During the 2013 election cycle, the Brennan Center for Justice will release television advertisements and spending figures for this year’s state supreme court elections. Since 2000, the Brennan Center has been using this information to publish comprehensive analyses of special interest money and television spending in judicial elections. These analyses have culminated in seven iterations of the New Politics of Judicial Elections report series: 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, Decade Report, 2009–10, and 2011–12.
This year’s advertisements are available for viewing on the web and as storyboards. The storyboards contain screen captures of the ads at timed intervals, along with complete text. TV ads and storyboards are provided by the Campaign Media Analysis Group (CMAG).
State Breakdowns
Real Time Analysis
Throughout the election season the Brennan Center issued a series of analyses focused on judicial election spending
- November 8, 2013: “PA Justices Spend More than $315,000 in Contentious Judicial Retention Races”
- April 4, 2013: “TV Spending in Wisconsin Supreme Court Race Tops $1.1 Million, Outside Groups Dominate”
- February 21, 2013: “Club for Growth Dominates TV Spending in Wisconsin Supreme Court Primary”
Methodology
All data on ad airings and spending on ads are calculated and prepared by Kantar Media/CMAG, which captures satellite data in the nation’s largest media markets. CMAG’s estimates do not reflect ad agency commissions or the costs of producing advertisements, nor do they reflect the cost of ad buys on local cable channels. Cost estimates are revised by Kantar Media/CMAG when it receives updated data, resulting in some fluctuations in the reported ad spending.