Independent expenditure committees have spent about $2.2 million promoting and opposing candidates for state offices ranging from attorney general to state representative, according to their latest reports on file with the secretary of state's office.
In contrast, independent committees reported spending about $80,000 in 2010 and roughly $450,000 in 2012.
The increased amount of money being spent by these committees has come as the state's general election races have become more competitive between Democrats and Republicans.
More than two-thirds of this year's money is being spent to influence the attorney general's race.
Typically, independent expenditures are spent on races that are considered competitive.
Under the Arkansas Ethics Commission's rules, an independent expenditure is any expense that expressly advocates the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate for office and is made without cooperation or consultation between any candidate, or his authorized committee or agent, and the person making the expenditure, or any authorized agent of the person.
So far in this election cycle, independent expenditure committees financed by the Democratic and Republican attorneys general associations have reported spending more than $1.5 million on the attorney general's race between Republican nominee Leslie Rutledge of Little Rock, a former Republican National Committee legal counsel, and Democratic state Rep. Nate Steel of Nashville.
The Republican Attorneys General Association PAC -- based in Washington and financed through the Republican Attorneys General Association -- reported spending $397,410 on television and cable advertising and ad production costs from Sept. 25 through Oct. 25.
The group's counterpart is the Committee for Justice and Fairness, which is based in Washington and financed through the Democratic Attorneys General Association. The committee reported spending $1.19 million on media advertising and production between Aug. 15 and last Thursday.
The Republican State Leadership Committee Inc. based in Washington reported spending $126,366 between Oct. 10 and Oct. 25.
The GOP committee said it spent $79,642 on radio and digital advertising for the party's lieutenant governor nominee, U.S. Rep. Tim Griffin of Little Rock, and $35,358 on radio ads opposing Griffin's Democratic opponent, John Burkhalter of Little Rock.
The committee also reported spending $7,132 on direct mail opposing Democratic state House candidate Danny Knight of Sherwood -- who is vying with Sherwood Republican Karilyn Brown for the seat held by state Rep. Jim Nickels, D-Sherwood -- and $4,143 on direct mail opposing state Rep. Fonda Hawthorne, D-Ashdown, who is being challenged by Horatio Republican DeAnn Vaught.
The committee said it is supporting Brown and Vaught as part of its "Right Women, Right Now" initiative that includes 558 candidates across the nation.
The Republican committee's Democratic counterpart is called Protect Arkansas, which is based in Washington and financed by the Democratic Legislative Leadership Committee. It reported spending $217,966 on direct mail and other expenses between April 16 and Oct. 25.
The expenditure reports don't detail which candidates the committee is helping.
But last month, the group announced it was placing two Arkansas House races on its list of 69 targeted legislative competitions. Its goal is to help Radius Baker of Jonesboro beat Republican Dwight Tosh of Jonesboro and to aid Damon Daniels of Amity, who is challenging Rep. Richard Womack, R-Arkadelphia.
The Chicago-based National Association of Realtors Fund reported spending $97,684 on direct mail, advertising and other costs between Sept. 1-Oct. 6. A spokesman for the National Association of Realtors, Jenny Werwa, said the fund is supporting the re-election of five incumbents and one challenger in the Arkansas Legislature.
The incumbents are state Reps. Tommy Wren, D-Melbourne; Charlie Collins, R-Fayetteville; Jim Dotson, R-Bentonville; and Bob Ballinger, R-Hindsville. State Sen. Robert Thompson, D-Paragould, also has the fund's backing. Their opponents are Melbourne Republican Michelle Gray, Fayetteville Democrat Candy Clark, Bentonville Democrat Leah Williams, Eureka Springs Democrat Charles "Sonny" Carter and Corning Republican Blake Johnson, respectively.
Hot Springs Republican Laurie Rushing, who is seeking to oust state Rep. David Kizzia, D-Malvern, also has the group's assistance.
Werwa said the group is helping Arkansas candidates who protect home and property ownership and private property rights, with independent expenditures based on the recommendations of the Arkansas Realtors Association.
USW Works based in Pittsburgh and financed by the United Steelworkers labor union reported spending $128,400 on direct mail from Jan. 1 through Oct. 24. A spokesman for the group could not be reached for comment by telephone this week.
Earlier this year, the Fayetteville-based Conduit for Action committee reported spending nearly $50,000, largely supporting Mountain Home Republican Scott Flippo and opposing state Rep. John Burris, R-Harrison, in the Senate race won by Flippo.
The Conduit for Action group opposes the state's private-option program under which the state is using federal Medicaid funds to purchase private health insurance for low-income Arkansans. Burris is one of the three key legislative architects of the program, which has enrolled more than 180,000 Arkansans in private health insurance plans.
Metro on 11/01/2014