Time for the Top Fives breakdown of last weeks independent expenditures disclosed to the FEC. This post presents the top five spenders/recipients of outside cash in five simple snapshots. As we have moved closer to election day, CBMG has tracked an increase in disclosures - both in volume and value - across the board. Look back at Top Fives posts from previous weeks, here, here and here (sorry didn’t have time to do one last week), to see the trends.
Last week, 52 different groups disclosed a big $96.6 million. In September, outside money organizations disclosed an average of $56 million per week, amounting to over $225 million in total. So, political spending in October is off to a very fast start.
Top Five Organizations:
The Karl Rove dark money organizations - American Crossroads and Crossroads GPS - disclosed over $20 million collectively. Nearly all of the America Crossroads expenditures target the presidential race and GPS focuses on congressional contests. Whilst pro-Republican groups dominate pro-Democrat groups in the independent expenditure arms race, pro-Democrat groups are disbursing more money of late, mostly on congressional elections.
Honorable mentions in this category, both eclipsing $4 million, are pro-Obama super PAC, Priorities USA Action and the US Chamber of Commerce.
Top Five States:
More spending in general, more spending going toward targeted state-specific locations. Bigger states with either in-play Senate seats or lots of House elections in bigger media markets top this list.
Top Five Candidates for the US House of Representatives:
In all, $35 million flowed into House races last week. Honorable mentions, each receiving over $600K from outside groups, are: Dan Lungren (R) CA-07, Judy Biggert (R) IL-11, Bill Enyart (D) IL-12, Allen West (R) FL-18 and Jim Matheson (R) UT-4.
Top Five Candidates for the US Senate:
In total, groups disclosed over $28 million targeting Senate contests. Senate cadidates that nearly made the list - each receiving over $1 million - are: Josh Manden (R) OH, Jon Tester (D) MT, Jeff Flake (R) AZ and Rick Berg (R) ND.
Presidential Election:
President Obama continues to receive the most cash on an individual basis and on a different order of magnitude than his opponent, Mitt Romney. Despite the high level of spending on the presidential race - $33 million in all - it is slowly declining in a relative amount to House and Senate-specific disclosures.
