American Experiment’s Bill Glahn has done a detailed analysis of campaign finance in Minnesota’s 2022 election cycle. He provided links to his findings here. In this Twitter thread, he sums up his thoughts about the structural advantages that Democrats enjoy in Minnesota, and, to one degree or another, across much of the United States. If you sometimes wonder how a party whose ideas are so awful can remain electorally competitive, this helps answer the question:
I have long argued that money in politics is overrated, but there are limits. Conservatives face not only a massive campaign funding disadvantage, but perhaps more important, we cannot match the permanent infrastructure that works for the Democrats year-round, year after year.
So, is there still hope? Sure. As the Democrats continue to over-reach and to enact more and more unpopular policies, they create the conditions for a backlash that is probably inevitable. But winning once in a while isn’t enough: long term, conservatives need to find a way to level the financial playing field.
