2nd Vote (Second Vote)

Founding and History

2nd Vote was launched in 2012 by David L. Black after he learned that March of Dimes donations were being used to fund Planned Parenthood chapters. Because Black did not vote for pro-abortion politicians he did not want to support pro-abortion policies by supporting companies that donated to pro-abortion causes. ¹ In July 2023, the organization announced it would be shutting down by August 31 of that year. As of January 2024, the group is shut down with its website no longer functioning. ²

In August 2023, the organization was shut down and its website defunct. ² As of November 2024, both the group and its website remain defunct and shut down. ³

Retailer Scoring System

2nd Vote’s main research project was its retailer scoring system, which was used to create various guides meant for conservatives to use when making purchases and utilizing services to patronize companies that support conservative values and avoid those that do not. The idea was that these guides would allow conservative voters a “2nd vote” and allow them to only support organizations that do not undermine their political and social beliefs. ⁴

Scoring was based on five categories and factors: both direct and indirect corporate donations, stated policies, sponsorships, corporate leadership donations, and lobbying on both the state and federal level. ⁵  However, while companies’ general scores were available for public access, the shopping guides produced by the group required an annual subscription to access. ⁶

Policy Stances

Life

2nd Vote identified as a pro-life organization and considered whether or not a company financially contributes to groups and charities that support or advocate for pro-abortion policies. These companies would receive a negative score in the group’s retailer scoring system, while companies that openly advocate for or support pro-life organizations would receive a positive score. ⁷

Basic Freedoms

2nd Vote classified basic freedoms as being those enumerated in the First Amendment of the Constitution. The group acknowledged that private companies are not bound by law to respecting First Amendment rights, but asserted that in a free society companies should abide by the spirit of these rights. 2nd Vote negatively scored companies in this category if they censor conservatives and the conservative press or support violent protests. ⁸

Gun Rights

2nd Vote was a strong advocate for the Second Amendment and explicitly stated that it interprets it to mean that American citizens should be free to possess any arms that are possessed by the government and that any restrictions of the kind of arms citizens can possess is “an affront to the Constitution.” Companies that refuse to do business with firearm manufacturers and dealers and companies that advocate for gun control were scored negatively in this category. ⁹

Education

2nd Vote rated companies positively if they support school choice and negatively if they advocate for the Common Core and the further federalization of the education system. ¹⁰

Environment

2nd Vote stated that it is in favor of environmental stewardship, but negatively scored companies that support environmentalist groups that advance policies such as “Cap and Trade” and burdensome environmental regulation. ¹¹

Immigration

2nd Vote stated that the organization was in favor of legal immigration into the U.S. but argued that immigration laws must be enforced. Corporate support for “sanctuary cities” that do not cooperate with federal immigration enforcement were scored negatively in this category. ¹²

Aligned Organizations

2nd Vote was aligned with The Heritage Foundation, a right-of-center think tank located in Washington, D.C.; the American Family Association, a social-conservative organization focused on promoting Christian values; and the Family Research Council, a right of center organization that is focused on promoting family values. ¹³

Finances

In fiscal year 2019, 2nd Vote reported $743,783 in revenue, of which $736,866 was derived from contributions and grants. The organization reported $745,957 in expenses, of which $349,853 was allocated for salaries and benefits. The group ended the year with $60,111 in net assets. ¹⁴

Leadership and Staff

David Black was the founder of 2nd Vote. He has a Ph.D. in forensic toxicology and has worked on substance abuse programs with many major organizations including NASCAR and WWE. He is the husband of former U.S. Rep. Diane Black (R-TN). ¹⁵

Amy Wilhite was the executive director of 2nd Vote. She previously worked as the director of finance/events for Rep. Black’s failed 2018 campaign for governor of Tennessee. She was formerly the executive director of the Aegis Science Foundation. ¹⁶