CityLab Daily: Tackling the Soaring Costs of Local Elections

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The amazing raise: Before he surprised Chicagoans today by announcing he will not seek re-election next year, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel had been running an aggressive fundraising campaign, taking in a little more than $10 million as of August (almost $2 million of it in one day). The size of that war chest was an example of how the costs of running for local office have soared in many big U.S. cities. At the municipal level in particular, political spending has grown as donors have recognized that city elections have national implications on party power. Potential city leaders, in turn, have hired national media consultants who recommend large budgets and high spending to become more professional.