"Wall Street and Kochs Fuel Most Expensive U.S. Senate Race Ever"

"The most expensive U.S. Senate race in history is unfolding in Pennsylvania, where Wall Street, unions and billionaire industrialists Charles and David Koch are flooding the state with money.

At least $139 million has been spent by advocacy groups and the candidates, Republican incumbent Pat Toomey and Democrat Katie McGinty, Federal Election Commission filings show. The money has paid for legions of door-to-door canvassers and about 449 hours of negative television ads over the past six months.

The record spending shows that both parties see Pennsylvania as pivotal in the all-out battle for the Senate. Of the 34 open seats this year, it’s one of six that are considered a statistical toss-up, according to RealClearPolitics polling averages. On top of that, Toomey’s place on the Senate committees that oversee banks and tax policy raises the stakes for the financial industry and other corporations."

Bill Allison and Elizabeth Dexheimer report for Bloomberg November 3, 2016.