Take Back Our Republic is a nominally right-leaning organization that supports campaign speech restriction. ¹ Former Republican political operative John Pudner founded the organization. ²

Members of Take Back Our Republic participated with left-of-center groups such as Black Lives Matter and Democracy Spring in a 2016 protest seeking the reversal of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision that allowed greater campaign-related speech. ²

Campaign Speech Advocacy

Take Back Our Republic New England Chairman Jim Rubens, a former candidate for U.S. Senate from New Hampshire, wrote an op-ed for the organization backing a 28^th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would impose limits on campaign contributions. Rubens argued Democrats have an advantage in “dark money” spending, stating in 2018, liberal dark money groups outspent conservative dark money group 54/31. Further, Rubens noted, in the close special election of 2017 for the Alabama U.S. Senate seat, California billionaire Reid Hoffman used a “dark money” group to support Democrat Doug Jones. ³

In 2020, Take Back Our Republic co-signed a letter addressed to President Donald Trump which advocated for hiring Federal Election Commission (FEC) Commissioners to reach quorum and to enforce election laws.

Redistricting

Take Back Our Republic also advocates for ending legislative redistricting and placing bipartisan commissions in charge of drawing district lines for congressional and state legislative districts. ⁴

The organization funds and campaigns for state ballot initiatives to adopt redistricting commissions. ⁴

Funding

Despite Take Back Our Republic’s positioning as a right-of-center organization that supports the left-of-center policies on election administration and campaign speech, much of the group’s funding comes from large left-of-center institutional funders. The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and Pierre Omidyar’s Democracy Fund have both provided six-figure sums to Take Back Our Republic; the Carnegie Corporation of New York, Mertz Gilmore Foundation, and Rockefeller Brothers Fund have provided smaller amounts. ⁵

Leadership

John Pudner is the executive director of Take Back Our Republic. He claims credit for launching the 2014 congressional campaign of longshot Dave Brat who defeated then-House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) in a Republican primary. That same year, he also helped defeat a 32-year incumbent Democrat Alabama state senator. Pudner ran an effort to reach Catholic and social conservative voters in 2000 on behalf of the George W. Bush campaign. ⁶ He later had a stint running the sports coverage of the Breitbart News Network. ⁴

Francis Johnson is the president and chairman of the board of Take Back Our Republic. He is a founding partner of the public relations firm Communications Resources. He held positions in the 1992 George H.W. Bush campaign, the 2000 and 2004 George W. Bush campaign, and the 2008 John McCain presidential campaign. He was also part of Jim Gilmore’s successful 1997 campaign for Virginia governor. He was previously the political director for the Senate Action Center and the Conservative Action Alliance. ⁷

Justin Hill is the deputy director. He has worked for state campaigns in Alabama, Georgia, Oklahoma, North Carolina and Virginia. ⁸

1. What We Do. Take Back Our Republic. Accessed February 8, 2020. https://takeback.org/about/
2. Kiely, Kathy. “Why Conservatives Are Marching for Campaign Finance Reform.” BillMoyers.com. April 15, 2016. Accessed February 8, 2020. https://billmoyers.com/story/why-conservatives-are-marching-for-campaign-finance-reform/
3. Rubens. Jim. “Republicans Should Get Behind the 28^th Amendment.” The Hill. August 7, 2019. Accessed February 8, 2020. https://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/politics/456623-republicans-should-get-behind-the-28th-amendment
4. Kirkland, Allegra. “Meet the Ex-Breitbart GOPer Waging a Lonely Fight to Combat Gerrymanderring.” Talking Points Memo. June 24, 2019. Accessed February 8, 2020. https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/john-pudner-take-back-our-republic-redistricting-reform
5. Data compiled by FoundationSearch.com subscription service, a project of Metasoft Systems, Inc., from forms filed with the IRS. Queries conducted March 11, 2020. John Pudner. Accessed February 8, 2020. https://takeback.org/about/our-team/executive-director-john-pudner/
6. John Pudner. Accessed February 8, 2020. https://takeback.org/about/our-team/executive-director-john-pudner/
7.  Francis Johnson, President. “Take Back Our Republic.” Accessed February 8, 2020. https://takeback.org/about/take-back-our-republic-governing-board/francis-johnson/
8. Justice Hill. Take Back Our Republic. Accessed February 8, 2020 https://takeback.org/about/our-team/deputy-director-justin-hill/