Political campaigns are spending much more on security in 2024 compared to previous years as threats against public servants continue to rise.
Washington D.C.: Political campaigns are spending much more money on security now than they did eight years ago. Federal campaigns and political groups spent over five times more on security in 2024 than they did before the 2016 election.
The Security Project found that threats against public workers and their families have gone up a lot. In Minnesota, threats against state capitol workers jumped from 18 in 2024 to 92 in 2025. Fights and bad things happening to politicians have become more common across the country.
Campaign money is being spent on many types of security. This includes guards for events, watching for online dangers, and making homes safer with alarms and fences. Digital security costs have gone up nearly 400 percent in eight years.
Some states are making new laws to help candidates pay for security. Utah recently passed a law letting candidates use campaign money for security systems at their offices and homes. A lawmaker named Mike McKell said vandalism and other problems have happened to people on both political sides.
Experts say this shows how dangerous the political climate has become. Justin Sherman from the Security Project worries that some people might not want to run for office because of safety concerns. The rising costs create extra money problems for candidates who want to serve the public.