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PAC Money Pours Into Michigan Midterm Election – Breaks Record

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This year’s midterm election continues to break records in political spending.  Special interest groups are at an all-time high for election spending.  That’s according to data gathered by the watchdog group, Michigan Campaign Finance Network.

Political Action Committees, or PACs, are committees formed by interest groups, political causes, and sometimes office holders to raise money to give to candidates, or to spend for a candidate.

$80 million have been spent by PACs on races up and down the state ballot.

Craig Mauger, executive director of the network, said this spending is all about influencing the outcome of the election, and it’s been increasing over the years.

“These groups that want certain public policies are gathering more money to then give to the candidates or spend on them,” he said.  “So the question is how is this going to affect policy decisions and votes that play out over the next years.”

This is just based on campaign finance records so far.  Final numbers will come in around January.  The last record was a grand total of $60 million.

Multiple other spending records have also been broken this election cycle.

Mauger said, “This election year is going to be an election year unlike any other in Michigan for the amount of money in these races.”

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—Cheyna Roth is a reporter for the Michigan Public Radio network.  Contact WEMU News at734.487.3363 or email us at studio@wemu.org

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