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NEWS ABOUT: campaign spending

Citizens United Takes Center Stage in Election 2012

Ruling that created super PACs having huge effect

(Newser) - The underlying theme of the GOP race this year seems to be Citizens United, observes Law.com . The Supreme Court decision that led to the creation of super PACs funded by unlimited donations is getting its first real-world test, and the results are hard to miss. Most notably: The super... More »

Candidates' Cash Going to Mailings, Security, Pizza...

First expense reports offer a glimpse into each campaign

(Newser) - Want to get to know your 2012 candidates better? Take a look at what they're spending campaign cash on, courtesy of expense reports obtained by the Washington Post . The first major spending reports of the campaign reveal that the candidates have spent about $32 million so far.
  • Tim Pawlenty:
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Jerry Brown's $37M Trumped Whitman's $179M

Failed Calif. gov campaign cost $43.25 per vote in her favor

(Newser) - Democrat Jerry Brown won the California governor's race despite being outspent nearly 5 to 1 by opponent Meg Whitman, according to campaign finance reports filed yesterday. The former eBay CEO, who shattered the record for personal spending by a candidate, spent $178.5 million on her campaign, of which $144.... More »

Feds Investigate O'Donnell's Campaign Spending

FBI looks into whether she used campaign money for personal expenses

(Newser) - Potential trouble for Christine O'Donnell: The FBI is investigating whether she used campaign money for personal expenses, reports the AP . (The story is based on an anonymous source, and it notes that nothing has been referred to a grand jury.) O'Donnell raised $7.3 million in her unsuccessful run... More »

Election's Real Winners: Country Clubs, Caterers, Etc.

Campaign pumped about $4B into economy

(Newser) - Republicans may be crowing about their victory last Tuesday, but the election's real winners weren't so much partisan as all-business: As the Washington Post reports, the bank-busting 2010 campaign pumped an estimated $4 billion into the whimpering US economy it revolved around (for a little context, Cash for Clunkers came... More »

Votes Cost an Average of $7

Though calculations differ

(Newser) - How much does a vote cost? Estimates vary wildly, from $5 to $175, Slate reports in its Explainer column. In 2008, winners spent an average of $1.3 million to win roughly 185,000 votes, meaning each vote cost around $7, while losers spent an average $493,000 for 91,... More »

Moaning Democrats Actually Outspending Republicans

Outside groups can't make up for party advantages

(Newser) - Democrats have been playing the financial victim lately, bemoaning the cash outside groups are throwing at Republicans. Which is kind of ironic, because the truth is that Democrats are outspending Republicans—even if you take those outside groups into account. Democratic campaign committees and left-leaning outside groups have spent a... More »

$2B House, Senate Races Smash Fundraising Record

Spending set to top $4M for each congressional seat

(Newser) - Fundraising records have been shattered as House and Senate candidates head toward the finish line, a Washington Post analysis of campaign finance data finds. House and Senate candidates have raised over $1.5 billion and total spending is on course to top $2 billion as hopefuls dig deep into their... More »

Public-Employees Union No. 1 Election Spender

1.6-million member AFSCME spends $87.5M on campaign

(Newser) - The American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees has become the biggest outside donor to the midterm elections, thanks to a last-minute push of funds to Democrats that brings its total election spending to $87.5 million, the Wall Street Journal reports. The organization, which boasts 1.6 million... More »

Midterms Set to Be History's Most Expensive Elections

Spending on course to top $5B, totally dwarfing the 2008 presidential election

(Newser) - This year's midterm elections are on course to become the most expensive in American history. Experts predict that campaign spending will top $5 billion by the time voters go to the polls, dwarfing the $1 billion spent on the 2008 presidential campaign and the $2.8 billion spent on 2006's... More »

Dems Keep Distance From Own Party in Ads

Vulnerable incumbents shy away from party line

(Newser) - President Obama and Nancy Pelosi are showing up in lots of political ads these days—and they're almost always Republican ads, notes the New York Times . In general, vulnerable Democratic incumbents are distancing themselves from their party and legislative victories like health care—and instead portraying themselves as anti-government outsiders... More »

What Recession? Candidates Spend Like Mad

Supreme Court ruling allows record-setting money bonanza

(Newser) - Politics looks like a recession-proof industry. With campaign finance rules gutted by the Supreme Court, money is flooding into this year’s election. House and Senate candidates have raised $1.2 billion so far, putting them on a record-setting pace. Gubernatorial races are just as pricey; Meg Whitman alone has... More »

Bloomberg Campaign Spending 'Off the Charts'

Mayor has doled out a record $85M, could hit $140M

(Newser) - Billionaire Michael Bloomberg has spent a record $85 million of his own money on his re-election campaign in New York, and the figure could reach $140 million before it's over. His nearest opponent has managed $6 million. The New York Times figures Bloomberg's total for his three mayoral campaigns will... More »

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