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Independent spending in 2016 U.S. Senate primaries
Political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns, sometimes called "outside spending," refers to any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups. Under federal campaign finance law, these groups can spend money on political activities, sometimes without being required to disclose their donors. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, at the federal level, this type of spending totaled $1.3 billion in 2012, a 125 percent increase over 2008.[1][2] This spending totaled $60.9 million during the Senate primaries in 2016.[3]
The following three states had Senate primaries in 2016 with the greatest number of outside expenditures:
- New Hampshire ($20,809,757)
- Pennsylvania ($8,879,403)
- Maryland ($6,344,695)
The average amount of money spent on Senate primaries by outside organizations in 2016 was $2.9 million; the median was $941,816.
Data
The Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) compiled data on outside expenditures from filings to the Federal Election Commission.[3] Click here for more information on how the CRP calculates expenditure totals.
See also
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