Capitol Alert: FPPC lists top independent expenditure spending for legislative races

The Fair Political Practices Commission has ranked which legislative campaigns got the greatest big-dollar boost from independent expenditure committees since 2001.

Independent expenditure committees can spend and raise unlimited funds to support or oppose a candidate, as long as the committee's actions are not coordinated with the candidate's campaign.

Democratic Sen. Lou Correa's 2006 Senate bid topped the rankings, making the Santa Ana lawmaker one of eight Democrats to land a spot on the list. Six of the top campaigns to get help from the committees are from the 2008 cycle.

The list looks back at independent expenditure spending since 2001, when the Proposition 34-mandated limits on campaign spending and contributions took effect. See which campaigns benefited the most from the spending (and how much was spent on each race) after the jump.

Here are the independent expenditure totals and race descriptions provided in a release issued Monday by the FPPC.

1) Democratic Sen. Lou Correa -- $2,389,014 (2006)
Correa benefited from $2,389,014 in "independent expenditures" in his successful campaign for the 34th Senate District during the 2006 election cycle.

2) Democratic Assemblyman Manuel Perez -- $1,933,229 (2008)
Perez benefited from $1,933,229 in "independent expenditures" in his successful campaign for the 80th Assembly District during the 2008 election cycle.

3) Former Democratic Assemblyman John Dutra -- $1,778,336 (2006)
Dutra benefited from $1,778,336 in "independent expenditures" in his unsuccessful campaign for the 10th Senate District during the 2006 election cycle.

4) GOP Sen. Tony Strickland -- $1,679,729 (2008)
Strickland benefited from $1,679,729 in "independent expenditures" in his successful campaign for the 19th Senate District during the 2008 election cycle.

5) Democratic Sen. Rod Wright -- $1,486,936 (2008)
Wright benefited from $1,486,936 in "independent expenditures" in his successful campaign for the 25th Senate District during the 2008 election cycle.

6) Democratic Assemblywoman Alyson Huber -- $1,363,779 (2008)
Huber benefited from $1,363,779 in "independent expenditures" in her successful campaign for the 10th Assembly District during the 2008 election cycle.

7) Democratic Assemblywoman Joan Buchanan -- $1,273,769 (2008)
Buchanan benefited from $1,273,769 in "independent expenditures" in her successful campaign for the 15th Assembly District during the 2008 election cycle.

8) Former Democratic Assemblywoman Nicole Parra -- $1,255,378 (2006)
Para benefited from $1,255,378 in "independent expenditures" in her successful re-election campaign for the 30th Assembly District during the 2006 election cycle.

9 ) Chula Vista City Councilman John McCann (Republican)-- $1,251,784 (2008)
McCann benefited from $1,251,784 in "independent expenditures" in his unsuccessful campaign for the 78th Assembly District during the 2008 election cycle.

10) Democratic Sen. Gloria Negrete McLeod -- $1,233,326 (2006)
Negrete McLeod benefited from $1,233,326 in "independent expenditures" in her successful campaign for the 32nd Senate District during the 2006 election cycle.