USA
Transparency USA | 08/17/2020

According to a recent study* by Ballotpedia, 97.3 percent of state legislators seeking reelection have advanced to the general election. This turnover rate isn’t unique. In fact, it’s in line with the percentage of incumbents advancing from the primary to the general elections in 2018 (97 percent) and 2016 (97.5 percent). The caricature of the …

Transparency USA | 07/22/2020

Florida, the perennial swing state, is considered one of the top battlegrounds in the nation by both the left and the right. It is perhaps no surprise, given its history for close elections, that a number of political action committees (PACs) have invested heavily in the governance of the Sunshine State. Here are the top …

USA
Tracy Marshall | 06/04/2020

Welcome! This week we launched Transparency USA, where our mission is to provide clear, accurate, easy-to-understand information about the money in state politics.  What We Offer Formerly Transparency Texas, we have expanded to include campaign finance data for nine states: Arizona, Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wisconsin. You can search all …

USA
Tracy Marshall | 03/16/2020

In Sunday night’s Democratic presidential debate, frontrunner Joe Biden renewed his call for eliminating private money from elections and instead having federally-funded campaigns. Candidates from both sides of the aisle are increasingly interested in having the government fund their election efforts. Here are five reasons why more government control is the wrong way to make campaigns …

USA
Tracy Marshall | 03/09/2020

Super Tuesday’s biggest loser? The narrative that money can buy an election.  From the top of the ballot to the bottom, voters proved again and again they won’t be swayed by money alone. Here are some glaring examples: The most infamous case is Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg, who spent north of $500 million yet …