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Where Elon Musk and his super PAC's "sweepstakes" fit into campaign finance rules

"It has those of us in the good government/democracy space scratching our heads," says Sarah Bryner of OpenSecrets.
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Why companies spend all that campaign donation money

What do companies actually hope to gain when they funnel money toward campaigns and political causes?
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How will President Biden's exit from the presidential race affect campaign spending?

Jul 23, 2024
Harris’ campaign will likely spend earlier on introductory ads than if Biden were at the top of the ticket. The GOP will need to pivot spending to take on a new opponent.
With Kamala Harris poised to take the Democratic nomination, you can expect a slew of ads introducing her to the electorate ahead of next month’s Democratic National Convention.
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Campaign donors hope money makes the difference in hotly contested states

Federal campaigns get much of the spotlight, but state and local races can be as consequential for residents' lives. Funders know that.
Millions of dollars are being spent to sway voters on state-level ballot initiatives.
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Joint fundraising: A campaign strategy to increase contributions

In the lead-up to the 2024 general election, joint fundraising committees have collected $1 billion in contributions so far.
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What the 2020 race (so far) has taught campaigns about how to spend money

Nov 13, 2020
Local organizing over national ads and more focus on mail-in voting are some of the takeaways from the recent election.
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Campaign spending could continue long after Election Day

Nov 4, 2020
Nearly $14 billion will be spent by the parties and campaigns this year, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. That’s more than double what was spent in 2016.
Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

Money is still flooding into the campaigns. But how to spend it?

Oct 22, 2020
In the final run-up to Election Day, campaigns, parties and outside groups are rushing to spend unprecedented cash on hand.
Television screens air the first presidential debate at a sports bar on Sept. 29, in Washington, D.C.
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Is chasing swing voters a waste of campaign money?

Sep 28, 2020
Most voters have already decided whom they want for president, experts say. Will undecideds vote at all?
One swing voter researcher said "these voters may not be motivated to vote at all in the 2020 election."
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How being a presidential "front-runner" helps with fundraising

Feb 25, 2020
The research shows what you might expect: donor want to back a winner
The Democratic presidential primary debate on Feb. 19, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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