The Federal Election Commission provides public campaign finance records for federal candidates and committees. Those records can help readers examine campaign resources and reported transactions.
Begin with the FEC data portal and confirm the correct candidate, office, state or district, election cycle, and committee.
Match the reporting period
A fundraising total is meaningful only with its dates. A quarterly figure and an election-cycle total are not the same measure.
Check whether the report covers the period you intend to compare and whether an amended filing supersedes an earlier one. A newly published story can still describe finances ending weeks earlier.
Distinguish the main quantities
Receipts describe reported incoming funds. Disbursements describe outgoing funds. Cash on hand is a balance at the reporting period's end. Debts are another separate item.
The FEC's House and Senate map guide explains the displayed campaign measures and links to transactions. Source: FEC map help.
A campaign with high receipts may also have spent heavily. The receipt total alone does not show its remaining resources.
Outside spending is different
Candidate committee money and spending by other organizations should not be merged casually. Identify the spending entity and the type of transaction.
An article stating that a candidate “raised” funds should not silently include independent expenditures made by another committee.
What the numbers cannot establish
Money can affect campaign capacity, but it does not count voter support. Fundraising advantages are not certified vote margins or independently validated win probabilities.
Likewise, a legal contribution does not by itself prove an improper agreement. Claims about influence require evidence beyond a transaction's existence.
A practical comparison
For two candidates, record the same period, receipts, disbursements, cash balance, debt, and source report. Note any material mismatch.
Use individual transactions to investigate a specific documented question. Avoid publishing donor contact details that add no public understanding.
For state and local candidates, use the appropriate state disclosure system rather than assuming federal records contain everything.
Related reading: candidate platforms and competitive districts.