Explainer
How to find out who funds a political candidate, and when the numbers update
Most research in ChooseWell starts with a product. You can also start from the other side: look up a candidate and see who is paying for the campaign. The money is public, but it's reported on a schedule, so knowing when the numbers update matters as much as knowing where to look, especially in the final weeks before Election Day on Nov. 3.
Where the records come from
Federal candidates report to the Federal Election Commission. Their campaign committees file reports listing money raised, from individuals, PACs and parties, and money spent. You can search any candidate there by name and open each filing. State and local candidates report to their own state's election or ethics agency, each with its own website and rules. Our article Who funds your candidate? walks through reading one of these records line by line.
When the numbers update
Campaign money isn't reported in real time. For this year's general election, the FEC's schedule for congressional campaigns is:
- Pre-general report: covers Oct. 1 to Oct. 14, and was due Oct. 22.
- 48-hour notices: from Oct. 15 to Oct. 31, a campaign that receives $1,000 or more from one source must report it within 48 hours.
- Post-general report: covers Oct. 15 to Nov. 23, due Dec. 3.
So for a federal race, the full picture of the last three weeks before the election arrives in December. In between, the 48-hour notices show the large gifts.
How to look a candidate up in ChooseWell
Turn on the Political section in Priorities, then open Political from the compass button. It's part of ChooseWell Pro. Search by candidate name, PAC, company, state or ZIP. A candidate's page shows:
- Total raised, by year, from the candidate's own reports.
- How much came from corporate PACs, and which companies are behind those PACs.
- Public financing, where a state or city provides it.
- For sitting members of Congress, their committee assignments.
It covers federal candidates and state and local candidates in the 46 states and cities ChooseWell has records for.
What these numbers mean, and what they don't
A funding total shows what was disclosed by the last filing date, not today's balance. Super PAC spending for or against a candidate is reported by the Super PAC, not the campaign, so it doesn't appear in the candidate's own totals. And a company's PAC giving to a candidate shows support for that campaign, not an agreement on any one issue. ChooseWell doesn't rate, rank or comment on candidates.
How ChooseWell shows this
Federal data in the app refreshes weekly and state data monthly. For a decision close to an election, open the candidate's latest filing on FEC.gov or the state's site, linked from the candidate's page.
Check it yourself
Scan any barcode in ChooseWell to see the maker's open recalls, flagged ingredients and political spending, each with its public source. Free to scan, no account.
