Un-PAC is a political action committee (PAC) that recruits young adults to become activists for left-wing causes with a particular focus on campaign finance laws and election administration policy. The PAC has endorsed the For the People Act, which would increase federal involvement in state election administration and place constraints on the ability of states to implement election integrity measures.

In addition to pushing for government policies, the PAC calls on colleges and universities to facilitate student voting and mandate voter registration for incoming students. The PAC is closely aligned with the Democratic Party, relying on the ActBlue internet fundraising platform to process donations and endorsing Democratic-backed legislation. At the same time, the PAC claims to be “fiercely non-partisan” even while the organization’s founders “acknowledge that our origins are on the political left.” ^{1 2}

Initiatives

Un-PAC offers activism training to college students, most notably through its Youth Power Summer Academy, where attendees learn the details of campaign finance law and receive instruction on lobbying elected officials. Students who complete the academy become campus organizers for the PAC and are given objectives related to recruiting other students and building local chapters. ³

Un-PAC is a signatory to the Declaration for American Democracy, an initiative of the Public Citizen Foundation, a sister organization of the left-wing lobbying group Public Citizen. The declaration calls for a broad range of left-of-center voting policies and has received support from hundreds of other groups, including the election reform promoter Common Cause and major labor unions such as the American Federation of Teachers and the Service Employees International Union. ⁴

In December 2021, Un-PAC members in Arizona, including co-founders Shana Gallagher and Joseline Garcia, staged a hunger strike with the goal of pressuring Democratic lawmakers and President Joe Biden to back the proposed Freedom to Vote Act, a version of the controversial For the People Act. Republicans in Congress had blocked the proposal, with Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) criticizing it as an unwarranted attempt to federalize voting laws. At the time, Gallagher claimed that passing the bill, which would force states to offer certain periods of early voting and permit no-excuse mail-in ballots, was a matter of “existential urgency.” The activists claimed to have maintained the hunger strike for several weeks before traveling to Washington, D.C., and continuing their strike in front of the White House. The protest received widespread media attention, as well as support from several Hollywood celebrities. ^{5 6}

Leadership

Joseline Garcia is the executive director and co-founder of Un-PAC. She also sits on the board of Public Citizen. Garcia was the developer and manager of a joint program between the office of California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) and the University of California, Los Angeles which identified communities for targeting with pro-vaccine messaging during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, she was an organizer for the unsuccessful 2020 presidential campaign of self-described socialist senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT). In her professional profile, Garcia touts her Central American immigrant background and identifies herself as “the outcome of efforts” to promote “equity” and “diversity.” ⁷

Shana Gallagher is a co-founder and previous executive director of Un-PAC. She is now the senior advisor to the PAC. Gallagher oversaw the December 2021 hunger strike by student members of the PAC in Phoenix, AZ, which was intended to pressure senator Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) and the Biden administration to support left-wing election administration legislation. ^{8 9}

Financials

Un-PAC solicits donations through the Democratic Party-aligned online fundraising service ActBlue. The PAC claims that 90 percent of all funds go toward what it calls “youth organizing efforts” and that it only keeps 10 percent for operational expenses. ¹⁰

1. “Frequently Asked Questions.” Un-PAC. Accessed March 12, 2023.

   https://un-pac.org/faq/

2.  “The Facts About H.R. 1: The ‘For the People Act of 2021.’” Heritage Foundation. February 21, 2021. Accessed March 12, 2023. https://www.heritage.org/node/24613947/print-display
3. “Frequently Asked Questions.” Un-PAC. Accessed March 12, 2023. https://un-pac.org/faq/
4. Declaration for American Democracy. Accessed March 12, 2023. https://dfadcoalition.org/
5. Hannah Demissie. “Students go on hunger strike to push for voting rights.” ABC News. December 19, 2021. Accessed March 12, 2023. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/students-hunger-strike-push-voting-rights/story?id=81816971
6. Emily Brooks. “Senate Republicans block Freedom to Vote Act, Democrats’ latest election overhaul bill.” Washington Examiner. October 20, 2021. Accessed March 12, 2023. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/senate-republicans-block-freedom-to-vote-act
7. Joseline Garcia. LinkedIn. Accessed March 12, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseline-garcia-88923b1ab/
8. Hannah Demissie. “Students go on hunger strike to push for voting rights.” ABC News. December 19, 2021. Accessed March 12, 2023. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/students-hunger-strike-push-voting-rights/story?id=81816971
9. “Frequently Asked Questions.” Un-PAC. Accessed March 12, 2023. https://un-pac.org/faq/
10. “Frequently Asked Questions.” Un-PAC. Accessed March 12, 2023. https://un-pac.org/faq/