Introduction
$3.66B
The estimated cost of the 2014 federal midterm elections
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$118.8M
The total amount spent by candidates, parties and other groups in North Carolina’s U.S. Senate race. Number of Senate races where more was spent: 0
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10
U.S. Senate races where all candidates, parties and other groups combined to spent at least $50 million
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17,727
votes by which Republican Senate candidate Ed Gillespie lost to Democratic incumbent Sen. Mark Warner
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$140,000
total amount raised by the We Can Do Better PAC, the super PAC created to boost Gillespie
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11
state legislatures gained Republican majorities in 2014
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$62.8M
estimated amount of money spent airing TV ads in state legislative races in 2014
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$177,000
the total value of the gifts, vacations and loans former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell was convicted of receiving in exchange for political favors
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10
the minimum number of years the U.S. Probation Office recommended McDonnell serve in prison as a result
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6
Federal Election Commission commissioners
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4
Federal Election Commission commissioners still serving despite their terms having expired
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$27.5M
amount of money Illinois’ Republican Gov.-elect Bruce Rauner gave to his own campaign
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$37M
estimated amount of money Rauner’s campaign spent airing TV ads
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100
age of real estate developer Leonard Litwin, the top donor to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s 2014 re-election campaign
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$1M
amount of money companies affiliated with Litwin’s real estate management firm gave to Cuomo’s campaign
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3,834
Number of TV ads that ran in Alaska and Oregon to support recreational pot legalization
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$123,200
aggregate federal campaign contribution limit before April’s McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission decision
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6
key U.S. Senate races where “dark money” groups accounted for at least 1 of every 5 TV ads
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3
key U.S. Senate races where “dark money” groups accounted for at least 1 of every 4 TV ads
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1/7
of TV ads in Kentucky’s U.S. Senate race aired by a single pro-Mitch McConnell “dark money” group run by a former McConnell aide
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3.86
percent of 501(c)(4) “social welfare” group applications denied, in 1981, by the Internal Revenue Service
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.22
percent of 501(c)(4) “social welfare” group applications denied, in 2013, by the Internal Revenue Service: 0.22
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163
U.S. colleges and universities receiving money from private foundations led by Charles or David Koch
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$100M
nearly the collective amount of surplus campaign cash controlled by former congressional candidates
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50,200
ads run during 2014 election cycle by pro-Democratic super PAC Senate Majority PAC, which ran more ads than any other outside group
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$78M
raised by liberal environmentalist Tom Steyer’s NextGen Climate Action super PAC
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0
super PACs that raised more
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60%
increase in donations from the financial industry this cycle versus 2012 for Sen.-elect and Banking Caucus member Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va.
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4
industry-friendly financial bills introduced by Capito during the 113th Congress, while she chaired a key subcommittee of the House Financial Services Committee
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4
Years since the term “super PAC” was first used
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1,004
federally registered super PACs and hybrid PACs in late December
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13
super PACs and hybrid PACs that include “Hillary” or “Clinton” in their name
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0
super PACs and hybrid PACs that include “Jeb” or “Bush” in their name
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Read more in Money and Democracy
Money and Democracy
Liberal ‘dark money’ group could face IRS fine
Union-backed Pennsylvanians for Accountability failed to file mandatory tax return
Money and Democracy
State politics findings you may have missed
The Center’s best state politics stories from 2014
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