By Alabama Public Radio
Washington, DC – A new study shows more than seven million dollars were spent on Alabama's 2002 elections. The Washington-based Center for Public Integrity also reports local party organizations raised more than 10 million dollars during that election cycle. The center analyzed more than 770-thousand records from all 50 states during the 2001-2002 election years. The analysis shows the Alabama State Democratic Executive Committee raised nearly six million dollars two years ago. The Alabama Republican Party raised about four-point-one million. But new campaign finance laws are in place this year, and party officials don't expect organizations to keep up with that fund-raising pace. The National Education Association was the top organizational contributor with nearly 468 thousand dollars. About 65 percent of that went to Democrats and 35 percent went to Republicans.