From Mother Jones: How Dark Money is Taking Over Judicial Elections

Is justice being bought in Texas?

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Most people don't think about judicial elections until they find themselves staring at a group of unfamiliar names on the ballot. But judges are selected by voters in 39 states, whether in an initial election or a retention election after being appointed. The explainer below details how special-interest money has increasingly flooded the system over the last several decades—including the first ever set of data on campaign money in lower court races.

State	Lower-court contribution
Texas	$18,124,729
Illinois	$8,987,496
Florida	$7,874,947
Michigan	$4,531,056
California	$4,436,461
New York	$3,933,427
Pennsylvania	$2,438,094
Washington	$2,430,281
Wisconsin	$1,883,062
Oregon	$425,199

The Hidden Spending on Lower Courts

Campaign funding in races for lower courts is even more obscure—despite the fact that these races produce the vast majority of judges, and those most citizens will face. The first ever set of data on these races, compiled for 10 states, shows that more than $55 million was raised during the 2011-12 election cycle alone.