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HOME / BCRA INFORMATION / MILLIONAIRES' AMENDMENT / VAP AND SENATE THRESHOLD AMOUNTS

VAP and Personal Spending Thresholds for Senate Candidates **

** Please note that the provisions of the Millionaires' Amendment have been affected by the Supreme Court decision in Davis v. FEC. See the Federal Election Commission's Public Statement on the Supreme Court's Decision in Davis v. FEC


When a Senate candidate's opponent spends personal funds that exceed certain threshold amounts, the candidate may accept increased individual contributions and, in some cases, the candidate's state and national party committees may make unlimited coordinated party expenditures on behalf of the candidate.  The threshold amount for Senate candidates is calculated using a formula that includes the voting age population (VAP) of the state that the candidate seeks to represent, specifically: (VAP x $.04) + $150,000.  Note that:

The chart below lists for each state the voting age population, the resulting threshold amounts and the relevant multiples thereof, for 2008 elections.  (Voting age population statistics are as of July 1, 2007 and are provided by the Census Bureau.)

State
VAP
(in thousands)
Threshold Amount x2 x4 x10
Alabama 3,504 290,170 580,340 1,160,680 2,901,700
Alaska 501 170,050 340,100 680,200 1,700,500
Arizona 4,669 336,760 673,520 1,347,040 3,367,600
Arkansas 2,134 235,370 470,740 941,480 2,353,700
California 27,169 1,236,770 2,473,540 4,947,080 12,367,700
Colorado 3,669 296,750 593,500 1,187,000 2,967,500
Connecticut 2,682 257,280 514,560 1,029,120 2,572,800
Delaware 659 176,360 352,720 705,440 1,763,600
DC 475 168,980 337,960 675,920 1,689,800
Florida 14,208 718,310 1,436,620 2,873,240 7,183,100
Georgia 7,013 430,530 861,060 1,722,120 4,305,300
Hawaii 998 189,910 379,820 759,640 1,899,100
Idaho 1,092 193,670 387,340 774,680 1,936,700
Illinois 9,653 536,140 1,072,280 2,144,560 5,361,400
Indiana 4,759 340,350 680,700 1,361,400 3,403,500
Iowa 2,277 241,070 482,140 964,280 2,410,700
Kansas 2,080 233,200 466,400 932,800 2,332,000
Kentucky 3,238 279,500 559,000 1,118,000 2,795,000
Louisiana 3,214 278,550 557,100 1,114,200 2,785,500
Maine 1,038 191,510 383,020 766,040 1,915,100
Maryland  4,260 320,380 640,760 1,281,520 3,203,800
Massachusetts 5,017 350,680 701,360 1,402,720 3,506,800
Michigan 7,625 455,000 910,000 1,820,000 4,550,000
Minnesota 3,937 307,490 614,980 1,229,960 3,074,900
Mississippi 2,150 236,000 472,000 944,000 2,360,000
Missouri 4,454 328,140 656,280 1,312,560 3,281,400
Montana 738 179,530 359,060 718,120 1,795,300
Nebraska 1,328 203,140 406,280 812,560 2,031,400
Nevada 1,905 226,220 452,440 904,880 2,262,200
New Hampshire 1,018 190,710 381,420 762,840 1,907,100
New Jersey 6,622 414,890 829,780 1,659,560 4,148,900
New Mexico 1,470 208,790 417,580 835,160 2,087,900
New York 14,884 745,370 1,490,740 2,981,480 7,453,700
North Carolina 6,843 423,730 847,460 1,694,920 4,237,300
North Dakota 497 169,880 339,760 679,520 1,698,800
Ohio 8,715 498,600 997,200 1,994,400 4,986,000
Oklahoma 2,718 258,710 517,420 1,034,840 2,587,100
Oregon 2,885 265,380 530,760 1,061,520 2,653,800
Pennsylvania 9,646 535,840 1,071,680 2,143,360 5,358,400
Rhode Island 825 182,990 365,980 731,960 1,829,900
South Carolina 3,348 283,910 567,820 1,135,640 2,839,100
South Dakota 599 173,970 347,940 695,880 1,739,700
Tennessee 4,685 337,410 674,820 1,349,640 3,374,100
Texas 17,281 841,240 1,682,480 3,364,960 8,412,400
Utah 1,829 223,140 446,280 892,560 2,231,400
Vermont 490 169,600 339,200 678,400 1,696,000
Virginia 5,886 385,440 770,880 1,541,760 3,854,400
Washington 4,932 347,280 694,560 1,389,120 3,472,800
West Virginia 1,425 206,990 413,980 827,960 2,069,900
Wisconsin 4,280 321,210 642,420 1,284,840 3,212,100
Wyoming 397 165,900 331,800 663,600 1,659,000

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Prepared by the Information Division