Who funds your candidate? How to read a campaign-finance record
Candidates have to report who gives them money. Federal candidates file with the FEC; state and local candidates file with their state's election or ethics agency. ChooseWell puts both in one place, and this is how to read what you find.
Start with the total
A candidate's fundraising total, by year, tells you the scale of the campaign. A state house race might raise $60,000; a governor's race, millions. The number is the candidate's own filing.
Then look at who gave
ChooseWell lists the corporate PACs and companies that gave, with the amount and the date. Because the app already knows which company owns which brand, it can tell you that the PAC on the filing belongs to the maker of something in your kitchen.
Committee assignments explain the donors
For sitting members of Congress, the app shows committee assignments from public congressional records. Donors follow committees: a member of the agriculture committee hears from food companies, a member of the energy committee from utilities. Seeing the two side by side is usually the whole story.
Public financing
Some states and cities, such as Maine, Connecticut and New York City, match small donations with public money. Where a candidate took it, ChooseWell shows the amount separately, so you can see how much of the campaign came from the public.
What it is not
The Candidates tab does not rate or rank anyone, and it does not show personal donations from private individuals by name. It shows the public record of corporate and PAC money, with a link to the filing, and leaves the conclusion to you. It is off by default; switch it on in Profile.