US midterms: Guardian reporters field reader questions on campaign spending

The Guardian's US politics team hosted its second live reader Q&A on Friday about the upcoming congressional midterm elections, set for 3 November. Three Guardian journalists took part: political breaking news reporter Joseph Gedeon, tech reporter Dara Kerr, and senior politics reporter Chris Stein, who answered reader questions on who is funding campaigns, where that money is going, and how it is shaping the election outlook.

Over recent months, the team has published in-depth reporting on several campaign-finance topics. One investigation examined how major companies that had publicly urged Congress to strengthen the Voting Rights Act continue to contribute to state political groups actively working to undermine that legislation. Another piece covered the extensive spending by crypto money and big tech firms aimed at shaping this year's races. A third looked at the role of Aipac and its linked Super Pacs in funding Democratic candidates who face challengers from the party's progressive left.

The article also notes that in June the US supreme court struck down a lower court ruling that had limited spending by political parties in support of their candidates.

The reader Q&A is part of an ongoing series the Guardian's US politics team is running ahead of the November midterms; an earlier session focused on Democrats' hopes for the midterms.