Campaign spending for state Supreme Court races across the nation soared in 2004, with $24.4 million poured into television ads as elections to the bench drew increased attention from interest groups and political parties, according to an analysis released Monday.
The latest number more than doubled the record of $10.6 million set in 2000, the report found. New records for candidate fund raising were set in nine states, with Illinois leading the way: There, two candidates together spent $9.3 million, according to the report from the Justice at Stake Campaign, a nonpartisan group that seeks impartial, independent courts.
