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June 10, 2021

This week in money-in-politics

Which Women Can Run? The Fundraising Gap in the 2020 Elections' Competitive Primaries

Women ran, donated and voted in record numbers during the 2020 elections, despite a global pandemic and the ensuing recession that has fallen on overt gender and racial lines. Still, intersectional racial and gender fundraising gaps persisted when women, particularly women of color, ran in 2020 primary and general elections. Campaign finance remains a barrier of entry for many demographic groups of women, especially in primary elections.

OpenSecrets' new gender and race report examines the variables that create barriers early on for women, especially women of color, and the variables that lead these candidates toward successful campaigns. Our goal is to address and document how gender and race impact primaries.

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Amid infrastructure talks, new business coalition lobbies against Biden tax hikes

Over half of business associations affiliated with a new coalition to oppose Democratic efforts to raise taxes on wealthy individuals and corporations spent over $3 million in lobbying expenditures in the first quarter of 2021. The alliance, America’s Job Creators for a Strong Recovery, will oppose all legislation aimed at increasing taxes on corporations and businesses, arguing that tax hikes would impede the U.S. economy’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Four Republicans diverge on Trump in New Jersey gubernatorial primary

Four Republicans are vying Tuesday to challenge New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, who’s running unopposed for his party’s nomination. Murphy is running for his second term as governor, a position that came after a 23-year-long career with Goldman Sachs that saw his personal wealth balloon, three years as the National Finance Chair of the Democratic National Committee and a term as United States Ambassador to Germany under former President Barack Obama.

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McAuliffe leads crowded Democratic field in fundraising to regain Virginia governor’s seat

With a little less than a day before Virginians head to the polls to select a Democratic gubernatorial candidate, former Gov. Terry McAuliffe has collected nearly $15 million, over twice as much as any other Democratic candidate. McAuliffe, who set many fundraising records before serving as governor from 2014 to 2018, is one of five candidates competing to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam in Tuesday’s primary.

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Support investigative journalism serving the public interest.

Trump-tied ‘dark money’ groups funding Arizona ballot review

This story was reported in collaboration with the Guardian.

Dark money groups tied to former President Donald Trump’s inner circle and backed by people who spread baseless claims about the 2020 presidential election appear to be playing a big role in funding an unprecedented review of 2.1 million ballots in Arizona.

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Groups supporting California Gov. Newsom are winning the recall money fight

Groups supporting California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) against the effort to recall him have raised nearly $14.5 million, almost $10 million more than the pro-recall effort.

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Introducing a new member of the OpenSecrets Team:
Money-in-politics reporter Melissa Holzberg

Melissa joined OpenSecrets as its money-in-politics reporter in 2021. Prior to joining OpenSecrets, she reported on the 2020 election for NBC News, and spent two years covering national affairs with the Meet the Press team. Melissa graduated from The George Washington University with a B.A. in political communication and a minor in journalism and mass communications.

OpenSecrets in the News

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

Retirees stuck in the middle of debate over drug-price reform (MarketWatch)
The pharmaceutical industry spent a record $92 million lobbying the federal government in the first quarter of this year, according to OpenSecrets.

Saudi Princess in Iowa: Lobbying Pivots After Khashoggi’s Murder (Bloomberg)

Saudi Arabia slashed its lobbying spending 76% over the past three years from a high of $34 million in 2018, OpenSecrets' Foreign Agents Registration data shows.

Left-leaning watchdog: Companies avoiding taxes spent millions on lobbying (The Hill)
Fifty-five companies that didn’t pay any corporate income tax in 2020 spent $408 million on lobbying over the past six years, according to a new report from left-leaning watchdog group Public Citizen. Citing data from OpenSecrets.org, the report also found the companies accounted for $42 million in federal campaign contributions since the 2016 election cycle.

New York Times
Politico
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Newsweek
Pennsylvania Capital-Star
S&P Global
Fox News
USA Today
The Guardian
Stat News
The Assembly
Voice of America
Project on Government Oversight
The New Republic
Business Insider

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