An Estimated $15.9 Billion was Spent in the 2024 Election Cycle, and 50% of It Came from the Top 1% of Special Interest Donors

Brian Beihl

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Jan. 14, 2025

Photo: Open Democracy NH Rebellion project, 2015

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

As we approach the 15th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s fateful Citizens United decision, we consider the estimated $15.9 billion dollars spent in the 2024 campaign. That’s a lot of special interest influence.

While still tallying up the total, money-in-politics watchdog Open Secrets estimates the 2024 election cycle was the costliest ever, surpassing 2020’s $15.1 billion.  For context, the $15.9 Billion estimate is larger than the state budgets of New Hampshire, Vermont and Idaho COMBINED.

Only 24% of political contributions to candidates were small donations of $200 or less, down from 30% in 2020.   When you consider contributions to PACs and other outside spending, that percentage drops further, with only 16% from small donors in 2024.  The top 1% of donors? They contributed an estimated 50% of all political contributions. 

That means by far, our elections are not funded by the citizens who actually vote, but by wealthy special interests and corporations whose interests may not align with the majority of voters.   Open Secrets projects that outside spending alone, mostly by SuperPACs, will reach $5 billion dollars.   

Now that the election is over, it’s the inaugural fund setting records. The New York Times reports that donors to the Trump inaugural have contributed over $170 Million dollars.    More on that, tomorrow.   

Find Open Secrets’ data linked at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Open Secrets – Total 2024 election spending projected to exceed previous record 

Campaign Legal Center – EVENT Jan. 16 – 15 Years of Citizens United: How Big Money Dominated the 2024 Election
AdImpact – Download AdImpact’s 2024 Political Spending Projections Report
Brennan Center for Justice – Online Political Spending in 2024


Groups Taking Action:

Issue One, End Citizens United, Represent.Us, Public Citizen


Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #MoneyinPolitics #BigMoneyCorruption #EndCitizensUnited