Georgia's Senate races broke spending records
![David Perdue.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/LzyvbNhthjMrJSR8FaMZNQ-415-80.jpg)
The Georgia Senate races are making history as the country's two most expensive Congressional contests.
After analyzing the most recent Federal Election Commission filings from mid-December, the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics found that the two races — Republican David Perdue versus Democrat Jon Ossoff and Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) versus the Rev. Raphael Warnock — both shattered spending records.
In November, none of the candidates received 50 percent of the vote, leading to Tuesday's runoffs. For the primary, November election, and runoff, about $470 million was spent on the race between Ossoff and Perdue, whose Senate term ended over the weekend. The filing shows that 215 outside groups contributed $271 million to the candidates, with Ossoff bringing in $50 million more than Perdue. This is the most expensive Senate race ever.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
![https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516-320-80.jpg)
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Loeffler and Warnock's race is a close second, at $362 million. More than 100 outside groups contributed $171 million to Loeffler and Warnock, with Warnock raising $28 million more than Loeffler.
Over the last two months, more than $490 million was spent on TV, digital, and radio ads for the Georgia candidates, The New York Times reports. The final spending numbers will come out after the election, when additional Federal Election Commission filings are made.
Last year was a big one for campaign spending — the Center for Responsive Politics found that nine of the 10 most expensive Senate races in U.S. history occurred in 2020.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Today's political cartoons - September 7, 2024
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - football widows, meddling kids, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Smoking ban: the return of the nanny state?
Talking Point Starmer's plan to revive Sunak-era war on tobacco has struck an unsettling chord even with some non-smokers
By The Week UK Published
-
Crossword: September 7, 2024
The Week's daily crossword puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
Puffed rice and yoga: inside the collapsed tunnel where Indian workers await rescue
Speed Read Workers trapped in collapsed tunnel are suffering from dysentery and anxiety over their rescue
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
More than 2,000 dead following massive earthquake in Morocco
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mexico's next president will almost certainly be its 1st female president
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
North Korea's Kim to visit Putin in eastern Russia to discuss arms sales for Ukraine war, U.S. says
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Gabon's military leader sworn in following coup in latest African uprising
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published