in total, how much money can an individual give to candidates and parties in a given election?
The laws restrict individuals to a total of $123,200 in donations to candidates, national party organizations and certain political committees. Of that $123,200 total, only $48,600 can be donated to candidates. Furthermore, the law sets a limit of $2,600 that a person can give to an individual candidate for federal office for each election cycle. Simply put, a person can legally donate a maximum $2,600 to 18 candidates.