# Common Cause *American nonpartisan government-reform watchdog organization* Common Cause is a government-reform organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. It is commonly described as a watchdog group and has state chapters in 35 states.[^1] John W. Gardner founded it in 1970. Gardner was a Republican who had been Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare in the [[Lyndon Johnson]] administration. The group's first campaigns sought an end to the Vietnam War and a voting age lowered from 21 to 18.[^2] Some accounts call the group liberal-leaning; others call it nonpartisan. It is associated with the "good government" reform movement.[^3] Its tagline is "holding power accountable". It states its mission as "upholding the core values of American democracy," including work to "create open, honest, and accountable government that serves the public interest."[^3] In the Minnesota record, the organization's documented act is a motion. Together with the [[League of Women Voters]], Common Cause moved to intervene in *[[United States v. Simon]]*, No. 0:25-cv-03761 (D. Minn.). That federal action concerns Secretary of State [[Steve Simon]]'s refusal to provide the unredacted Statewide Voter Registration List. The matter was recorded as ongoing as of June 18, 2026.[^4] The record does not state which party the intervention would support or whether the court granted it.[^4] ## Issue areas Common Cause lists five issue areas: "money in politics", "voting and elections", "ethics", "a fair economy", and "media and democracy".[^5] ### Constitutional conventions The organization lobbies against current campaigns to convene an Article V convention to amend the United States Constitution. It opposes such campaigns from both the left and the right.[^6] Its targets include the progressive political action committee Wolf PAC's effort to limit large political donations. They also include the "Convention of the States" initiative of the conservative group Citizens for Self-Governance, which some Republican politicians back.[^6] Its May 2016 report, *The Dangerous Path: Big Money's Plan to Shred the Constitution*, stated: "There is nothing to prevent the convention, once convened, from proposing additional changes that could limit or eliminate fundamental rights or upend our entire system of government."[^7] Common Cause has also argued that a convention could exceed its intended scope. It gave as a reason that "state legislatures, the majority of which are controlled by Republicans, would likely control the agenda at a constitutional convention."[^7] Any amendment such a convention proposed would still need ratification by three-quarters of the states.[^7] ### Ethics Common Cause lobbied for congressional passage of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978.[^8] ## Organizational overview ### Leadership Karen Hobert Flynn led the organization as president from June 2016 until she died in March 2023.[^9] On December 14, 2023, Virginia Kase Solomón was named Common Cause's tenth president. She had been chief executive of the League of Women Voters from 2018 to 2023.[^9] Earlier presidents include the following:[^10] - Jack Conway (1971–1975) - David Cohen (1975–1981) - Fred Wertheimer (1981–1995) - Ann McBride (1995–1999) - Scott Harshbarger (1999–2002), a former Massachusetts Attorney General - Chellie Pingree (2003–2007), later elected to the U.S. House from Maine Robert W. (Bob) Edgar, formerly a Democratic U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania, held the post from 2007 until he died in office in April 2013. Miles S. Rapoport, formerly Connecticut's Secretary of State, served from 2014 to 2016.[^10] ### Board Gardner chaired the board from 1970 to 1978. Archibald Cox, the former Watergate special prosecutor, chaired it from 1980 to 1992. Robert Reich, Secretary of Labor in the Clinton administration, chaired it from 2013 to 2018.[^11] Under the group's nonpartisanship policy, Reich took a leave of absence from February 2016 until after the November 2016 election.[^11] ## In the Minnesota record ### Who - The United States is the plaintiff in *United States v. Simon*. The defendant is Steve Simon, sued in his official capacity as Minnesota Secretary of State.[^4] - The League of Women Voters and Common Cause moved to intervene.[^4] ### What - The United States challenges Simon's refusal to provide the unredacted Statewide Voter Registration List. It brings the challenge under the [[Civil Rights Act of 1960]] and the [[Help America Vote Act]].[^4] - The refusal is defended on state law, §201.091.[^4] ### When - The action was filed on September 25, 2025. It was recorded as ongoing when the record was refreshed on June 18, 2026.[^4] ### Where - The case is in the United States District Court for the District of [[Minnesota]]. It is assigned to Judge [[Katherine M. Menendez]] and Magistrate Judge Elsa M. Bullard.[^4] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia, *Common Cause* (rev. 1370831109, retrieved 2026-10-26) — Washington, D.C. base; chapters in 35 states; watchdog description. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Cause [^2]: Wikipedia, *Common Cause* (rev. 1370831109, retrieved 2026-10-26) — founding in 1970 by John W. Gardner, Republican, HEW Secretary under Johnson; early focus on the Vietnam War and the voting age. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Cause [^3]: Wikipedia, *Common Cause* (rev. 1370831109, retrieved 2026-10-26) — liberal-leaning and nonpartisan identifications; "good government" movement; tagline and stated mission. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Cause [^4]: How Minnesota Got Here project, *The Instrument No One Will Name* (densified, 2026-06-18), entry [54] (validated record; marked primary-confirmed) — *United States v. Simon*, 0:25-cv-03761 (D. Minn., filed Sep. 25, 2025); refusal to provide unredacted Statewide Voter Registration List; Civil Rights Act of 1960 and Help America Vote Act; defense on state law (§201.091); Judge Katherine M. Menendez, Mag. Judge Elsa M. Bullard; League of Women Voters and Common Cause moved to intervene; ongoing. No URL for the docket is among the pack's allowed sources. [^5]: Wikipedia, *Common Cause*, "Issue areas" (rev. 1370831109, retrieved 2026-10-26) — the five stated issue areas. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Cause [^6]: Wikipedia, *Common Cause*, "Constitutional conventions" (rev. 1370831109, retrieved 2026-10-26) — opposition to Article V convention efforts by Wolf PAC and the Convention of the States initiative. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Cause [^7]: Wikipedia, *Common Cause*, "Constitutional conventions" (rev. 1370831109, retrieved 2026-10-26) — May 2016 report *The Dangerous Path*; quoted statements; three-quarters ratification requirement. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Cause [^8]: Wikipedia, *Common Cause*, "Ethics" (rev. 1370831109, retrieved 2026-10-26) — lobbying for the Ethics in Government Act of 1978. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Cause [^9]: Wikipedia, *Common Cause*, "Leadership" (rev. 1370831109, retrieved 2026-10-26) — Karen Hobert Flynn's tenure; Virginia Kase Solomón named tenth president on December 14, 2023; her prior League of Women Voters role. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Cause [^10]: Wikipedia, *Common Cause*, "Leadership" (rev. 1370831109, retrieved 2026-10-26) — list of presidents with dates and prior or later offices. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Cause [^11]: Wikipedia, *Common Cause*, "Leadership" (rev. 1370831109, retrieved 2026-10-26) — board chairs Gardner, Cox and Reich; Reich's 2016 leave of absence under the nonpartisanship policy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Cause