It’s been a bad year for advocates of ranked-choice voting reforms.
State Battles Over Ranked Choice Voting Reveal Shifting Fault Lines
By Juliana Broad | at
Campaign Finance
Billionaire Megadonors Push State Courts Rightward
By Juliana Broad | at
Elon Musk, Richard Uihlein, and Jeff Yass are among the billionaire Republican megadonors who aimed extensive resources at this year’s state court races.
ULINE CEO’s Restoration PAC Hauls in $51.8 Million in Third Quarter
By David Armiak | at
GOP megadonor Richard Uihlein’s Restoration PAC disclosed raising $51.8 million and dispersing $30.4 million in a Federal Election Commission filing for the third quarter reviewed by the Center for the Media and Democracy.
Leonard Leo’s Concord Fund Again Tops Funders of Republican AG Group in Third Quarter
By David Armiak | at
The Concord Fund’s $1.5 million contribution to the Republican Attorneys General Association in the third quarter made it the top funder of the right-wing group leading opposition to abortion rights and other key aspects of President Biden’s agenda.
Super PAC Spending on Montana Senate Race Breaks Records
By Colleen Scerpella and Don Wiener | at
Montana is a must-win state for both parties in the 2024 general election for the U.S Senate, and it is shaping up to be the most expensive in U.S. history in terms of the cost per vote.
Utility-Backed Candidates and Undemocratic Oversight Create Obstacles to Arizona’s Transition to Clean Energy
By Juliana Broad | at
A recent Arizona primary election sheds light on the entrenched power of the state’s utilities, with critics worried that more state representatives may work at the behest of the utilities instead of focusing on much-needed reforms to accelerate Arizona’s move towards renewable energy.
Private Equity Giants Invest More Than $200M in Federal Races to Protect Their Lucrative Tax Loophole
By Don Wiener | at
So far this election cycle, just 11 private equity billionaires have contributed more than double the amount 147 private equity firms pumped into federal elections during the entire 2016 election cycle.
Heavy Hitters and Big Business Bankroll RAGA
By Juliana Broad | at
The Republican Attorney Generals Association, which represents conservative state attorneys general and has coordinated attacks on unions, reproductive rights, and consumer protections, received over $6.3 million in the second quarter of 2024, according to tax filings obtained and reviewed by CMD.
Railroad Owned by RFK Jr.’s Megadonor Repeatedly Violated Environmental and Safety Laws
By Don Wiener | at
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. may claim he will be “the best environmental president in American history,” but the Republican industrialist bankrolling the super PAC behind his longshot bid for the White House has a long history of violating environmental laws.
Leonard Leo’s Concord Fund Top Funder of Republican AGs Group in 2024
By David Armiak | at
The Republican Attorneys General Association brought in $5.3 million in contributions in the first three months of 2024, as its latest Federal Elections Commission disclosure examined by the Center for Media and Democracy shows.