Virginia's Luria Among Candidates Garnering Support from CUNA, CULAC's $2.5M Spend on Campaign Ads

Rep. Elaine Luria is getting a boost from credit unions this election season, with CUNA and the Credit Union Legislative Action Council (CULAC) funding an ad touting the Congresswoman's work to support veterans and their families. 

CUNA announced Tuesday it will spend more than $2.5 million on advertisements in support of eight credit union champions for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, bringing its total spend for the 2022 midterm elections to $6.5 million.

"Support for Congresswoman Luria is a prime example of the credit union system leveraging the strength of our political fundraising to support lawmakers and political candidates who are supportive of credit unions and our issues," says JT Blau, chief advocacy officer for the Virginia Credit Union League. "Much of the funds Leagues raise through state-level PACs are forwarded to CUNA's CULAC, enabling us to pool our resources and have a more significant impact in key political races."

Rep. Luria has been strongly pro-credit union on a number of issues:

• Signing on as a co-sponsor of the credit union governance modernization bill recently passed by the House;
• Supporting for the Paycheck Protection Program to aid small businesses during the pandemic;
• Supporting credit union charter enhancement and expansion, including the field-of-membership bill that would allow federal charters to add underserved areas; 
• Co-sponsoring the credit union-supported Securing and Enabling Commerce Using Remote and Electronic Notarization Act of 2021; and perhaps most importantly,
• She was one of the few Democratic lawmakers who stood up to the Biden Administration and Democratic leadership to stop the proposal that would have expanded IRS reporting requirements for credit unions and other financial institutions.

In addition to Rep. Luria, the new $2.5 million in spending will specifically back these candidates who are generally considered to be in close races:

• Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV-SEN)
• Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE-2)
• Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-GA-2)
• Rep Ashley Hinson (R-IA-2)
• Rep. Annie Kuster (D-NH-2)
• Rep. Chris Pappas (D-NH-1)
• Rep. David Valadao (R-CA-22)  

“We are committed to ensuring the candidates on both sides of the aisle who share the credit union mission are re-elected,” said Trey Hawkins, deputy chief advocacy officer for political action with CUNA.