Congressional Campaigns Spend $617 Million Through Pre-Election Period
| For Immediate Release November 1, 2002 |
Contact: | Bob Biersack Ron Harris Ian Stirton Kelly Huff |
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| CONGRESSIONAL CAMPAIGNS SPEND $617
MILLION THROUGH PRE-ELECTION PERIOD - Activity lower than in comparable period in 2000 - |
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| WASHINGTON – Congressional candidates participating in
Tuesday’s (November 5) general election have raised $727.9 million and spent $617.4
million, according to a compilation by the Federal Election Commission (FEC) from
financial reports through October 16, 2002. This represents a decline of 9% in receipts
and 10% in disbursements over the comparable period in 2000. Senate candidates participating in the 2002 general election raised $257.6 million and spent $225.9 million between January 1, 2001 and October 16, 2002. These totals represent declines of 21% in receipts and 24% in spending since 2000, in spite of the intense competition between the two major parties for control of the Senate. Unlike 2000, competitive Senate campaigns tend to be in smaller population states this year, and there haven’t been specific campaigns reaching the extraordinary levels of spending reached by John Corzine in 2000. Financial activity of House candidates is little changed overall from the 2000 election cycle, with general election candidates raising $470.3 million (less than 1% below 2000 totals) and spending $391.5 million thus far in the 2001-2002 cycle (2% higher than in 2000). Increases are limited to the 45 open seat races to be decided on November 5. While reapportionment and redistricting after the 2000 census have led to more open seats than in 2000, there are far fewer in this cycle than in 1992 after the last census. Tables on median House activity and the number of nonincumbent candidates at various levels of activity are included here and provide evidence of the small number of House races with large financial totals. Tables accompanying this release offer summary data for Senate and House candidates by political party, as well as by candidate status (incumbent, challenger, or open seat). Also included are rankings of Senate and House candidates for the following categories: receipts, individual contributions, PAC and other committee contributions, disbursements, cash-on-hand, and debts owed. Six-year financial summaries of Senate candidates in 2002, as well as current cycle financial summaries for each House general election campaign are also attached. This release and the data contained in it are also available on the FEC’s web site at http://www.fec.gov under News Releases or Campaign Finance Reports and Data. Tables The files marked [EXCEL] can be viewed using Microsoft Excel available from Microsoft at http://www.microsoft.com or using the free Microsoft Excel 97/2000 Viewer available from Microsoft at http://office.microsoft.com/downloads/2000/xlviewer.aspx.
Footnotes: 1. Figures in the first two tables and the detailed listings of candidates cover from January 1, 2001, or whenever the campaign registered during the year, through October 16, 2002 or the last report filed by the campaign as indicated. 2. Net receipt and net disbursement figures are total receipts and total disbursements, as reported by the campaigns, minus any money transferred between committees of the same campaign. 3. Columns entitled "contrib from other cmtes" are moneys contributed to campaigns by PACs and other committees as reported by the campaigns. Other committees include primarily committees of other candidates. 4. On the Senate listings, the column titled "candidate support" includes contributions by the candidate as well as loans made or guaranteed by the candidate. The column titled "trans from other auth" includes moneys transferred from House committees of candidates for the Senate, as well as proceeds from joint fundraising activity among several candidates or committees. Contributions from individuals and PACs made through these joint fundraising efforts are NOT included in the "individual contributions" or "other cmte contributions" columns. 5. Open seat races are those in which the incumbent did not seek reelection. 6. Detailed listings of candidates include those House general election candidates who reported receipts before October 16, 2002. 7. Some House members or former House candidates who are or were running for the Senate in 2002 changed their former House campaign committees into their Senate campaign committees. Financial activity related solely to their Senate campaigns cannot be isolated. (See Chambliss [GA], Thune [SD], and Warren [NC]). 8. Party abbreviations in the listing of House campaigns are: blockquote
9. Several candidates report significant debts at least some of which were incurred in previous election cycles. These include:
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