The Cost Of A Federal Election Cycle

Spending by
2010
2012
2014
2016
Candidates $1.9B $3.2B $1.9B $3.1B
Party committees $937M $1.3B $1B $1.4B
SuperPACs $309.8M $1B $557.1M $1.4B
Nonprofit groups $96.9M $257.2M $118.8M $145.2M
Total $5.3B $7.8B $5.6B $8B