The Oklahoma Ethics Commission updated its campaign expenditure numbers this week with the last batch of required financial disclosures by candidates, lobbyists and political action committees before the General Election. Nearly $20 million have been pumped into political races in Oklahoma this year.
The Oklahoma Ethics Commission reports political campaigns in Oklahoma have spent a total of $18.7 million on politicking so far in this 2024 election cycle.
Candidates themselves doled out about $16 million on regular expenditures such as campaign staff salaries, travel and organizational memberships, among other things.
Just over $2 million of the dollars spent came from independent expenditure — or dark money — groups supporting or denouncing candidates and policy outcomes.
Highly targeted ads and mailers not claimed by any campaign or candidate in particular but an anonymously run organization are dark money at work
The rest of the cash, about $280,000, was spent by candidates on ads and mailers—also known as electioneering communications.
Lobbyists advocate for policies advancing the interests of whatever group is paying them. They interact directly with lawmakers, working to convince them to vote for or against different pieces of legislation.
Lobbyists reported spending $468,847 on everything from caucus, committee and subcommittee events, to gifts and meals for lawmakers and their families.
They are also required to be registered with state and federal ethics commissions, depending on who they are convincing, because, well, it appears one of the best ways to butter up a lawmaker is with actual butter.
Meals account for $257,192 of all lobbyist expenditures, more than half of all the money they used to gain favor in the minds and hearts of Oklahoma’s representatives.
Oklahomans can access public campaign finance information by visiting the Oklahoma Ethics Commission website and accessing “The Guardian,” or the state’s secure self-reporting and data compilation system.
