Introduction

Who’s calling the shots in the states? A multi-year investigation into money in state politics.

We’re a little over a month away from the 2014 midterm elections, and in addition to control of the U.S. Senate there are more than 6,300 state-level races around the country in play.

And if you watch TV you’ve seen an unbelievable number of political ads asking for your vote. Do you know who is paying for those ads, and why?

The Center for Public Integrity is trying answer this question, by investigating who is trying to influence the 2014 elections through television advertising. We created two apps to track spending on political advertising throughout the U.S. – and reveal the source behind the dollars spent to influence your vote.

Here’s what we’ve found about who’s trying to influence your vote: