reflects CounterPAC's roots in the broader progressive movement for campaign finance transparency.

The organization gained visibility through early electoral campaigns, including efforts in West Virginia's 3rd congressional district election in 2014 and Alaska's 2014 Senate race between Mark Begich and Dan Sullivan, where CounterPAC spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in advertisements tying candidates to dark money[1].

Core Differentiators

CounterPAC's approach centers on bilateral pledges between opposing candidates rather than unilateral disarmament[6]. The model draws inspiration from the 2012 Massachusetts Senate race, where Elizabeth Warren and Scott Brown successfully implemented the "People's Pledge"—a mutual agreement to reject super PAC support and offset any spending benefiting either candidate by forfeiting their own campaign funds[6]. This bilateral framework creates mutual accountability and removes the electoral disadvantage candidates face when acting alone against outside spending[6].

Role in the Broader Political Landscape

CounterPAC addresses a significant democratic concern: polling shows 87% of Americans support campaign finance reform, with 78% specifically disapproving of unlimited corporate spending enabled by the 2010 *Citizens United* Supreme Court decision[6]. By focusing on candidate-led pledges rather than legislative reform, CounterPAC operates within existing legal constraints while attempting to shift the political calculus around dark money spending.