According to OpenSecrets, a research group that tracks money in US politics, close to a record $12bn has been spent by candidates and outside political groups on campaigning.
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12bn → accord → campaigning
The world’s richest man, Elon Musk alone has given $445 million to the Republicans, according to campaign finance records.
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man → give → records
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Critics have questioned the huge sums of money being spent to sway voting during an election cycle in which the cost of living and affordability have been the key issues in most campaign agendas.
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cost → ruin → agendas
They argue that campaign spending policy gives wealthy donors, corporations and special interest groups outsized influence over candidate and policy selection.
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policy → argue → selection
Why has so much been spent on these elections?
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much → spend → elections
US elections are funded in two ways.
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elections → fund → ways
Firstly, candidates can directly raise money for their campaigns.
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candidates → raise → campaigns
In the lead-up to these midterms, Democratic candidates are expected to have spent more than $2.2bn compared with $1.4bn by Republican candidates, according to OpenSecrets.
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candidates → expect → OpenSecrets
Secondly, corporations, unions and other associations can spend money on election campaigns, independently of individual candidates’ campaigns, in a process known as “outside spending”.
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corporations → spend → spending
Previously, these organisations were barred from funding adverts close to elections in order to prevent corruption or the appearance of corruption.
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organisations → bar → corruption
But in 2010, the US Supreme Court overturned that rule, treating election communications as protected political speech.
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Court → overturn → speech
In a related ruling, a lower court struck down limits on the size of contributions these groups could raise, provided they did not coordinate directly with candidates.
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they → strike → candidates
Since then, Federal Election Commission disclosure data shows such spending on elections has increased hugely, nearly tripling in the past decade alone from $4.12bn in 2016 to an estimated $11.9bn for 2026’s midterm elections.
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spending → show → elections
This “outside spending” is largely driven by groups called independent expenditure-only political action committees – better known as super PACs – which organise the funding and then spend it on advertising or other initiatives in support of candidates or parties.
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which → drive → candidates
How do super PACs operate?
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PACs → operate → ?
There are no limits on the amount of money donors can give to outside spending groups such as super PACs.
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donors → be → PACs
That has been the case since the Supreme Court ruled that unlimited contributions to groups which do not coordinate directly with candidates are protected under free speech laws.
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which → rule → laws
The majority of super PACs are politically aligned and organised in line with either the Democratic or Republican Party.
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majority → align → Party
Among the largest super PACs are the Senate Leadership Fund, which has spent $489 million, and MAGA Inc, with $353 million, both for Republican candidates.
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which → spend → candidates
The Senate Majority PAC and the House Majority PAC have spent $248 million and $192 million respectively on Democratic candidates.
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PAC → spend → candidates
Other super PACs are organised by individuals and special interest groups, such as the Republican-supporting America PAC founded and funded by Elon Musk and the Democracy PAC funded and organised by George Soros which backs Democratic candidates.
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which → organise → candidates
Super PACs report on their direct contributors as well as financial activity to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) every month during election years, and every six months during non-election years.
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PACs → report → years
But contributors may include organisations whose own funding sources are not publicly disclosed.
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sources → include → organisations
This means that funds can pass through multiple organisations – sometimes through other PACs, known as “shell PACs” – before they are spent on campaign-related activities or advertising, making it difficult to trace contributions back to their original source.
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it → mean → source
When an original source of political spending cannot be identified, the funds are commonly described as “dark money”.
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funds → identify → money
According to OpenSecrets, “dark money” contributions will surpass a record $1.5bn in these midterm elections.
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contributions → accord → elections
That is up from the previous record of $1.35bn set in 2024 and has prompted concerns about the transparency of funding for political candidates.
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That → set → candidates
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has accused the nonprofit lobbying group, American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), of spending “millions in dark money”, for example, on pro-Israel candidates.
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Mamdani → accuse → candidates
Public records reviewed by Al Jazeera found that AIPAC has channelled millions of dollars through shell PACs ahead of the US midterm elections.
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AIPAC → review → elections
What do we know about AIPAC?
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we → know → AIPAC
AIPAC is one of the best-known super PACs and has attracted criticism in recent years, particularly in light of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.
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AIPAC → know → Gaza
The lobbying group decided to end endorsements and direct campaign contributions after a challenging year.
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group → decide → year
AIPAC was founded as the American Zionist Committee for Public Affairs by American journalist and lawyer Isaiah Kenan in the 1950s.
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AIPAC → found → 1950s
It was renamed American Israel Public Affairs Committee in 1959 and has grown to more than 6 million members.
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It → rename → members
On its website it says “AIPAC helps pro-Israel candidates no matter their race, religion or background, and opposes anti-Israel candidates no matter their race, religion or background”.
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AIPAC → say → race
Much of the money AIPAC spends has been channelled through the United Democracy Project (UDP), another registered super PAC affiliated with it.
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AIPAC → spend → it
AIPAC has spent money on both Republican and Democratic campaigns, and has been accused of using money raised by Republican donors to fund adverts for “moderate” Democratic candidates in the hope of unseating or blocking progressive candidates, particularly those with pro-Palestine views.
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AIPAC → spend → views
That includes nearly $15 million spent on advertising and campaigning for pro-Israel Democrat George Latimer to stand against progressive Jamaal Bowman in New York’s 16th congressional district Democratic House primary in June 2024.
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Latimer → include → June
Latimer ultimately won that vote.
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Latimer → win → vote
AIPAC also spent $5.24 million on advertising for Wesley Bell against Cori Bush, who has criticised Israel’s war on Gaza, in the St Louis, Missouri primary which Bush lost.
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Bush → spend → which
…and 19 more, not listed.
The Aporia
