Washington, D.C.-Public Campaign today expressed its shock and sadness at the tragic deaths of Senator Paul Wellstone, his wife Sheila, daughter Marcia, his flight crew and three members of his campaign staff, and expressed its determination to continue to fight for the vision and values that he so ably represented in his twelve years in public service.

"Public Campaign lost one of its closest friends today," said Nick Nyhart, executive director. "He was with us on the fight for comprehensive campaign finance reform even before our founding in 1997, he was the lead sponsor of our 'Clean Money/Clean Elections' full public financing bill, and most important, he was our voice in a chamber where cash, not citizens, is usually heard the most clearly. He wasn't just Minnesota's Senator, he was democracy's Senator."

"Paul always spoke from the heart, and at the center of his heart was the principle of political equality. As he put it in April 2001, when he re-introduced the Clean Money/Clean Elections bill, 'The people of this country, not special interest big money, should be the source of all political power. Everyone must have equal opportunity to participate in the process of government.'"

"Those of us who had the privilege of knowing Paul will never forget him," Becky Glass, a member of the Public Campaign board and executive director of the Minnesota- and Wisconsin-based Midwest States Center, which works with pro-democracy and economic justice groups across the upper Midwest. "He was a rare figure in today's political world, a real leader working alongside the people in his community, his state and his nation. He was never swayed in his tireless efforts to promote justice and democracy. His memory will inspire us as we continue his work."

Nyhart continued, "Paul believed deeply in organizing, and in the power of average citizens to make a difference by organizing themselves to demand change. To that end, he was the keynote speaker at our founding conference of Clean Money activists, and his Senate office worked hard to support activists around the country in their efforts. We will honor Paul by continuing to fight for the things he believed in: a democracy where everyone has an equal voice, where the least of us matter as much as those with the most, and where the principle of one person, one vote reigns supreme."