Political contributions to state candidates in the 2006 elections were dominated by special interests, according to a new study released on Wednesday.

David Schultz, a professor in the graduate school at Hamline University in St. Paul, released a report on Wednesday detailing the role of money in the 2006 Minnesota elections.  The report, the “Price of Admission 2006:  Political Money Trends in Minnesota,” is the annual study  Schultz has done on money and politics in Minnesota since 2000.

“The biggest news in the study is threefold,” said Schultz. “First, special interests — PACS, lobbyists, and large individual donors — dominated the 2006 elections and destroyed the public finance system. Second, the cash advantage Minnesota DFLers had over the Republican Party was important to the Democrats’ victory in ’06. Finally, special-interest contributions to the legislature and the governor are affecting the 2007 legislative session.”

According to the study, over $132 million was spent by candidates, the parties and legislative caucuses, and other political associations in 2006 to influence the elections or policy-making at the state capitol. In addition, over 70 percent of the nearly $50 million donated to state office candidates, the parties, and the caucuses in 2006 came from PACS, lobbyists, and large donors.

“There is no question that Minnesota’s campaign finance system is broken,” said Schultz.  “If the goal of the 1994 reforms was to limit the role of these three types of contributors, then the law has now failed.  Over 80 percent of the money donated to the four legislative caucuses is from these sources, over 75 percent of the money donated to Governor Pawlenty is from them, and over 60 percent of the donations to legislative candidates also came from PACs, lobbyists, and big donors.”

In addition, the study revealed that the DFL party, caucuses, and candidates enjoyed a significant cash advantage over the Republicans.

“Democrats dominated Republicans in terms of hard and soft money contributions and they had a huge advantage in terms of independent expenditures.  These advantages played out on Election Day.  For example, DFLers  received 56 percent of all the contributions to legislative candidates in 2006, they then received 55 percent of the vote on Election Day, and were able to then take 65 percent of all the House and Senate seats. Money definitely helped them do as well as they did last year and it allowed them to turn a good year [for Democrats nationally] into a great one for them in Minnesota.”

The only place where DFLers did not enjoy a cash advantage was in the governor’s race. Schultz noted how contributions to Tim Pawlenty were double of that to Mike Hatch. Said the report: “Pawlenty’s victory should not be viewed as a victory for him so much as a victory for the money he had  and an ability to exploit Hatch’s weaknesses.”

The report concludes by arguing that the 2007 legislative session is taking place under the influence of an election where special-interest money picked the House, Senate, and governor.

“It amazes me that the public interest can be done at all when so much money by special interests is being thrown at our state officials,” said Schultz.A complete copy of the report may be found at: http://davidschultz.efoliomn2.com/index.asp by clicking on *Money in Minnesota Politics* on the left side of the page.