A Sacred Cow or Just a Lot of Bull? Party and PAC Money in State Legislative Elections

This research analyzes the strategies and behaviors of political action committees (PACs) and political parties with regard to campaign contributions to state legislative candidates. Utilizing data from three states-New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina, we find that PACs contribute disproportionately to incumbents, with little regard to the expected competitiveness of the election. We also find evidence that PACs are somewhat more likely to fund members of the majority party. In contrast, we find that political party organizations exhibit a different strategy, and that this strategy varies according to the minority/majority status of the legislative party. Specifically, we find minority parties develop an "additive" strategy, one aimed at increasing their numbers in the legislature. Majority parties are more likely to develop a "protectionist" strategy, one which favors incumbents, especially vulnerable incumbents.