The current system clearly gives a major advantage to incumbents and discourages competition to those incumbents. Further, it discourages small contributions from individuals who do not believe their contribution will make a difference. These limits are in line with other states involved in campaign reform and limits have been proposed in recent legislation in Texas. A limit on total contributions from a single source has been an effective deterrent to excessive influence on candidates. Effective legislation should also address soft money, coordinated contributions and other tactics designed to evade contribution limits.
Laws limiting campaign contributions are constitutional.