Outside spending overall in the 2020 cycle is over $2 billion, making it the most expensive election cycle since the disastrous 2010 Citizens United decision
Ten years after the disastrous 2010 Supreme Court decision of Citizens United, the 2020 election cycle is set to see more outside spending than any other election cycle. Senate races across the country in particular, including South Carolina, are on track to be the most expensive in history.
From 2010 to 2018, outside groups poured over $11 million in political ads and other spending into South Carolina Senate and House races. In the 2020 election cycle alone, South Carolina has been hit by over $57 million in outside spending, much of it on political ads. In total, since the disastrous 2010 Citizens United Supreme Court decision, South Carolina has seen over $68 million in outside spending.
“In Congress, Senator Lindsey Graham had the opportunity to require dark money groups to disclose their big donors, but he didn’t. Graham had a chance to support a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United, but he didn’t. He even could have supported the most comprehensive anti-corruption legislation since Watergate, but he didn’t,” said End Citizens United President Tiffany Muller. “Graham has only helped create a corrupt system where corporations and mega-donors can spend unlimited and undisclosed money in elections. Jaime Harrison is running a reform-focused campaign and will fight to put an end to this Wild West era of campaign spending by wealthy political donors and corporations.”
While Senator Lindsey Graham has propped up the broken system created by Citizens United, Jaime Harrison is fighting to unrig it to put power back into the hands of South Carolinians. Since the onset of the 2020 cycle, Harrison has run a reform-focused campaign and put the needs of South Carolinians first. Jaime Harrison’s anti-corruption messaging is resonating with voters, making the South Carolina Senate race one of the most competitive in the country.
###