Promoting Senate Elections: Incumbency, Political Action Committee and Spending Effects

Abstract

Abstract This study examined the impact of promotional spending on Senate election races. Three questions were addressed by the research: One, does increased promotional spending by candidates result in greater voter turnout? Two, does campaign spending affect the share of votes that a candidate receives? Three, does money contributed by political action committees (PACs) affect Senate election outcomes? The study found that aggregate campaign spending does not increase voter turnout. It also found that campaign spending by a candidate, and the money the candidate receives from PACs, is positively associated with the share of votes that the Senate candidate receives, even though unrelated with voter participation in the state.