Supporting candidates who support electric cooperatives
Rural Friends/ACRE was formed with the mission of making the voice of electric co-op members heard in the Texas Legislature and US Congress. It does this by providing support for candidates for state and federal office - those in office now and those running for office - who will speak for and protect the interests of electric cooperatives and their consumers.
Rural Friends of Electric Cooperatives is the non-partisan political action committee (PAC) that supports electric cooperatives in Texas. The national affiliate is the Action Committee for Rural Electrification (ACRE).
Maintaining a strong grassroots presence in the political process is instrumental to the long-term success of electric cooperatives and the communities served.
If you'd like to contribute to Rural Friends/ACRE, please fill out this form or contact us at 1-866-632-3532.
Membership is voluntary, but the dedication of our members to stand together forms the backbone of Rural Friends/ACRE. This powerful grassroots effort promotes policies to secure the future of electric cooperatives, its employees and the communities we serve.
Rural Friends/ACRE follows established procedures for making contributions to candidates running for political office.
Factors that determine financial support include:
- the candidate's position on issues critical to electric cooperatives;
- their votes and public statements on these issues;
- the candidte's financial need and strength of his or her opponent.
The candidate's political affiliation is never taken in to account.
Political Action Committee
The law allows individuals with common interests to pool their resources using 329 PACs in order to make political contributions for state and federal office. Candidates who receive a substantial contribution get an important message about the members in their local community's electric cooperative. The candidate knows that the electric cooperative consumers and employees who support them want to elect individuals to office who will make good policy decisions on their behalf.
Rural Friends and ACRE are subject to all state and federal campaign finance laws and reporting requirements.