97% of funds spent on losers
Alexandria, VA – Voters soundly rejected Mayday PAC’s preferred candidates and the group’s vision of greater campaign finance regulation yesterday. The self-described “Super PAC to end all Super PACs” spent $7.6 million in five congressional and three Senate contests during the election. Of that amount, 97%, or $7.35 million, was spent on independent expenditures supporting losing candidates. The few winning candidates came from safe seats.
“Mayday’s approach – to spend money to advertise its views – indicates that Professor Lessig and his supporters recognize the value that money plays in fostering debate and informing voters. But it has also demonstrated two other important points about elections,” said Center for Competitive Politics President David Keating. “First, voters are more comfortable with the campaign finance system than some believe. Voters do not vote based on campaign finance concerns. And second, no one, not even a well-financed Super PAC, can buy elections results – voters listened to Mayday’s message and decided that they were wrong.”
“Even Mayday’s own ads recognized that voters aren’t moved by their agenda – most of their ads repeated common liberal attack themes and ignored their pro-campaign finance regulation agenda.”
Mayday PAC’s Senate Losses:
- In Kansas, Mayday spent $1.5 million attacking incumbent Republican Senator Pat Roberts. Roberts easily defeated Independent Greg Orman, 53% to 43%.
- In South Dakota, Mayday PAC spent $1.1 million attacking Republican Mike Rounds and supporting Democrat Rick Weiland. Rounds handily defeated Weiland by 21 points, 50% to 29%. A recent SurveyUSA poll of that the race found that only 4% of those polled said campaign finance laws were their top concern.
- In the New Hampshire Republican Senate primary earlier this year, Mayday spent $1.68 million to support Jim Rubens over eventual nominee Scott Brown. Rubens was drubbed, and received just 23 percent of the vote.
Mayday PAC’s House Losses:
- In Michigan’s 6th district, Mayday spent over $2 million to defeat Republican Fred Upton – Upton won by 16 points, a bigger margin than in his 2012 race.
- In Iowa’s 3rd district, Mayday spent $723,000 supporting Democrat Staci Appel over Republican David Young. Young beat Appel, 53% to 42%.
- In New Hampshire’s 1st district, Mayday spent $300,000 supporting incumbent Democrat Carol Shea-Porter, but Porter lost by 3 points.
Mayday’s only victories came in in two uncompetitive races. Mayday spent $100,000 supporting Republican Walter Jones, who ran in a non-competitive race in in North Carolina’s 3rd district. Mayday also spent $150,000 supporting Democrat Ruben Gallego in the primary for Arizona’s 7th district earlier this year. The deep blue congressional seat was won by Gallego last night; he ran unopposed.
“While Mayday lost badly at the polls,” added Keating, “I am glad that the First Amendment allows them to speak, and that the Courts recognize it takes money to facilitate speech. Free political speech is a right for all Americans. Hopefully Professor Lessig learned some important lessons in the process, including the fact that money doesn’t buy results. I hope he will gain a new respect for voters, how hard it is to influence policy, and the First Amendment.”
