Exploratory committee

In the election politics of the United States, an exploratory committee is an organization established to help determine whether a potential candidate should run for an elected office. They are most often cited in reference to candidates for president of the United States prior to campaign announcements and the primaries. Exploratory committees allow prospective candidates to raise money and hire staff, and they do not have to report financial activity to the Federal Election Commission. Forming an exploratory committee for president almost always precedes an official candidacy, though some, such as Paul Wellstone in 2000 and Evan Bayh in 2008, have declined to formally run.

Exploratory committees may be governed by law. For example, the District of Columbia legally defines Exploratory Committees as (in DC Official Code § 1-1101.01(6)(B)(vi)):

NPR reporter Ron Elving described the use of exploratory committees in his story, "Declaring for President is a Dance of Seven Veils," which aired on December 5, 2006. He wrote:

• Testing the Waters and Campaign Committees (Press Release) Federal Election Commission (no date)
• Candidate Registration Brochure Federal Election Commission, March 2005, revised June 2008.
• District of Columbia Campaign Finance Guide