In one of the most expensive off-year elections ever, Big Business political spending far out distanced the contributions that working families made through their unions. The 12-to-1 corporate advantage translates to $709 million to $62 million, according to the most current analysis of information from the Federal Election Commission.

The 2002 spending continued business’ long-term trend of shoveling campaign cash into elections. In 1991, business outspent working family unions by a 9-to-1 margin and in the 2000 presidential year that figure jumped to 15-to-1 in cash and 17-to-1 in “soft money” contributions, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.  

In 2002, for example, big drug companies contributed more than $18 million to candidates and parties and spent more than $16 million on television issue ads thanking mostly Republican House of Representatives members for voting on the pharmaceutical industry’s plan to privatize a prescription drug benefit for seniors. 

Starting with the 1996 elections, the AFL-CIO and its affiliates combined their resources to build a stronger voice for working families in politics and hold candidates accountable for addressing the issues that matter to working people. The AFL-CIO’s political program strives to counterbalance Big Business’ money advantage by educating, mobilizing and engaging union members in politics.