Massachusetts Congressional Races Cost Candidates Millions To Win

In Massachusetts, the stakes are getting higher for keeping one's seat in Congress. 

Campaign spending has been increasing, making races more a matter of financial survival than anything else.

According to a Boston Globe report, in open-seat races, candidates like Lori Trahan and Jake Auchincloss spent approximately $2.5 million to win in 2018 and 2020, respectively. 

Today, Dan Koh, a former Biden administration official running for Congress a second time, is already outpacing that.

In the Sixth District race, Koh has raised approximately $3.5 million since launching his bid. He aims to surpass his 2018 fundraising pace and benefit from a national donor network that includes former Biden administration officials.

Close on his heels, John Beccia has raised around $400,000 and has poured $2 million of his own cash into his campaign, according to a spokesperson.

Indeed, fundraising has become more aggressive and broader, driven by digital tactics, social media, video ads, and outside spending.

Yet money alone isn't the only decisive factor in winning a campaign. The Globe cites examples like Ayanna Pressley defeating an incumbent with less money.

“We always knew we wouldn't have enough money to run a robust TV ad campaign,” Wilnelia Rivera, a senior adviser on Pressley's 2018 campaign, told the Globe. But “the people power — the sweat equity — really mitigated what we didn't have in terms of money for mailers and money for TV.”

Still, the ones who come out on top have cash backing them. “If you can flood the zone, if you have a massive fundraising advantage over your primary opponents, that's still going to be very impactful,” said Rufus Gifford. According to the Globe, Gifford spent $2.3 million running in the open Third District race against Trahan and Koh in 2018. This amount included $770,000 of his own money.