Your weekly money in politics newsletter.

November 2, 2023

Republican presidential hopefuls burn through cash to shrink Trump’s huge lead

Republican presidential hopefuls are burning through cash in attempts to shrink former President Donald Trump’s significant lead in the polls, with three months until the first caucus in Iowa on Jan.15.

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Governor Youngkin raises $30 million for state elections amid presidential buzz

Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin reported raising nearly $2.2 million through his political action committee, Spirit of Virginia, following a donor retreat on Oct. 17-18 — weeks before the state’s high-stakes legislative elections on Nov. 7.

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OpenSecrets' Chart of the Week

Dive deeper into the data behind the headlines

Companies, labor unions, trade associations and other influential organizations spend billions of dollars each year to lobby Congress and federal agencies. Some special interests retain lobbying firms, many of them located along Washington's legendary K Street, while others also have lobbyists working in-house.

So far in 2023, OpenSecrets has tracked $4.4 BILLION in lobbying spending to influence government policy. OpenSecrets is the only organization that tracks state AND federal lobbying data to provide comprehensive datasets for journalists, academics and the general public.

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OpenSecrets in the News

See our media citations from outlets around the nation this week:

How Menendez Tried and Failed to Place an Ally in a Key Federal Post (The New York Times)

Mr. Sellinger had contributed to Mr. Menendez’s Senate campaigns since 2006 and had co-hosted a fund-raiser as recently as June 2020, according to an invitation. He also gave $40,000 to a defense fund Mr. Menendez set up in 2014 to pay legal costs associated with an earlier federal indictment, according to OpenSecrets; that case ended with a hung jury.

Reid Hoffman-backed PAC may fund primary campaign against progressives Rashida Tlaib, Cori Bush (CNBC)

The possible primary fight would be the latest election cycle that the Mainstream Democrats PAC has moved against candidates from within the Democratic Party. The Mainstream Democrats PAC helped defeat some progressive Democrats during the 2022 congressional midterms, according to data from the nonpartisan OpenSecrets.

Payday lenders aim to evade federal probes as borrowers plead for help (Washington Post)

GOP lawmakers have sharply attacked the CFPB over its recent enforcement efforts. Republicans have also counted among the biggest beneficiaries of campaign donations from the payday lending industry. Between January and the beginning of July, payday lending companies and executives donated more than $1.2 million, primarily to GOP lawmakers who have been fiercely critical of the agency, according to data compiled by the money-in-politics watchdog OpenSecrets.

New York Times

Politico

The Hill

Axios

Reuters

CNBC

El Pais