Alameda Campaign Funding
So Voters Know Who is Funding Who & What
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Should Big Money Influence Alameda Elections?
There are many factors to consider when making ballot choices. Understanding where candidates are getting their funding is an important part of the process. Campaign contributions are, in essence, a very concrete form of endorsement – they tell us who is most interested in seeing the candidate elected. The infusion of large amounts of money can distort the election process. Campaign contributions can be used to fund attack ads or to spread misleading information. Candidates who do not have access to these resources are at a disadvantage. We have explored many avenues to moderate the impact of money in politics. Unfortunately, limits on contributions have been ineffective since special interests can circumvent them by funneling their contributions through Independent Expenditure Committees. If regulating contributions is not a solution, what is? |
We believe the answer is to put the responsibility for controlling campaign funding in the hands of the Alameda electorate by giving you digestible information for your decision-making. You can participate in that effort by looking at the information we are posting for the upcoming election as well as those of the past few cycles.
The State of California requires candidates to report all contributions in excess of $100 periodically prior to and after the election. The data are available from government websites but are reported in a format which is somewhat difficult to sift through. The League of Women Voters of Alameda makes this task easier for you by translating the data into easy-to-understand graphs and tables. After each filing deadline, we post them in this section of our website.
Here, you’ll find bar graphs that break down contributions to each candidate for Mayor, City Council and School Board by where the money comes from, whether it comes from individuals or groups, and whether it comes in small or large amounts. Other tables detail the sources of all contributions over $1,000 as well as loans to the candidates. We provide similar information on local ballot measures.
We also detail where Independent Expenditure Committees are getting their funds and how they are spending them to support or oppose candidates. Some of those funds are contributed directly to candidates; others are used to promote candidates independent of the candidates’ campaigns through mailers, ads and phone banks. Since a law went into effect that establishes a contribution limit of $4,900 directly to any candidate, we’re seeing more independent expenditure activity.
The charts currently available by clicking below have been updated with data from the final post-election filing on January 31, reflecting contributions made through December 31, 2022. We hope you’ll take time to look at the data and incorporate it into your decision-making. Democracy is messy and difficult, but in the end it’s the informed voter that makes it work well.Please let us know if you find this information helpful and what further we can do to increase your knowledge of the source of funding for each candidate and measure in future elections. You can email the League of Women Voters of Alameda at [email protected] with questions or feedback.
View the LWV of Alameda election charts and tables above and below. Watch campaign finance reform and election reform videos here.
The State of California requires candidates to report all contributions in excess of $100 periodically prior to and after the election. The data are available from government websites but are reported in a format which is somewhat difficult to sift through. The League of Women Voters of Alameda makes this task easier for you by translating the data into easy-to-understand graphs and tables. After each filing deadline, we post them in this section of our website.
Here, you’ll find bar graphs that break down contributions to each candidate for Mayor, City Council and School Board by where the money comes from, whether it comes from individuals or groups, and whether it comes in small or large amounts. Other tables detail the sources of all contributions over $1,000 as well as loans to the candidates. We provide similar information on local ballot measures.
We also detail where Independent Expenditure Committees are getting their funds and how they are spending them to support or oppose candidates. Some of those funds are contributed directly to candidates; others are used to promote candidates independent of the candidates’ campaigns through mailers, ads and phone banks. Since a law went into effect that establishes a contribution limit of $4,900 directly to any candidate, we’re seeing more independent expenditure activity.
The charts currently available by clicking below have been updated with data from the final post-election filing on January 31, reflecting contributions made through December 31, 2022. We hope you’ll take time to look at the data and incorporate it into your decision-making. Democracy is messy and difficult, but in the end it’s the informed voter that makes it work well.Please let us know if you find this information helpful and what further we can do to increase your knowledge of the source of funding for each candidate and measure in future elections. You can email the League of Women Voters of Alameda at [email protected] with questions or feedback.
View the LWV of Alameda election charts and tables above and below. Watch campaign finance reform and election reform videos here.
2022 Election Charts & Tables
- Nov 2022 - Understanding the Charts/Tables
- Nov 2022 - City of Alameda General Election Charts & Tables (updated 2/16/2023)
2008 - 2020 Election Charts & Tables
Curated News About Money in Politics
- If the public doesn’t finance political candidates, special interests will happily step in (04/13/23)
- Defend limits on corrosive government influence peddling (03/03/2023)
- Oakland voters approve 'Democracy Dollars' program to boost participation in city elections (12/15/2022)
- Fueled By Billionaires, Political Spending Shatters Records Again (11/03/2022)
- Oakland's election is heating up: Big spending by PACs, strategic alliances, and tweet backlash (10/26/2022)
- Campaign finance in California: See who's donating to state races (10/18/2022)
- 49ers triple political contributions, pour nearly $2.7 million into Santa Clara races (10/4/2022)
- Disclosure Clarity Act Into Law Require Disclosure of Top Funders for Political Ads (10/1/2022)
- L.A.'s police union spending big on city elections, seeking to boost City Hall influence (6/1/2022)
- Seattle democracy vouchers increase donations, number of candidates in city elections (5/26/2022)
- Outsized Role of Money in Oakland Elections (3/2/2022)
- The Little Red Boxes Making a Mockery of Campaign Finance Laws (5/16/2022)
- When big money enters the L.A. mayor's race (4/13/2022)
- Small-city mayor takes on big oil and political propaganda (3/11/2022)
- Money floods the race for control of congress, more than a year early (10/16/2021)
- A dividing wedge in East Bay Assembly race (6/8/2021)
- In Naperville, campaign donations disclosed when voting on donor's issue (12/16/2020)
- NFL: 49ers' Jed York spent big to help swing local election (11/5/2020)
- How Santa Clara County's concealed-gun patronage unraveled (9/20/2020)
More on Money in Politics
California voters, you can get campaign funding information for races not profiled here at Voter's Edge California.
Want a short civics explainer on where candidates tend to get money? According to OpenSecrets.org, there are four main sources: political action committees (PACs), large individual donors, small donors, and self-funding candidates. This explainer is part of a "Top 10 Things Every Voter Should Know About Money-in-Politics" slideshow.
The League of Women Voters believes that elections should be about voters and not big money interests. It is way past time to limit Super-Pacs and secret donors to protect representative democracy.
Want a short civics explainer on where candidates tend to get money? According to OpenSecrets.org, there are four main sources: political action committees (PACs), large individual donors, small donors, and self-funding candidates. This explainer is part of a "Top 10 Things Every Voter Should Know About Money-in-Politics" slideshow.
The League of Women Voters believes that elections should be about voters and not big money interests. It is way past time to limit Super-Pacs and secret donors to protect representative democracy.