Campaigns spend more on security as threats of political violence grow

Campaign Security Spending Surges Amid Growing Threats to Politicians

Security spending by federal political campaigns has increased fivefold over the past decade as candidates face an increasingly hostile political environment, according to a new report released Thursday by the Public Service Alliance.

The report reveals that federal political committees spent more than $40 million on security-related expenses during the 2023-24 campaign cycle, highlighting the growing safety concerns for those seeking or holding public office.

“This is not a good place to be as a country,” said Justin Sherman, the report’s author, pointing to the financial burden that security concerns now place on political candidates and elected officials.

The surge in security spending comes against a backdrop of escalating political violence across the United States. Recent years have witnessed numerous high-profile attacks, including the 2017 shooting at a Republican congressional baseball practice in Alexandria, Virginia, which injured several people including then-House Majority Whip Steve Scalise.

Other notable incidents include the 2022 hammer assault on Paul Pelosi, husband of then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, at their San Francisco home; the 2024 assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania rally; and the killings of Minnesota Democratic state lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, as well as conservative commentator Charlie Kirk in Utah.

The Public Service Alliance, a nonpartisan organization focused on security for public officials, compiled the data from Federal Election Commission filings. The report only counted expenses explicitly marked for security purposes, suggesting that actual security-related spending is likely even higher than the documented $40 million.

While this figure represents just a fraction of the billions spent during each election cycle, the trend reveals how safety concerns have become an unavoidable aspect of modern political campaigns.

Digital security has emerged as one of the fastest-growing expense categories. Spending on cybersecurity measures, including protection against hackers and online threat monitoring, jumped from just $50,000 in the 2015-16 election cycle to $900,000 in 2023-24, reflecting the evolving nature of threats facing political figures.

Perhaps most concerning is the nearly $1 million spent on home security during the past decade, after campaigns reported no such expenses in the 2015-16 cycle. These costs include security response contracts, surveillance cameras, and physical fortifications like window bars. The shift underscores how threats have increasingly followed politicians into their private spaces.

“Doxing” – the practice of publishing someone’s private information, particularly home addresses, on social media – has become more common, exposing elected officials to potential danger. The attacks on Paul Pelosi and on Hortman and her husband both occurred at their private residences, highlighting the vulnerability of politicians in their homes.

“It’s expected that, say, a GOTV [get out the vote] event or a campaign rally is going to have metal detectors and security,” Sherman noted. “But targeting the homes of candidates and officeholders is a new frontier.”

The report did not specify which candidates spent the most on security, nor did it account for government security costs, including Capitol Police protection for members of Congress and Secret Service details for presidential candidates and former presidents.

While members of Congress can allocate funds from their office budgets for security purposes, the report suggests that security costs now represent a significant consideration for individuals contemplating a run for office. This financial burden could potentially discourage qualified candidates from entering politics.

“It’s a troubling time when the security spend is becoming a greater barrier for someone running for office,” Sherman observed, pointing to the broader implications for American democracy.

As political polarization continues to intensify across the country, the rising security costs reflect a concerning transformation in American politics, where physical safety has become a prerequisite for public service rather than an assumption.