Victory met every candidate who opposed net neutrality on survey

Every House and Senate candidate who made a clear-cut statement against net neutrality in a survey won his or her election bid, according to an analysis by the Center for Individual Freedom (CFIF), a free-market advocacy group.

The group said it sent its survey to all candidates running for office, asking five questions. One question broached Internet openness, asking "Do you favor or oppose federal regulations that would impose 'net neutrality?' " (The full question is after the jump). 

CFIF said 24 candidates responded in opposition to net neutrality. Ten were challengers, 14 were incumbents. They all won. 

CFIF President Jeffrey Mazzella said he was under "no delusion" that net neutrality was a deciding issue in the elections. He said, however, that the results show that voters are electing candidates who oppose what he called the "pro-regulatory zeal" of the Obama administration. 

Net-neutrality stakeholders on both sides have used the election results to say the outcomes demonstrated political support for their beliefs. For instance, Free Press noted that more than a third of the candidates who signed a letter against broadband regulation lost their election bids. Meanwhile, analyst Scott Cleland, a net-neutrality opponent, noted that 95 candidates who signed a pro-net neutrality pledge all lost. 

Here is the how CFIF phrased the net-neutrality question on its survey: 

“President Obama’s Federal Communications Commission (FCC) favors implementation of ‘Net Neutrality’ regulations upon Internet service by a 3-2 margin. ‘Net Neutrality’ advocates assert that more federal regulation is necessary to prevent the possibility of content blockage by service providers. Opponents of ‘Net Neutrality’ assert that it would discourage future investment in broadband expansion and innovation, prohibit Internet traffic management, and undermine service quality. Do you favor or oppose federal regulations that would impose ‘Net Neutrality?’ ”