PIPE Workshop: Jennifer Gaudette (UCR Policy)

This paper presents the first comprehensive analysis of police union campaign contributions in all kinds of local elections across three diverse states: South Carolina, Virginia, and Washington. Drawing on an original dataset of local election contributions from 2009-2022, I examine police unions' donation patterns, including their target races, contribution sizes, and temporal trends. By comparing police union contributions to those of other interest groups, including teachers' unions and business associations, I provide new insights into the relative scale and strategic focus of police union political activity at the local level. I show that police union activity differs between counties and cities. I also find that they demonstrate differing trends when compared to other local unions: police unions are more likely to contribute to Republican candidates than other groups and their chosen candidates are more likely to win in more conservative cities. This research contributes to our understanding of both interest group politics and police reform by illuminating how police unions leverage campaign contributions to influence local elections.

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