STATE OF MINNESOTA CAMPAIGN FINANCE & PUBLIC DISCLOSURE BOARD 1998 CAMPAIGN FINANCE SUMMARY CANDIDATES FOR CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICE AND STATE REPRESENTATIVE STATE SENATE OFFICEHOLDERS OTHER REGISTERED PRINCIPAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEES POLITICAL PARTY UNITS POLITICAL COMMITTEES AND POLITICAL FUNDS Issued: May 24, 1999 CAMPAIGN FINANCE & PUBLIC DISCLOSURE BOARD First Floor South, Centennial Building 658 Cedar Street St. Paul MN 55155-1603 Telephone: 651/296-5148 or 800/657-3889 Fax: 651/296-1722 TTY: 800/627-3529, ask for 296-5148 Email: [email protected] Worldwide web site: http://www.cfboard.state.mn.us EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - ELECTION YEAR 1998 The Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board is charged with the administration of the Ethics in Government Act, Minnesota Statutes Chapter 10A. During an election year campaign committees of candidates who file for office are required to file three Reports of Receipts and Expenditures: pre-primary, pre-general, and year-end. Campaign committees of candidates whose office is not up for election and candidates who chose not to file for office file one year-end report. Offices open for election in 1998 were: Constitutional, House of Representatives, and certain Judicial seats. Political party units, political committees, and political funds that attempt to influence state elections also filed pre-primary, pre-general, and year-end reports. This summary is based on reports for election year 1998, as filed with the Board by principal campaign committees of candidates for five constitutional offices (36 candidates filed), 134 state representative seats (290 candidates filed), and by 17 candidates for elective judicial seats. Additionally, this summary includes data supplied by 67 senate officeholders; 8 state judicial officeholders, 384 committees of candidates who did not file for election in 1998; 323 political party committees; and 346 political committees and political funds. Comparison of total data from election year 1998 by principal campaign committee, political committee, or political fund with similar data from election years 1996 and 1994 is included in this summary. The data has not been verified or audited. This summary includes, for each candidate committee, political party unit, political committee or political fund, total contributions received; total transfers to other candidates, committees or funds; total expenditures; beginning and ending cash balances; and the total amount of public subsidy received by qualifying candidates. A committee or fund's outstanding loans payable, unpaid bills, or disbursements other than campaign expenditures or transfers to candidates are not itemized but are reflected in the totals reported in the summary. Campaign committees for constitutional and legislative office must abide by certain contribution limits. There is no contribution limit for elective judgeship candidates. Contributions totaling $8,754,563 were reported received by the three major parties candidates for Constitutional office (see page 12), contributions totaling $3,535,944 were reported received by candidates for House of Representatives (see page 27), and a total of $256,855 in contributions were reported received by 17 judicial candidates (see page 28). A listing of the names of individuals, committees, or funds contributing in aggregate more than $100 to legislative or district court candidates and more than $200 to constitutional office candidates and to political committees and political funds begins on page 46. Included in the total contributions received by constitutional candidates were 7,157 separate donations of more than $200 each totaling $6,302,455 (72% of total contributions received). House candidates received contributions from 3,533 separate donations of more than $100 each totaling $1,419,667 (40% of total contributions received). Judicial candidates received contributions from 122 separate donations of more than $100 each totaling $136,355 (53% of total contributions received). Most candidates voluntarily agree to limit expenditures in order to receive public subsidies. These subsidies include direct payments to eligible candidates during election years and the right to participate in the Political Contributions Refund (PCR) program. Agreements to abide by spending limits in order to receive money from the State Elections Campaign Fund were signed by 89% of registered candidates filing for constitutional office and 99% of registered house candidates filing for office. A total of $3,913,507 in public subsidy was distributed to constitutional office and house candidates. Campaign expenditures are made for the purpose of influencing the nomination or election of a candidate and apply toward the expenditure limit applicable to partisan candidates who signed a Public Subsidy Agreement. In 1998, 36 candidates who filed for constitutional office reported making total campaign expenditures of $10,976,129 a 48% increase in campaign spending when compared with total expenditures of $5,738,359 in 1994. Campaign expenditures by 290 house candidates totaled $4,280,840, compared with $4,384,325 in 1996, and $4,339,221 in 1994. According to statistics compiled from candidate reports, winners outspent losers in 60% of the constitutional office races and 78% in the house races. Candidates in six legislative districts ran without opposition in the general election. Constitutional candidates reported receiving a total of $8,679,130 in contributions from individuals, lobbyists, political committees, and political funds; $2,122,909 from public subsidy; and $109,035 in contributions from political parties. House candidates reported receiving a total of $3,035,506 in contributions from individuals, lobbyists, political committees, and political funds; $1,754,348 from public subsidy; and $500,438 in contributions from political parties. Sixty-seven state senators who were not up for election in 1998 reported receiving $331,753 in total campaign contributions and making total campaign expenditures of $160,579. Other candidate committees who did not file for office reported receiving $857,407 in campaign contributions and making total campaign expenditures of $889,182. This summary includes selected data from reports filed by political party units, political committees and political funds. Reports filed by 323 political party committees and 346 political committees and political funds disclosed receipt of contributions totaling $21,315,424 from which they made total contributions of $8,004,918 to state candidate committees and political committees and political funds. Included in the $21,315,424: $4,998,961 was contributed to Democratic Farmer Labor committees which made $1,119,795 contributions to state candidates; $7,023,546 was contributed to Republican Party of Minnesota committees which made $703,204 contributions to state candidates; $8,686 was contributed to Reform Party committees which made $4,280 contributions to state candidates; and $102,611 contributions to all other state parties which made $2,219 contributions to state candidates. Contributions made by individuals to qualifying political party units also qualify for a refund under the PCR program. The summary includes names of donors who contributed more than $1,000 to candidate committees, political committees, political funds, or political party units during 1998 (page 158) and a list of political committees and political funds that made independent expenditures expressly advocating the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate (page 102). TABLE OF CONTENTS Entities in this Summary ............................................................................................................... 1 Abbreviations................................................................................................................................ 1 Campaign Expenditure Limits....................................................................................................... 1 Cash Balances / Contributions Received .............................................................................................2 Expenditures Made................................................................................................................................3 1998 Statistics for Constitutional Office and House of Representative Candidates............................4 Comparison of Reports Filed by Principal Campaign Committees..............................................5 State Public Subsidy Program.....................................................................................................6 Tax Return Participation Rate......................................................................................................8 State Elections Campaign Fund Income Tax and Property Tax Checkoffs................................ 10 Gubernatorial Candidates........................................................................................................... 12 Attorney General, Secretary of State, State Auditor and State Treasurer Candidates............... 13 State Representative Candidates............................................................................................... 15 Judicial Office Candidates......................................................................................................... 28 State Senators...........................................................................................................................29 Judicial Officeholders ................................................................................................................