Scott Powers- AFT Solidarity
- American Federation of State
- American Future Fund
- Americans for Prosperity
- Concerned Veterans for America
- County & Municipal Emp;loyees
- Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee
- DSCC
- Florida
- general election
- Immigrant Voters Win PAC
- Libre Initiative
- Marco Rubio
- National Republican Senatorial Committee
- National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action
- NRSC
- Outside spending
- Patrick Murphy
- Senate Leadership Fund
- Senate Majority PAC
- U.S. Senate race
- United We Can
- Virgin Islands Republican Party
- VOTEVETS
Outside groups have poured nearly $25 million into the general election for Florida’s U.S. Senate race, helping Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio by more than a three-to-one rate over Democratic challenger U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy.
The latest campaign finance reports available through the Federal Election Commission covering the general election through Tuesday show groups such as the Republican Senate Leadership Fund and the National Republican Senatorial Committee each have spent more than $5 million on negative advertising against Murphy, while the Democrat’s biggest boost has come in $2.4 million worth of attack ads on Rubio from the Senate Majority PAC.
Together, outside groups have spent $24.8 million through Tuesday on the U.S. Senate general election in Florida, according to the FEC.
Nationally, Florida is nowhere near among the top states when it comes to outside spending for U.S. Senate elections. Including money spent in the primaries, outside groups have spent $31.3 million in Florida. Such groups have spent more than $80 million in Pennsylvania and more than $50 million in each of New Hampshire, Ohio, and Nevada. Florida ranks fifth in outside spending for the U.S. Senate.
Overall, such groups have spent $17.8 million in Florida this fall bashing Murphy and $1.4 million supporting Rubio; while others have spent $4.9 million bashing Rubio and $752,000 supporting Murphy.
Five groups, the Republican Leadership Fund, $6.5 million; the NRSC, $5 million; American Future Fund, $2.6 million; Americans For Prosperity, $2.2 million; and the National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action, $1.7 million; have invested more than $1 million apiece to help re-elect Rubio in the general election. He’s also received $814,000 from The LIBRE Initiative, $105,000 from Concerned Veterans for America, and several other assists, even $1,147 in support from the Virgin Islands Republican Party.
After the Senate Majority PAC, Murphy’s big backers include the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees, which has provided $1.4 million to the race; AFT Solidarity, $778,000; Immigrant Voters Win PAC, $289,000; the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, $260,000; and United We Can, $139,000.
