By Keaton Ross, Oklahoma Watch
Money is flowing freely into Oklahoma political races.
More than $11 million, including $4.3 million in independent expenditures, was spent to influence voters leading up to the June primary and August runoff elections. That’s nearly double the $6.2 million spent over a similar period in 2020.
The money manifests in mailers, door hangers, digital ads and television and radio commercials. The messaging is often negative and exaggerates the opponent’s policy positions. A common tactic in several Republican primaries was to paint the opposing candidate as a liberal ally of President Joe Biden.
Fortunately for voters, campaign finance information is easily accessible using the Oklahoma Ethics Commission’s Guardian System. Candidates must submit regular reports detailing who contributed to their campaign and where they spent their money. Independent expenditure groups, which are allowed to spend unlimited amounts on races so long as they don’t coordinate with candidates, must state their purpose and provide a mailing address and contact information.
Here’s a guide on how to most efficiently follow the money and identify trends using the Guardian System:
Finding Candidate-Level Information
Want to know how much candidates in your local House or Senate race are spending? The candidate search tab of the Guardian system is the place to start.
From there, you can get as specific or broad as you’d like. Narrowing the submitted report’s date will allow you to pinpoint how much was spent or contributed to a candidate leading up to an election. For instance, if you wanted to know how much candidates spent in the Senate District 47 Republican runoff election, you would input a date range of June 19 to Aug. 27.
The first page of the candidate expenditure report breaks down the amount of money received, the source of those contributions and how much the candidate spent. Each person who contributed at least $25 over the reporting period is then listed below, including their address and occupation.
Identifying Broad Trends
To zoom out and see what’s happening statewide, the candidate and committee expenditures search tab is the best tool.
This page allows users to narrow their search by expenditure type and date. The following example shows how much candidates used on campaign expenses from the day after the June primary to the August runoff.
Each tab, including the amount spent, is sortable.
The contributions tab functions similarly, allowing users to see how much an individual or political action committee has donated over time.
Shedding Light on Outside Spending
The independent expenditures, electioneering and state question communications report tab allows voters to see how much outside groups are spending.
The periodic filings include information on how much the groups are spending, who they’re supporting or opposing and where the organization is based. Filers are also required to list a phone number.
Key Deadlines to Know
The most up-to-date information will be available after a series of reporting deadlines.
Pre-general election reports for all 2024 candidates are due on Oct. 28, eight days before election day. If a candidate accepts at least $1,000 in the aggregate from a contributor in the two weeks leading up to the election, they must file a special report.
Comprehensive post-general election reports aren’t due until January.
Oklahoma Watch, at oklahomawatch.org, is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that covers public-policy issues facing the state.
