Excerpt: “Presidential candidates raised $1.6 billion and spent over $1.3 billion in the first 21 months of the 2023-2024 election cycle, according to campaign finance reports filed with the Federal Election Commission that cover activity from January 1, 2023 through September 30, 2024. Congressional candidates collected $3.3 billion and disbursed $2.8 billion, political parties received $2.1 billion and spent $1.8 billion, and political action committees (PACs) raised $12.3 billion and spent $10.9 billion, according to campaign finance reports filed with the Federal Election Commission that cover activity from January 1, 2023 through September 30, 2024. Disbursements for independent expenditures and electioneering communications reported in this period totaled $2.2 billion and $7 million, respectively. Communication costs reported to the Commission totaled $11.3 million.”