Editing Common Cause (section)

==Organizational overview==

===Leadership===
Karen Hobert Flynn became the organization's president in June 2016. She served in this role until her death in March 2023.<ref name=courant>{{cite news|title=Common Cause Taps Former Connecticut Director As National President|url=http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-karen-hobert-flynn-common-cause-president-20160613-story.html|access-date=14 June 2016|publisher=Hartford Courant|date=June 13, 2016}}</ref><ref name=flynn/> Virginia Kase Solomón was named as the tenth President of Common Cause on December 14, 2023.<ref name="Solomon">[https://www.commoncause.org/press-release/virginiakasesolomon/ Virginia Kase Solomón Named Tenth President of Common Cause], Common Cause (December 14, 2023).</ref> 

The following individuals have served as president of Common Cause:
*Jack Conway (1971–1975)<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1998/01/11/us/jack-conway-80-leader-in-war-on-poverty.html Jack Conway, 80, Leader in War on Poverty] ''The New York Times'' (January 11, 1998).</ref>
*David Cohen (1975–1981)<ref>Albin Krebs & Robert McG. Thomas Jr., [https://www.nytimes.com/1981/02/26/nyregion/notes-on-people-looking-for-a-leader.html Looking for a Leader] ''The New York Times'' (February 26, 1981).</ref>
*[[Fred Wertheimer]] (1981–1995)<ref name="Hobert">[http://www.commoncause.org/press/press-releases/common-cause-names-karen-hobert-flynn-president.html Common Cause Names Karen Hobert Flynn President], Common Cause (June 13, 2016).</ref> 
*[[Ann McBride Norton|Ann McBride]] (1995–1999)&mdash;longtime Common Cause employee who served as vice president and lobbyist for the group before serving as president<ref>[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-03-14-mn-42709-story.html Top Common Cause Officer Named Group's President], Associated Press (March 14, 1995).</ref><ref name="Harshbarger">[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-jul-31-mn-61340-story.html Ex-Massachusetts Official New Common Cause Leader], Associated Press (July 31, 1999).</ref>
*[[Scott Harshbarger]] (1999–2002)&mdash;served as [[Massachusetts Attorney General]] before becoming Common Cause president<ref name="Harshbarger"/><ref>Jon Chesto, [https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2015/11/16/former-mass-scott-harshbarger-moves-local-law-firm/CavQO85S4pJqdnkig1RwaK/story.html Former Mass. AG Scott Harshbarger moves to local law firm], ''Boston Globe'' (November 16, 2015).</ref>
*[[Chellie Pingree]] (2003–2007)&mdash;after stepping down as president of Common Cause, was elected as U.S. Representative from Maine<ref>[https://pingree.house.gov/about-chellie About Chellie] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160907011626/https://pingree.house.gov/about-chellie |date=2016-09-07 }}, Office of Chellie Pingree, U.S. Representative, First District of Maine.</ref>
*[[Robert W. Edgar|Robert W. (Bob) Edgar]] (2007–2013)&mdash;served as [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] U.S. Representative from [[Pennsylvania]] before becoming president of Common Cause; died in office in April 2013<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.commoncause.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=dkLNK1MQIwG&b=4773613&ct=13090265 |title=Common Cause President Bob Edgar Dies at 69 |work=Common Cause |date=April 23, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130427050614/https://www.commoncause.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=dkLNK1MQIwG&b=4773613&ct=13090265 |archive-date=April 27, 2013 |access-date=August 10, 2018 |url-status=dead}}.</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/25/us/politics/bob-edgar-pennsylvania-congressman-dies-at-69.html |title=Bob Edgar, Lawmaker and Liberal Leader, Dies at 69 |last=Martin |first=Douglas |work=The New York Times |date=April 24, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130425170545/https://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/25/us/politics/bob-edgar-pennsylvania-congressman-dies-at-69.html |archive-date=April 25, 2013 |access-date=August 10, 2018 |url-status=live}}.</ref><ref name="CEO Edgar">{{cite news |url=https://www.episcopalchurch.org/library/article/nccs-robert-edgar-head-advocacy-group-common-cause |title=NCC's Robert Edgar to head advocacy group 'Common Cause' |agency=Episcopal News Service |date= 23 May 2007 |website=The Episcopal Church |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181112101639/https://www.episcopalchurch.org/library/article/nccs-robert-edgar-head-advocacy-group-common-cause |archive-date=2018-11-12 |url-status=dead |access-date=6 May 2022}}</ref><ref name="Zeller">{{cite news |url=https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/cq/2007/05/29/cq_2802.html |title=Five Questions for Bob Edgar, Common Cause President and CEO |last=Zeller |first=Shawn |work=The New York Times |agency=Congressional Quarterly |date= 29 May 2007}}</ref>
*[[Miles S. Rapoport]] (2014–2016)&mdash;was president of [[Demos (U.S. think tank)|Demos]] and Secretary of State of Connecticut before becoming president of Common Cause<ref name="Hobert"/><ref name="Pazniokas">Mark Pazniokas, [http://ctmirror.org/2014/01/14/miles-rapoport-named-national-president-common-cause/ Miles Rapoport named national president of Common Cause], ''Connecticut Mirror'' (January 14, 2014).</ref><ref>[http://www.demos.org/press-release/president-miles-rapoport-leaving-demos-lead-common-cause President Miles Rapoport Leaving Demos To Lead Common Cause], Demos (January 14, 2014).</ref>
*Karen Hobert Flynn (2016–2023)<ref name=courant/>&mdash;died in office in March 2023<ref name=flynn>{{Cite web |last=Pazniokas |first=Mark |date=2023-03-03 |title=Karen Hobert Flynn, Common Cause leader and CT reformer, dies |url=http://ctmirror.org/2023/03/03/karen-hobert-flynn-common-cause-leader-and-ct-reformer-dies/ |access-date=2023-03-05 |website=CT Mirror |language=en-US}}</ref>
*Virginia Kase Solomón (2023- )&mdash;served as the CEO of the [[League of Women Voters]], 2018-2023.

The following are three of the most prominent individuals who have served as chairs of Common Cause's board:
*[[John W. Gardner]] (1970–1978)&mdash;founder and chairman of the organization; served two three-year terms as chairman before stepping down.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1977/02/06/archives/gardner-resigning-post-as-chairman-of-common-cause.html Gardner Resigning Post as Chairman of Common Cause], Associated Press (February 6, 1977).</ref>
*[[Archibald Cox]] (1980–1992)&mdash;former [[Watergate scandal|Watergate]] [[special prosecutor]].<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://www.commoncause.org/press/press-releases/archibald-coxs-legacy-must-not-vanish.html|title=Archibald Cox's legacy must not vanish|date=May 30, 2004|publisher=Common Cause}}</ref><ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/30/nyregion/archibald-cox-92-is-dead-helped-prosecute-watergate.html Archibald Cox, 92, Is Dead; Helped Prosecute Watergate], ''The New York Times'' (May 30, 2004).</ref>
*[[Robert Reich]] (2013–2018*)&mdash;former [[United States Secretary of Labor|Secretary of Labor]] in the [[Presidency of Bill Clinton|Clinton Administration]]. (*Due to Common Cause's policy of nonpartisanship, Reich took a leave of absence from the group from February 2016 until after the November 2016 election in order to become involved in [[Bernie Sanders presidential campaign, 2016|Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign]].)

=== Funding ===
Common Cause has an annual combined budget of around $18 million. This includes its sister organization, the Common Cause Educational Fund.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|title=Financials|work=Common Cause Education Fund|url=https://www.commoncause.org/education-fund/about-us/financials/|access-date=2018-05-06}}</ref> '''Common Cause''' is organized as a [[501(c)4|501(c)(4) organization]], and its sister organization, the '''Common Cause Educational Fund''', is a [[501(c)(3) organization]].<ref name=":0" />