Harvard law prof plans run for president after meeting fundraising goal
Larry Lessig. File photo by Wayne Slezak.
A Harvard law professor who supports campaign finance reform has raised $1 million through Kickstarter and is planning to run for president.
The professor, Lawrence Lessig, told ABC News on Sunday he will seek the Democratic presidential nomination. He says he will be a “referendum president,” serving only until he wins passage of his campaign reform bill, the Citizens Equality Act. At that point, his vice president would take over. The Huffington Post, CNN and Politico are among the publications with stories.
Lessig plans to formally announce his candidacy on Wednesday.
Lessig has not named his vice presidential running mate. A section of his website asks for a vote on possible contenders, including some possibilities listed “just to see whether you are paying attention.” The list includes Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Jon Stewart, Facebook CEO Sheryl Sandberg and current candidates Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton.
“I think I’m running to get people to acknowledge the elephant in the room,” Lessig told ABC. “We have to recognize—we have a government that does not work. The stalemate, partisan platform of American politics in Washington right now doesn’t work. And we have to find a way to elevate the debate to focus on the changes that would actually get us a government that could work again, that is not captured by the tiniest fraction of the 1 percent.”
Lessig’s Citizens Equality Act has three components. First, it would end winner-take-all voting for Congress, replacing it with a system in which voters rank their choices to elect lawmakers from multi-member districts.
Second, it would change voting laws with automatic voter registration, a national holiday for elections, and an amendment to the Voting Rights Act that revises the criteria for jurisdictions subject to preclearance review of voting changes.
Third, the act would give vouchers to every voter to fund congressional and presidential campaigns, and would provide matching funds for small-dollar contributions.
