November's Mid-Terms The Most Expensive Yet

Published: Thursday, October 26, 2006 Online-Casinos.com

NOVEMBER'S MID-TERMS THE MOST EXPENSIVE YET

Big money changes hands in the battle for power and influence

The Center for Responsive Politics has released numbers showing that the US mid-term elections on November 7 will be the most expensive in the history of the United States, with spending by candidates seeking Congressional seats topping $2.6 billion.

The acting executive director for the non-partisan body, Sheila Krumholz says that the Center's research indicates that spending by candidates this year has soared by 18 percent over the last elections in 2002, making it the most expensive yet seen. "Money in this campaign has been flowing fast and furiously," said Krumholz this week in a news conference.

She said the $2.6 billion spending projection was a "conservative estimate" that could turn out to be even higher by election day.

"Candidates still in the running for house have raised on average about $760 000 each, while senate candidates have raised $5.8 million since 2001," Krumholz said of the study released two weeks before election day.

"Incumbent senators have a four-to-one advantage on their challengers on average; house incumbents have in general out-raised their challengers seven-to-one," she said.

The Democratic Party remains the most popular political organisation before next month's congressional ballot in the United States, according to a poll by Princeton Survey Research Associates released by Newsweek. 51 percent of respondents would vote for the Democratic contender in their district, while 37 percent would support the Republican candidate