Congressional Spending Tops $1.3 Billion

Spending in congressional races this year is at an all-time high, the total having soared past a billion dollars.

The Center for Responsive Politics says about $1.3 billion has been spent thus far and the total is not yet complete.

Heres the latest from CRP: This year’s intensely competitive election for control of the House of Representatives and Senate will be the most expensive midterm election ever, the Center for Responsive Politics predicts. Candidates, national political parties and outside issue advocacy groups will spend roughly $2.6 billion by the end of 2006 to influence the 472 federal contests around the United States and pad the war chests of incumbents not running this year.

The non-partisan Center, which has been tracking the money in federal politics since the 1980s, based its 2006 prediction on spending to date and the final tally for the 2002 midterm election.

In 2004, which included a presidential contest, the election cost $4.2 billion. About $2.2 billion was spent in 2002, which preceded campaign finance reforms that limited the influence of large corporate and union donors. The estimate for 2006 would represent an 18% increase over ’02.

“The torrid pace of fundraising for this election is a reflection of how competitive November 7th will be,” said Sheila Krumholz, the Center’s acting executive director and longtime research director. “Barring a scandal sinking your opponent—which has happened a number of times this year—you simply cannot win a seat in the House without $1 million or more—or millions more for the Senate. But as Election Day approaches, it’s important for candidates and citizens to remember that you can’t win without votes either.”

All candidates for the House and Senate have raised nearly $1.3 billion, based on data available from the Federal Election Commission on Oct. 23. Candidates still in the running for House have raised, on average, about $760,000, while Senate candidates have raised $5.8 million (which includes money raised since the start of the six-year term in 2001). Incumbent senators have a 4:1 advantage over their current challengers, on average. House incumbents have outraised their current challengers 7:2.

Republicans are expected to retain their edge in fundraising through the election. The Center predicts that Republican interests—candidates, party committees and conservative advocacy groups—will spend $1.4 billion on this election. Democratic interests will spend $1.2 billion, the Center projects.

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