The Supreme Court Just Handed Republicans Another Midterm Advantage
A ruling that flew under the radar just became the most consequential campaign finance decision since Citizens United.
The Supreme Court has been on quite a run recently. A few months ago, they greenlit racial gerrymandering, allowing Republicans to literally draw Black members of Congress out of office. Last week, they allowed Trump to potentially deport more than a million immigrants in this country who currently have legal status and essentially shut down the entire asylum system. But their decision today in a case that has mostly flown under the radar is a mortal blow to what remains of our campaign finance system. It will advantage the Republican Party (of course) and dramatically increase the influence of billionaires on our politics.
In a 6-3 decision, the court ruled for the plaintiffs in a case called NRSC v. FEC. Here’s how Politico described the ruling:
The Supreme Court struck down limits on coordinated spending between candidates and political parties on Tuesday, a win for Republicans that will fundamentally change how tens of millions of dollars are spent in congressional elections.
One quaint little fact about the case is that J.D. Vance was one of the original plaintiffs who brought it back in 2022.
Campaign finance is incredibly esoteric and seems almost designed to obscure the legalized bribery taking place behind closed doors and under the table. But let me be very clear: this is the most consequential campaign finance decision since Citizens United, and it will have a significant and immediate impact on the midterm elections.
Here’s why:
What the Case Was Actually About
There is a legal limit on what people can contribute to campaigns. Whether it’s you and me or Elon Musk, we can only give about $3,500 to a primary campaign and another $3,500 in the general election. People like Elon, of course, can give unlimited amounts to super PACs. And while there is plenty of grey area in the law, candidates cannot directly solicit or receive donations to super PACs or other outside groups. The contribution limits are designed to check the influence of wealthy people by capping what they can give directly to a candidate’s campaign at a relatively small amount.
