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Transparency and Campaign Spending in Minnesota in 2020
(2021-03) Pearson, Kathryn; Jacobs, Lawrence R.
Money fuels politics, giving voice not only to candidates and their campaigns, but to outside groups and political parties—both during campaigns and lawmaking in Minnesota. Minnesota legislators are influenced by campaign spending. Money contributed during the 2018 campaign cycle influenced the 2019 legislative session in the Minnesota House. When the campaign season is over and the legislative session begins, outside groups, political parties, and individual donors press their interests and influence in the legislative process, particularly in committees. This study reports on indications of donor influence in 2019. An astounding $162.7 million was spent on elections in Minnesota during 2020. Of this, $105 million flowed into Minnesota’s campaigns for the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives. Another nearly $41 million was spent on Minnesota elections for the State Senate and State House of Representatives. Additionally, individual Minnesota donors contributed $16.7 million to one of the two major party presidential candidates in 2020. The DFL had an advantage; overall spending to support DFL candidates was greater than overall spending to support GOP candidates, largely due to the DFL’s advantage in state legislative races and in the U.S. Senate race. Overall spending on Minnesota’s U.S. House races, however, benefitted Republican candidates.
Women Running for Office: Looking Ahead to the 2020 Elections
(2019-11-21) Pearson, Kathryn; Dittmar, Kelly
Transparency and Campaign Spending in Minnesota, Report 6: State spending in Minnesota
(2019-02-25) Pearson, Kathryn; Jacobs, Lawrence R
Minnesota’s elections for Governor, Attorney General, and the State House were hit by “Money Bombs” in the final days of the campaign. Overall spending surpassed $42 million – a 25% hike during the last two weeks of campaigning. This is on top of the huge spending on federal elections –$105 million. Overall spending to support DFL candidates for state government was greater than for GOP candidates – and grew in the closing days of the fall campaign. DFL candidates for Minnesota House of Representatives received more campaign support than GOP candidates. The DFL’s retaking of the majority was supported by a surge of spending in the campaign’s closing days that reversed an earlier GOP advantage. Independent expenditures from parties, groups, corporations, unions, and associations are flooding Minnesota. Big donors dominate the gubernatorial contest. The majority of money in both candidates’ campaign coffers comes from individual checks of over $500. By contrast, smaller donors account for the majority of the candidates’ funds in the Statehouse races.
Transparency and Campaign Spending in Minnesota, Report 5: Overall Spending on Minnesota Elections
(2018-11-04) Pearson, Kathryn; Jacobs, Lawrence R
Over $135 million has been spent on Minnesota’s 2018 state and federal elections. Support for Democratic candidates was more than 50% higher than support for Republicans – nearly $82 million versus $53 million. More than $75 million was spent on Minnesota’s eight U.S. House races, with a focus on Minnesota’s 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 8th Districts. Independent expenditures from parties, groups, corporations, unions, and associations accounted for much of this spending. By contrast, spending in Minnesota’s two U.S. Senate races totaled only around $25 million, and 90% of the spending was in the form of direct contributions to the candidates rather than independent expenditures.
Transparency and Campaign Spending in Minnesota, Report 4: Independent Expenditures on Federal Elections
(2018-11-04) Pearson, Kathryn; Jacobs, Lawrence R
Independent expenditures by parties, groups, corporations, unions, associations and individuals are flooding Minnesota, flowing mainly to four U.S. House races. (Independent expenditures are made by groups and parties to support or oppose a candidate without any coordination with the candidates). More than $45 million was spent by independent expenditure groups. Republican U.S. House and U.S. Senate candidates are receiving nearly $3 million more than Democrats from independent expenditure groups. Most of the independent expenditures are spent on negative advertising. Nearly all of the money helping Republicans (94 percent) was spent attacking DFL candidates, while groups helping Democrats spent 68% attacking Republicans.
Transparency and Campaign Spending in Minnesota, Report 3: State Spending Nov. 2018
(2018-11-03) Pearson, Kathryn; Jacobs, Lawrence R
Nearly $34 million has flowed into Minnesota’s campaigns for Governor, Attorney General, and Statehouse. Overall spending to support DFL candidates for state government is greater than overall spending for GOP candidates. Republican candidates have a financial advantage over DFL candidates in the battle for control of the Minnesota House of Representatives, particularly in the most competitive races. Of the 23 battleground statehouse races, GOP candidates are outspending their DFL counterparts in 16 districts. Independent expenditures from parties, groups, corporations, unions, and associations are flooding Minnesota, helping to create disparities in spending for DFL and GOP candidates. Big donors dominate the gubernatorial contest. The majority of money in both candidates’ campaign coffers comes from individual checks of over $500.
Transparency and Campaign Spending in Minnesota - Federal Spending Oct. 2018
(2018-10-24) Pearson, Kathryn; Jacobs, Lawrence R.
Minnesota is awash in campaign spending –more than $94 million by mid-October. This includes $82 million on U.S. House and U.S. Senates and $12 million on the races for governor, attorney general, and statehouse. Campaign spending is acutely strategic: each party directs money where it enjoys the greatest opportunity in the most competitive races. For Republicans, spending has focused on statehouse races (as we saw in our previous report) and on contested U.S. House races that are critical to retaining the Party’s current state and national majorities. By comparison, spending to support DFL candidates has focused on the Governor and U.S. Senate races, along with competitive U.S. House races. Four of Minnesota’s eight U.S. House races are extremely competitive, and the more than $30 million in independent expenditures flowing to these races reflects their national importance. Most of the independent expenditures are spent by parties and groups opposing candidates to fund negative ads. No wonder Minnesotans complain about the harsh tone of this year’s election.
Third-Party Guys, The Real Threat
(2003-10-19) Jacobs, Lawrence
How Nader's Campaign May Hurt Bush's Reelection
(2003-12-15) Jacobs, Lawrence
Americans Support Third Party Candidacies of Jesse Ventura and John McCain
(2004-03-07) Jacobs, Lawrence
Third-party threat: It's not just Nader
(2004-04-20) Jacobs, Lawrence
Third Party Heartland
(2004-09-01) Jacobs, Lawrence; Ostermeier, Eric J.
Nader and Libertarian Play King Makers in Deadlocked Minnesotan Race
(2004-10-27) Jacobs, Lawrence
Here Come the Third Parties: Gaining Access to the Presidential Ballot
(2004-10-29) Jacobs, Lawrence; Ostermeier, Eric J.
The Ventura Legacy: Solidified and Stronger Third Parties
(2006-06-15) Jacobs, Lawrence; Ostermeier, Eric J.
The Ventura Legacy: Solidified and Stronger Third Parties
(2008-04-02) Ostermeier, Eric J.
The Third Party Impact in 2008
(2008-07-07) Jacobs, Lawrence; Ostermeier, Eric J.
Third Party Option Attractive to Minnesotans
(2008-08-26) Jacobs, Lawrence; Miller, Joanne M.
The Big Mobilization: Increased Voter Registration in 2008
(2008-05-08) Lawrence, Jacobs; Burns, Melanie
The Unregistered: Voter Registration Declines in Many States
(2008-10-22) Jacobs, Lawrence; Burns, Melanie