In today’s political marketplace—for Louisiana’s U.S. House and Senate races only and not including the presidential election—your vote is currently worth approximately $9.93, says Jeremy Alford in his latest column.
“More specifically, that’s how much the campaigns and outside groups had spent per Louisiana voter as of the morning of Monday, based on campaign finance reports filed with the Federal Election Commission,” Alford writes. “And compared to other recent ballots, that ain’t much to crow about. Just two years ago per-voter spending shot well past the $20 threshold for the same slate of races.”
Simply put, Alford says, the pace of federal fundraising and spending have been abnormally slow in Louisiana in 2016 after years of record-setting hauls. The slow stride also stands in stark contrast to the jaw-dropping cash being burned through nationally, he adds.
Thus far, the two dozen candidates for U.S. Senate have so far collectively spent $13 million, while campaigns being waged in all six of Louisiana’s congressional districts have expended another $11 million. Combined, super PACs and other outside groups have spent $3 million.
“So, with roughly a week remaining in the primary season and a handful of runoffs on the way, expenditures for the state’s federal races are now knocking on the door of $30 million,” Alford writes. “That tally, while certainly a big number, underscores just how sleepy this year’s U.S. Senate race has been. It’s doubtful that any money records will be broken in the contest to replace Sen. David Vitter, which is surprising given its 24-candidate field.”
By contrast, the 2014 Senate election that saw the defeat of Mary Landrieu at the hands of Sen. Bill Cassidy produced $37 million in spending from the candidates alone and another $25 million from outside groups, Alford says. At $62 million overall, it was the single most expensive election ever waged in Louisiana, he says.
Last year also saw the most expensive governor’s race in state history, says Alford, noting the four candidates in the race spent $30 million and a group of super PACs ponied up another $20 million.
“There’s no denying that politics in Louisiana are becoming an expensive affair,” Alford writes. “If first-time candidates aren’t able to put together a competitive fundraising operation, or if they’re not lucky enough to tap into something more primal in the electorate, then they better be independently wealthy and ready to spend their own cash.”
Jeremy Alford publishes LaPolitics Weekly, a newsletter on Louisiana politics, at LaPolitics.com. Follow him on Twitter, or on Facebook. He can be reached at JJA@LaPolitics.com.
