Editing Lawrence Lessig (section)

== 2016 presidential candidacy ==
{{main|Lawrence Lessig 2016 presidential campaign}}
Lessig announced the launch of his long shot presidential campaign on September 6, 2015.
On August 11, 2015, Lessig announced that he had launched an exploratory campaign for the purpose of exploring his prospects of winning the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] [[Democratic Party presidential primaries, 2016|nomination]] for [[president of the United States]] in the [[2016 United States presidential election|2016 election]].<ref name="why"/><ref name="exploring">{{cite news | url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/11/politics/larry-lessig-presidential-campaign-exploration/index.html | title=Harvard professor Lawrence Lessig is exploring a long shot presidential bid | publisher=CNN.com | date=August 11, 2015 | access-date=August 11, 2015 | author=Merica, Dan | archive-date=August 11, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150811161956/http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/11/politics/larry-lessig-presidential-campaign-exploration/index.html | url-status=live }}</ref> Lessig pledged to seek the nomination if he raised one million dollars by [[Labor Day]] 2015.<ref name="exploring"/> The announcement was widely reported in national media outlets, and was timed to coincide with a media blitz by the Lessig 2016 Campaign. Lessig was interviewed in ''[[The New York Times]]'' and [[Bloomberg L.P.|Bloomberg]]. Campaign messages and Lessig's electoral finance reform positions were circulated widely on social media.<ref name="exploring"/><ref>Toussaint, Kristin (August 11, 2015) [https://www.boston.com/news/nation/2015/08/11/harvard-law-professor-exploring-presidential-run/lNQdSFZzDpMzCh0Uinz2aO/story.html "Harvard law professor wants to be president—for one day"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305081001/http://www.boston.com/news/nation/2015/08/11/harvard-law-professor-exploring-presidential-run/lNQdSFZzDpMzCh0Uinz2aO/story.html |date=March 5, 2016 }}, [[Boston.com]]. Retrieved August 11, 2015</ref> His campaign was focused on a single issue: [[The Citizen Equality Act]], a proposal that couples [[Campaign finance reform in the United States|campaign finance reform]] with other laws aimed at curbing [[Gerrymandering in the United States|gerrymandering]] and ensuring [[Voter suppression in the United States|voting access]].<ref name="exploring"/> As an expression of his commitment to the proposal, Lessig initially promised to resign once the Citizen Equality Act became law and turn the presidency over to his vice president, who would then serve out the remainder of the term as a typical American president and act on a variety of issues. In October 2015, Lessig abandoned his automatic resignation plan and adopted a full policy platform for the presidency, although he did retain the passage of the Citizen Equality Act as his primary legislative objective.<ref name="exploring"/>

Lessig made a single campaign stop in Iowa, with an eye toward the first-in-the-nation precinct caucuses: at Dordt College, in Sioux Center, in late October. He announced the end of his campaign on November 2, 2015.<ref name="Graham">{{cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/11/2016-election/384828/|title=The 2016 U.S. Presidential Race: A Cheat Sheet|last=Graham|first=David|date=2 November 2015|work=[[The Atlantic]]|access-date=2 November 2015|archive-date=December 12, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151212210132/http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/11/2016-election/384828/|url-status=live}}</ref>