Eleven. Billion. Dollars.
 
Driven by increased spending by outside groups and an unprecedented number of small donations made by donors of every political stripe, the US election is on track to be the most expensive cycle on record — by far. The most recent contest in 2016 was record breaking at a mere $7 billion, adjusted for inflation.
 
It is not a simple task to keep a precise and accurate tally of election dollars because the money comes from an increasingly complex array of sources. Small and large donors, megadonors, super PACs, hybrid PACs, dark and gray money groups (not to mention dark money groups donating directly to super PACs). CRP calculates this total cycle after cycle so that journalists investigating the influence of money on our elections, and academics and advocates proposing reforms to limit corruption and restore public confidence, have the tools they need. Our projection last week was picked up by the New York Times, NYT again, CNN, RollCall, BusinessInsider, Fox, CNBC, ABC –– to name a few citations.
 
CRP’s experts stay on top of a vast amount of data so that reporters and activists — and you — can explore the costs using our Election Overview section. You’ll uncover Presidential, House, and Senate candidate financial activity for the election “at-a-glance.” You’ll also find election trends, data on the advantages of incumbency, most expensive/competitive races, donor demographics, and much more.
 
Meeting our users‘ needs is OpenSecrets’ ongoing mission, doing the heavy lifting — combing through millions of data points — to count all the cash and reveal the true costs of our campaigns. We depend on you to continue promoting accountability by sharing our data with your networks.
 
Thank you for reading and sharing the news, and linking others to OpenSecrets.org. Despite the challenging times, staggering sums are pouring into our elections. Transparency is key to assuring that megadonors don't buy influence and exert undue pressure on our soon-to-be-elected politicians. Trust OpenSecrets.org for accurate information that empowers the public.