Judicial and State Legislative Campaign Finance Data Resource

In late April the National Institute on Money and Politics released a study on state Supreme Court races in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. Interesting stuff. Check out:

Report: High Court Contests: Competition, Controversy and Cash in Pennsylvania & Wisconsin by Linda Casey, April 28, 2009

Here is a quick synopsis:

In 2007, Supreme Court candidates raised nearly $9.5 million: $8.8 million raised by seven candidates vying for two open seats vacated by retiring justices, and $627,564 raised by Justice Thomas G. Saylor to retain his seat on the bench.

The top two vote-getters were two superior court judges running for Supreme Court seats: Seamus McCaffery raised nearly $2.3 million, Debra Todd raised $1.6 million. Judge Todd was victorious despite raising less than the two candidates who lost in the general. In a close third-place finish was another superior court judge, Maureen E. Lally-Green. Judge Lally-Green raised $1.75 million. Pennsylvania environmental hearing judge Mike Krancer finished a distant fourth. He raised $2.1 million, the second highest amount raised by the four general election candidates.

While you are on the site, go to the home page www.followthemoney.org and type in your address to see aggregate data for campaign spending in your state senate and state house districts.