New 'Beard PAC' to raise unlimited funds to support bearded candidates

The United States has a serious lack of bearded politicians, according to a newly formed Super PAC that hopes to reverse the situation.

The group, called Bearded Entrepreneurs for the Advancement of a Responsible Democracy (BEARD), officially filed with the Federal Elections Committee on Wednesday. It plans to raise unlimited sums of money to support bearded candidates nationwide.

Jonathan Sessions, who founded Beard PAC along with Andy Shapero, told Raw Story the group plans to create a beard review committee to investigate the quality and longevity of beards on candidates. He explained that his Super PAC would not support candidates sporting only a mustache, but would consider a goatee "on the right candidate."

"With the resurgence of beards in popular culture and among today’s younger generation, we believe the time is now to bring facial hair back into politics," Sessions said in a statement announcing the new Super PAC.

"We haven’t had a bearded major party candidate run for President since Charles Evans Hughes ran and lost in 1916, and there has been a recent wave of retirements amongst bearded Congressmen, including David Obey and Steve LaTourette," he added. "Our hope is that we can start to reverse this disturbing trend."

Sessions acknowledged his Super PAC would likely only support male candidates, though he was willing to support a bearded woman if the situation should arise. He said it was a shame that less than 20 percent of the 113th Congress was made up of women. Sessions fully supports electing women to Congress, but his group if solely focused on the "niche" of bearded candidates, he explained.

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[Man with beard via Shutterstock]