Editorial: Look past campaign spending in PA Senate race

In Pennsylvania’s contentious Senate battle this year, the race seems be about which candidate can outspend the other instead of the issues.

On Tuesday, the Center for Responsive Politics disclosed that spending on Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate race has amounted to $88.9 million thus far. The race is the most expensive in the country, falling behind only the presidential race and costing more than any previous Senate race.

With this in mind, student voters should look past the flood of dollar bills and examine what the money is being spent on and where the candidates stand on the issues.

In large part, the money in this race has gone to political ads that the campaigns air on radio and television stations around the state — and understandably so. Democratic candidate Katie McGinty and Republican Sen. Pat Toomey are running a heated race, polling neck-and-neck in recent weeks.

According to RealClearPolitics, McGinty leads Toomey by an average of two points across all polls.

But while that reality is flooding Pennsylvania airwaves with political spin, don’t look to the ads to learn about the candidates themselves. In two ads that aired after Tuesday night’s Vice Presidential debate, for example, a pro-McGinty ad promised that the Democrat would fight for lower taxes, while an anti-McGinty ad directly after said she wanted to raise taxes. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle. Voters must look beyond their television sets for the truth.

Indeed, both candidates’ campaign websites as well as Toomey’s voting history in the Senate will provide more insight into their stances than any ad.

McGinty is a candidate that advocates for issues such as clean energy, a $15 minimum wage, paid family leave, refinancing student loans and campaign finance reform. As a former environmental policy advisor to Gov. Tom Wolf, she has long been a supporter of clean energy and is pro-business.

Toomey is a candidate that has pushed for sensible gun policies, tax reform, fewer business regulations, law enforcement protections and veteran support. The Republican senator, since 2010, has stood against the Affordable Care Act and environmental protections, supports tax cuts across the board and pro-life policies and voted against LGBT rights while in office.

These are the issues that should be at the forefront. The types of policies they vote for will impact all of us, and we must be wary of the advertisements trying to tell us otherwise.

In this race, finding that truth is important. The Senate race here is so tight in part because it could mean a Democratic majority if McGinty wins. With this in mind, voters must closely examine the impact the Pennsylvania race will have on our Congress.

Ever since the 2008 Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. FEC went into effect, campaign spending on elections has increased exponentially. This presidential election, both candidates have raised $1.09 billion by their committees alone.

The decision catapulted outside spending on political campaigns, and as a result, voter’s voices matter less in the political process.

Both candidates in the Senate race here have invested grotesque amounts of money in their campaigns, an issue that neither party can escape. McGinty has spent about $35 million on her campaign, and Toomey has spent about $44 million total.

If we want to reject the corrupt campaign system plaguing our government, we will vote according to our will, not by the money being waved in our faces.

Political campaigns may want to win us over with their wallets, but we as citizens must vote with our futures in mind.