Category Archives: campaigns

“Hillary Clinton’s Backers Prepare General Election Ad Blitz”

March 22, 2016, 7:31 amcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

NYT: The “super PAC” supporting Hillary Clinton is preparing to reserve roughly $70 million in television ads to begin after the Democratic National Convention and to run through the fall general election in important battleground states such as Ohio and… Continue reading

“Colorado firm tied to super PAC operative was a top Trump vendor last month”

March 22, 2016, 7:29 amcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

WaPo: Donald Trump’s campaign has paid more than $1.2 million to a small Colorado printing firm connected to a Republican operative who ran a short-lived super PAC in support of Trump — shelling out $624,000 to the company just… Continue reading

“Megadonors stricken with presidential fatigue?”

March 21, 2016, 10:21 amcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

CPI reports.

“Donald Trump Is Finally Uniting Top Republican Donors — Against Him”

March 21, 2016, 7:53 amcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

NYT: Some of the wealthiest conservative givers in the country are helping pay for a series of last-ditch attacks to wound Mr. Trump, disclosures filed on Sunday night revealed, even after previously backing rival Republican candidates. And officials involved… Continue reading

“These Right-Wing Groups Are Gearing Up for an Onslaught on Obama’s Supreme Court Nominee”

March 21, 2016, 7:50 amcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

Stephanie Mencimer for MoJo: This face-off could well be nastier and more expensive than past confrontations over the Supreme Court. It’s the first political fight of this kind since the controversial Citizens United decision allowed money to flow freely into… Continue reading

Some Republicans Covet Libertarian Ballot Line

March 20, 2016, 8:00 pmballot access, campaignsRick Hasen

WSJ: The search for ballot access has led some Republicans to look toward the Libertarian Party, which has gained access to 31 states and expects to be on all state ballots by the fall. “The interest in what we… Continue reading

“Jeb Bush pumped $400,000 into his campaign in final weeks to keep it afloat”

March 20, 2016, 7:33 pmcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

WaPo: While Bush’s campaign was running out of cash, his allied super PAC still had ample resources. Right to Rise USA raised just under $179,000 in February but still ended the month with $16 million left of its $119… Continue reading

“The Mutual Dependence of Trump and the News Media”

March 20, 2016, 7:22 pmcampaignsRick Hasen

Must-read Jim Rutenberg debut “Mediator” column in the NYT.

“Judge’s Lower Bar for Third Party Candidates Intrigues Republican Election Lawyers”

March 20, 2016, 7:17 pmballot access, campaigns, third partiesRick Hasen

Daily Report: The chairman of the Republican National Lawyers Association said Friday that a federal judge’s decision to strike down Georgia’s ballot access law as unconstitutionally restrictive could have national ramifications for the 2016 presidential race. U.S. District Judge Richard… Continue reading

“How John Kasich Could End Up Picking the Next President; A bizarre, tangled, 130-year-old law could leave the 2016 election up to the Ohio governor—unless Congress acts now

March 20, 2016, 1:15 pmcampaigns, electoral collegeRick Hasen

Ned Foley for Politico: In this situation, the Supreme Court could step in to resolve the dispute. But the odds of that happening have probably decreased due to the vociferous criticism of the Bush v. Gore decision. Not to mention… Continue reading

Donald Trump with About $2 Billion in Free Media, Dwarfing Other Candidates

March 18, 2016, 1:48 pmcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

NYT’s The Upshot.

“Sanders surprises with controversial superdelegate strategy”

March 18, 2016, 7:40 amcampaigns, political parties, primariesRick Hasen

Steve Benen: Strictly speaking, Democratic primary and caucus voters are principally responsible for choosing their presidential nominee, but the power is not entirely in their hands. While those voters elect pledged delegates for the party’s national convention, the Democratic… Continue reading

“RNC Rules: Insiders Speak Out on Contested Convention”

March 18, 2016, 7:28 amcampaigns, political parties, primariesRick Hasen

NBC News: If no presidential candidate wins a majority of delegates and Republicans face a contested convention this summer, a small group of party insiders will have huge sway over who wins — and how to resolve a rift… Continue reading