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1 Ian Vandewalker, Election Spending 2016: Outside Groups Outspend Candidates and Parties in Key Senate Races 1 (2016)

handle is hein.brennan/elcspogcad0001 and id is 1 raw text is: BRENNAN CENTER FOR JUSTICE at New York University School of Law Election Spending 2016: Outside Groups Outspend Candidates and Parties in Key Senate Races Ian Vandewalker *Research provided by Alexis Farmer Groups other than the parties or the candidates are the highest spenders in 2016's most competitive Senate races, according to the latest Brennan Center analysis.' Of the $557 million spent so far in ten key Senate contests, nonparty outside groups are responsible for $282 million, or 51 percent. The vast majority of this outside money was raised by groups not subject to contribution limits. In Nevada, for example, where Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto is locked in a tight contest against Republican Rep. Joe Heck, only 30 percent of the spending has come from the candidates themselves. Although it is hard to tell because of unreported expenditures in past elections, 2016 may mark the first time outside groups other than the official parties or the candidates account for the majority of spending. Overall, outside spending is pouring into races at a record pace. The current record-holder for the most expensive Senate race was the 2014 North Carolina contest, when a total of $116 million was spent. By the end of September in that race, there was $39 million in outside spending. By contrast, four contests this year have already beaten that mark: Pennsylvania ($69 million), Ohio ($49 million), New Hampshire ($48 million) and Nevada ($43 million). With spending so far of $107 million, it seems a safe bet that the Pennsylvania Senate race between Republican incumbent Pat Toomey and challenger Katie McGinty will break North Carolina's record for total spending. And in a reversal from 2014, Republicans are outspending Democrats. Nearly 60 percent of the money spent so far in the top Senate races has been to either to support GOP candidates or attack Democrats. Secret spending, or dark money - money from groups that don't reveal their donors - accounts for much of Republicans' advantage: it favors GOP candidates at a ratio of six-to-one. Although the dollar amount of secret spending has remained about the same since 2014 ($87 million), its share of overall spending has dropped, from 23 percent to 16 percent. Our analysis likely underestimates the amount of secret spending however, since much of it is not reported to the FEC or otherwise announced. The reason for the percentage decline since the last election is the massive

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