Federal campaign and political action committee spending on security during the 2024 election cycle was over five times the amount spent ahead of the 2016 election, according to a new report published on Thursday.

The report by the Security Project at the nonpartisan group Public Service Alliance notes that the jump in spending comes as violent threats against public servants and their families are rising at all levels of government. Justin Sherman, interim vice president of the Security Project and the author of the report, finds the rising costs of addressing such threats concerning and says for some candidates it can create additional financial pressure.

“No candidate, regardless of party, regardless of where in the country they're running, should have to weigh serving in public office against threats to them or their families,” Sherman says.

A Minnesota Star Tribune investigation recently found that threats against Minnesota State Capitol workers had increased from 18 incidents in 2024 to 92 in 2025, and that in the first two months of 2026, there were 45. Other research from...