Campaign Funds for Security: The Movement One Year Later

Vote Mama Foundation launched our Campaign Funds for Security (CFS) initiative in August of 2025 at the National Conference of State Legislatures Annual Summit in Boston, MA. At our booth in the exhibit hall, we debuted first-of-its-kind spending data examining how much campaign money federal candidates spent on security expenses over a 10-year period. The results were staggering: over $41 million spent on security expenses by over 800 federal candidates and officeholders from 2014 to 2024.

Publishing this data shortly after the murder of Speaker Emeritus Melissa Hortman resonated with state legislators attending the Summit and visiting our booth. They knew political violence was on the rise, that this was a crisis that would require multiple solutions, and they were interested in learning more about how federal candidates have protected themselves and their families through the use of campaign funds. Our mini-report on CFS sparked a movement at the state level: how can state statutes align with federal regulations to give state and local officeholders the same allowances as federal officeholders — especially as it relates to protecting the children of public servants. We paired our federal spending data with a detailed map of the country, showing which states had authorized CFS for state and local candidates and officeholders, and what types of security expenses were deemed permissible in each state. We wanted to make sure folks knew this resource existed and to normalize its usage so more folks felt comfortable taking steps to ensure their safety and security.

We were blown away by the feedback we received from legislators and community members about how critical this resource was to ensuring that everyday people could serve in office without fear for their safety. At the time of our public launch, 10 states had authorized CFS. By September of 2026, a little over one year later, 32 states have authorized CFS for state and local candidates and officeholders. CFS has tripled across the nation.

More than 60% of the country has now taken steps to ensure that moms and dads running for office don’t have to weigh their families’ safety when representing their communities. Thus far in 2026, Vote Mama Foundation has tracked authorizations in Alabama, Missouri, Nebraska, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Delaware. Our nationwide tracker makes it easy to see where CFS is authorized in real time nationwide, and what’s allowed under each state’s authorization. Our Resources page includes additional educational materials on using your campaign funds for security expenses, if needed; how to check with your state’s governing body to see whether CFS is allowable under current law; and model bill language.

If you’re interested in learning more about using your campaign funds to pay for security expenses directly related to campaign activities or to carrying out official duties, please contact our team at info@votemamafoundation.org.