EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY - ELECTION YEAR 2000
The
Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board is charged with the administration of the
Ethics in Government Act, Minnesota Statutes Chapter 10A. During an election year campaign committees of
candidates who file for office are required to file three Reports of Receipts and
Expenditures: pre-primary, pre-general, and
year-end. Campaign committees of candidates
whose office is not up for election and candidates who chose not to file for office file
one year-end report. Offices open for
election in 2000 were: State Senate, House of Representatives, and certain Judicial seats. Political party units, political committees, and
political funds that attempt to influence state elections also filed pre-primary,
pre-general, and year-end reports.
This summary is based on reports for election year 2000, as filed with the Board by principal campaign committees of candidates for 67 state senate seats (149 candidates filed), 134 state representative seats (293 candidates filed), and by 20 candidates for elective judicial seats. Additionally, this summary includes data supplied by 5 constitutional officeholders; 5 judicial officeholders; 20 judicial candidates; 392 committees of candidates who did not file for election in 2000; 334 political party units; and 322 political committees and political funds. Comparison of total data from election year 2000 by principal campaign committee, political committee, or political fund with similar data from election years 1998 and 1996 is included in this summary. The data has not been verified or audited.
This
summary includes, for each candidate committee, political party unit, political committee
or political fund, total contributions received; total transfers to other candidates,
committees or funds; total expenditures; beginning and ending cash balances; and the total
amount of public subsidy received by qualifying candidates.
A committee or fund's outstanding loans payable, unpaid bills, or
disbursements other than campaign expenditures or transfers to candidates are not itemized
but are reflected in the totals reported in the summary.
Campaign
committees for constitutional and legislative office must abide by certain contribution
limits. There is no contribution limit for
elective judgeship candidates. Contributions
totaling $2,865,399 were reported received by candidates who filed for office for State
Senate, contributions totaling $3,749,873 were reported received by candidates for House
of Representatives (see page 12), and a total of $625,483 in contributions were reported
received by 20 judicial candidates (see page 34). A
listing of the names of individuals, committees, or funds contributing in aggregate more
than $100 to legislative or district court candidates and more than $200 to constitutional
office candidates and to political committees and political funds begins on page 53.
Most
candidates voluntarily agree to limit expenditures in order to receive public subsidies. These subsidies include direct payments to
eligible candidates during election years and the right to participate in the Political
Contribution Refund (PCR) program. Agreements
to abide by spending limits in order to receive money from the State Elections Campaign
Fund were signed by 98% of registered legislative candidates filing for office. A total of $3,227,599 in public subsidy was
distributed to legislative candidates.
Campaign
expenditures are made for the purpose of influencing the nomination or election of a
candidate and apply toward the expenditure limit applicable to partisan candidates who
signed a Public Subsidy Agreement. In 2000,
149 candidates who filed for state senate reported making total campaign expenditures of
$3,916,752 a 4% decrease in campaign spending when compared with total expenditures of
$4,104,403 in 1996. Campaign expenditures by
293 house candidates totaled $4,336,825 a 1% increase in campaign spending compared to
total expenditures of $4,280,840 in 1998.