By Associated Press
Montgomery, AL – A new national study says Alabama's hotly contested partisan races for state Supreme Court seats were by far the most expensive in the country during the last decade.
The report shows that between 2000 and 2009, candidates for the Alabama Supreme Court raised nearly $41 million for their campaigns. Outside groups spent another $2.6 million on TV ads about the candidates, bringing Alabama's total spending to $43.6 million.
Ohio was second at $29.8 million and Pennsylvania third at $22.7 million, even though both are more than twice as populous as Alabama.
The report was issued by groups that track spending by judicial candidates nationwide and are concerned with the increased spending in states with contested or partisan elections.