Best of the Center for Public Integrity's 2016 election coverage

Without question, the 2016 presidential election will go down as one of the strangest in history.

From the emergence of socialist U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont as a viable opponent to Hillary Clinton to the stunning takeover of the Republican Party by Donald Trump, this cycle everything we thought we knew about money in politics, and politics in general, has been turned on its head.

As a special feature, we’ve selected what we consider to be some of our best and most useful coverage of not only the presidential race, but also key races in the states, for some pre-election reading.

Please enjoy:

The Race for President

• Shadow candidates: Who’s more transparent, Clinton or Trump?
  

• How ‘Citizens United’ is helping Hillary Clinton win the White House
  

• Reclusive mega-donor fueling Donald Trump's White House hopes
  

• Analysis: Donald Trump, propagandist-in-chief?
  

• A nonpartisan guide to Trump's national security and foreign policy positions
  

• A nonpartisan guide to Clinton's national security and foreign policy positions
  

• Trump’s organization did business with Iranian bank later linked to terrorism
  

• Small businesses for Trump: ‘Just get somebody different in there’
  

• Donald Trump’s big money bait-and-switch
  

• Sanders, Clinton want campaign finance overhaul, but face huge obstacles
  

• Democrats want reform — but court big money in the meantime
  

• Democratic megadonor bankrolls ‘Republicans for Clinton’ super PAC
  

• Journalists shower Hillary Clinton with campaign cash
  

• Two very different Donalds, one White House goal
  

• Koch brothers’ plight likened to that of civil rights workers in the 1950s
  

• Tracking TV ads in the 2016 presidential race

In the States

• Tracking TV ads in the 2016 state races
  

• Tight governors' races loosen political purse strings
  

• The surprising way that governor candidates namedrop Trump, Clinton and Obama into their TV ads
  

• Insurers give big to races determining their regulators
  

• Close North Carolina governor's race fought by outsiders
  

• National groups spar over South Dakota ballot measure
  

• High profits fertilize five new marijuana ballot measures

This story is part of Politics. Campaign donations, lobbying and influence in government and reports on the special interests that are funding elections and buying power. Click here to read more stories in this topic.

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This story is part of Politics. Campaign donations, lobbying and influence in government and reports on the special interests that are funding elections and buying power. Click here to read more stories in this topic.

Copyright 2016 The Center for Public Integrity. This story was published by The Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit, nonpartisan investigative news organization in Washington, D.C.