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GOVERNMENT > The
Three Branches > Legislative Branch
> Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of
2002 (BCRA)
VAP and Personal Spending Thresholds for Senate Candidates
When a Senate candidate's opponent spends personal funds that exceed certain threshold amounts, the candidate may accept increased individual contributions and, in some cases, the candidate's state and national party committees may make unlimited coordinated party expenditures on behalf of the candidate. The threshold amount for Senate candidates is calculated using a formula that includes the voting age population (VAP) of the state that the candidate seeks to represent, specifically: (VAP x $.04) + $150,000. Note that:
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In order for a Senate candidate to receive increased contribution limits under the millionaires' provisions, the opposing candidate's personal spending must exceed at least twice the threshold amount: (VAP x $.08) + $300,000. At that spending level, the opposing candidate must file FEC Form 10 (24-Hour Notice of Expenditure from Candidate's Personal Funds) [PDF] and the individual contribution limits triple to $6,300 per election.
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If the opposing candidate's personal spending exceeds four times the threshold (VAP x $.16) + $600,000, then the individual contribution limits increase six-fold to $12,600 per election.
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If the opponent's personal spending exceeds ten times the threshold amount, the individual contribution limits remain $12,600 per election and the national and state party committees may make unlimited coordinated party expenditures on behalf of the candidate. A Senate candidate need only file FEC Form 11 (24-Hour Notice of Opposition Personal Funds Amount) [PDF] when his/her opponent's spending reaches this level.
The chart below lists for each state the voting age population, the resulting threshold amounts and the relevant multiples thereof, for 2006 elections. (Voting age population statistics are as of July 1, 2005 and are provided by the Census Bureau.)
| State |
VAP
(in thousands) |
Threshold Amount |
x2 |
x4 |
x10 |
| Alabama |
3,468 |
288,720 |
577,440 |
1,154,880 |
2,887,200 |
| Alaska |
475 |
169,000 |
338,000 |
676,000 |
1,690,000 |
| Arizona |
4,359 |
324,360 |
648,720 |
1,297,440 |
3,243,600 |
| Arkansas |
2,104 |
234,160 |
468,320 |
936,640 |
2,341,600 |
| California |
26,430 |
1,207,200 |
2,414,400 |
4,828,800 |
12,072,000 |
| Colorado |
3,485 |
289,400 |
578,800 |
1,157,600 |
2,894,000 |
| Connecticut |
2,675 |
257,000 |
514,000 |
1,028,000 |
2,570,000 |
| Delaware |
648 |
175,920 |
351,840 |
703,680 |
1,759,200 |
| DC |
438 |
167,520 |
335,040 |
670,080 |
1,675,200 |
| Florida |
13,722 |
698,880 |
1,397,760 |
2,795,520 |
6,988,800 |
| Georgia |
6,710 |
418,400 |
836,800 |
1,673,600 |
4,184,000 |
| Hawaii |
975 |
189,000 |
378,000 |
756,000 |
1,890,000 |
| Idaho |
1,055 |
192,200 |
384,400 |
768,800 |
1,922,000 |
| Illinois |
9,522 |
530,880 |
1,061,760 |
2,123,520 |
5,308,800 |
| Indiana |
4,669 |
336,760 |
673,520 |
1,347,040 |
3,367,600 |
| Iowa |
2,296 |
241,840 |
483,680 |
967,360 |
2,418,400 |
| Kansas |
2,070 |
232,800 |
465,600 |
931,200 |
2,328,000 |
| Kentucky |
3,193 |
277,720 |
555,440 |
1,110,880 |
2,777,200 |
| Louisiana |
3,376 |
285,040 |
570,080 |
1,140,160 |
2,850,400 |
| Maine |
1,044 |
191,760 |
383,520 |
767,040 |
1,917,600 |
| Maryland |
4,197 |
317,880 |
635,760 |
1,271,520 |
3,178,800 |
| Massachusetts |
4,941 |
347,640 |
695,280 |
1,390,560 |
3,476,400 |
| Michigan |
7,597 |
453,880 |
907,760 |
1,815,520 |
4,538,800 |
| Minnesota |
3,903 |
306,120 |
612,240 |
1,224,480 |
3,061,200 |
| Mississippi |
2,173 |
236,920 |
473,840 |
947,680 |
2,369,200 |
| Missouri |
4,422 |
326,880 |
653,760 |
1,307,520 |
3,268,800 |
| Montana |
731 |
179,240 |
358,480 |
716,960 |
1,792,400 |
| Nebraska |
1,327 |
203,080 |
406,160 |
812,320 |
2,030,800 |
| Nevada |
1,794 |
221,760 |
443,520 |
887,040 |
2,217,600 |
| New Hampshire |
1,007 |
190,280 |
380,560 |
761,120 |
1,902,800 |
| New Jersey |
6,556 |
412,240 |
824,480 |
1,648,960 |
4,122,400 |
| New Mexico |
1,439 |
207,560 |
415,120 |
830,240 |
2,075,600 |
| New York |
14,709 |
738,360 |
1,476,720 |
2,953,440 |
7,383,600 |
| North Carolina |
6,542 |
411,680 |
823,360 |
1,646,720 |
4,116,800 |
| North Dakota |
500 |
170,000 |
340,000 |
680,000 |
1,700,000 |
| Ohio |
8,705 |
498,200 |
996,400 |
1,992,800 |
4,982,000 |
| Oklahoma |
2,695 |
257,800 |
515,600 |
1,031,200 |
2,578,000 |
| Oregon |
2,791 |
261,640 |
523,280 |
1,046,560 |
2,616,400 |
| Pennsylvania |
9,613 |
534,520 |
1,069,040 |
2,138,080 |
5,345,200 |
| Rhode Island |
831 |
183,240 |
366,480 |
732,960 |
1,832,400 |
| South Carolina |
3,228 |
279,120 |
558,240 |
1,116,480 |
2,791,200 |
| South Dakota |
588 |
173,520 |
347,040 |
694,080 |
1,735,200 |
| Tennessee |
4,572 |
332,880 |
665,760 |
1,331,520 |
3,328,800 |
| Texas |
16,534 |
811,360 |
1,622,720 |
3,245,440 |
8,113,600 |
| Utah |
1,727 |
219,080 |
438,160 |
876,320 |
2,190,800 |
| Vermont |
490 |
169,600 |
339,200 |
678,400 |
1,696,000 |
| Virginia |
5,743 |
379,720 |
759,440 |
1,518,880 |
3,797,200 |
| Washington |
4,803 |
342,120 |
684,240 |
1,368,480 |
3,421,200 |
| West Virginia |
1,434 |
207,360 |
414,720 |
829,440 |
2,073,600 |
| Wisconsin |
4,240 |
319,600 |
639,200 |
1,278,400 |
3,196,000 |
| Wyoming |
395 |
165,800 |
331,600 |
663,200 |
1,658,000 |
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