The nationalization of political contributions and the rising role of out-of-state donations

Federal races have become increasingly expensive in recent years, and the most competitive contests tend to attract astronomical fundraising hauls. In 2000, victorious Senate candidates raised an average of $7.3 million – over three and a half times less than the $26.5 million raised by the average Senate victor in 2022. The average U.S. House winner spent nearly $2.8 million during the 2022 election cycle, nearly three and a half times the $840,300 the average winner spent in 2000. A myriad of factors contribute to the increased cost of federal races, particularly Senate races, but the rise of outside spending after the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission decision cannot be overstated. The Court argued that political groups not affiliated with candidates could solicit unlimited donations from people and corporations as long as the group discloses its donors, opening the door for political groups to raise huge sums of money from a small number of donors.