Running for Senator Costs Big Bucks!

Who's Spending the Most?

Under the Influence

Part IV

 

 

The North Carolina is the most expensive senate race of all time.

Previously, Massachusetts Senate 2012 ($82 million spent):  We called it way back in January 2012. Then Sen. Scott Brown and former Obama Administration official Elizabeth Warren combined to break the $80 million mark as money flooded into both campaigns from across the country. Interestingly for such an expensive race, it wasn't all that close; Warren won by more than seven points.

Do these people not have anything else to spend their money on? Charities to support? Actually helping their communities  would be a better idea than spending it on negative ads.





List: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/check-expensive-house-senate-races/story?id=26572215

Massachusetts senate race information:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2013/08/12/the-most-expensive-senate-races-ever-and-where-kentucky-might-fit-in/

 

 

Where's the Money Coming From?

Spending Money

Under the Influence

 

Part III

 

My first post showed a graph of top contributors to the candidates. This graph gives breakdown of money given to the candidate. Opensecrests.org projects 4 billion dollars will be spent on the mid-term elections.

 

Money is spent on administration, campaign expenses, fundraising, media, and research. 26 million dollars have been spent on ads that discredit the reputation of ONE candidate. 80% of negative ads are ran by outside groups.

I find it funny that the top three candidates are Republicans. Over 65 million has been spent to discredit the three candidates. Tom Tillis, even though criticized heavily, is still tied with the incumbent Kay Hagan.

He created his own campaign advertisement criticizing the negative ads:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkcUDPnYvFY&feature=player_embedded

 

The negative ad toward him: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcItB06ZMP8&feature=player_embedded 

   



List: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/10/22/these-10-candidates-have-faced-163-million-in-negative-ads-and-thats-a-low-estimate/

Pie Chart: http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2014/10/election-to-cost-nearly-4-billion-crp-projects-topping-previous-midterms/
Videos: http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/10/28/4271983/tillis-says-campaign-ads-too-negative.html 


Who's Making the Money?

Who's making the money?

Under The Influence

Part II 

 

Have you ever wondered how much Senators and Representatives make in their term?

The current salary for a senate member is $174,000 per year. So, $696,000 per term. Senate Leadership gets paid $193,400 per year. Speaker of the House makes $223,500 per year. The average salary of a teacher in New York is $43,839. The people teaching the next generation gets paid a third of an average senate member. Not to even mention the speaker and minority representatives.  

Who is the richest member of Congress?

The richest member is from California. He is a republican.

Rep. Darrell Issa:

The second richest is another Representative, Michael McCual.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net worth is the total assets minus total outside liabilities of an individual or a company. The difference in their net worth is 239,710,000. That is a huge gap between number one and number two.

 

 

 

Senate salary figures gathered from: http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/uscongress/a/congresspay.htm

Teacher salary figures gathered from: http://www.nea.org/home/2012-2013-average-starting-teacher-salary.html

Graph and table information gathered from: http://media.cq.com/50Richest/ 

Under the influence

Money. Money. Money.

What influence does money have on the 2014 elections?

Part I

 

Important Terms:
Dark money is a term that refers to funds used to pay for an election campaign that are not disclosed to voters prior to voting. Funds can be spent on behalf of a candidate running in an election, or to influence voting on a ballot question. (1)
PAC, or Political Action Committee,- raises and spends money for their political candidate. Has a 5,000 dollar limit
Super PAC- doesn't have a limit on raising and spending money unlike regular PACs.
 

 

(2)





(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_money

(2) http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/on-the-right-donors-drive-action-of-outside-groups-in-2014-midterms/2014/10/12/54ed9e36-4e32-11e4-aa5e-7153e466a02d_story.html?hpid=z1