NCPA Government and Politics Issues - Disclosure, Not Restrictions, Regulate Virginia Campaigns

Government and Politics Issues

Disclosure, Not Restrictions, Regulate Virginia Campaigns

It takes 300 officials at the Federal Election Commission to supervise the current political fundraising process for federal candidates. And most campaign finance reform proposals would require a larger bureaucracy to police more restrictions and bans.

However, observers note Virginia has a campaign finance system as different as possible from those the reformers love.

In Virginia, neither the size of contributions to political candidates nor the amount spent by campaigns is limited.

There is no public funding of campaigns, and corporations and unions can make donations.

The only requirement is public disclosure of the money politicians raise and spend.

Yet Virginia is relatively free of corruption. Observers say that is because there is no need to disguise expenditures or circumvent spending limits. Contributors of more than $100 are named publicly, and contributions are reported within 72 hours in the last 13 days of the campaign for contributions of more than $1,000 for a statewide office or $500 for any other office.

Observers say the result is that federally regulated federal races in Virginia are more expensive than unregulated state races. For instance, the 1994 U.S. Senate race in Virginia cost $27 million and a 1996 race $18 million, whereas the gubernatorial races in 1993 and 1997 cost $12 million and just under $18 million respectively. Also, while Senate races are dominated by millionaires and celebrities, recent governors of the state have included men of modest backgrounds.

Interestingly, after the parties themselves, the next highest contributors in the 1997 governor's race gave about $30,000 each -- which is no more than the federal contribution limit for political action committees would be if adjusted for inflation since it was set at $10,000 in 1974. But in Virginia, there are no limits.

Source: Jan Witold Baran and Allison R. Hayward, "Do It Virginia's Way," Weekly Standard, February 23, 1998.

Home | Support Us | All Issues | Social Security | Debate Central | Contact Us
Dallas Headquarters: 12770 Coit Rd., Suite 800 - Dallas, TX 75251-1339 - 972/386-6272 - Fax 972/386-0924
Washington Office: 601 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Suite 900 South Building - Washington, DC 20004 - 202/220-3082 - Fax 202/220-3096
© 2001 NCPA