Donor
Mellody Hobson
IndividualPresident, Ariel Investments, LLC · Illinois
4 gifts to 2 groups, as reported to the FEC by the groups that received them.
Mellody Hobson gave $1.3M to super PACs and other outside groups in the 2020 federal elections, and 100% of it helped Democrats (FEC filings through Dec 31, 2020). Counting dollars, not candidates, and only races already called, 41% ended up on the winning side ($467K won, $682K lost).
Gave to outside spenders
$1.3M
100% of it helped Democrats
Ended up on the winning side
41%
$467K of the dollars in races already called
Spent on the losing side
$682K
Not spent yet
$172K
Sitting with groups that have not spent
Where the cheques went
A person writing cheques from their own fortune. Each gift is split the way the group that received it split its spending between winners and losers, so a $10M cheque to a group that spent 80% on losers counts as $8M on the losing side.
✓ Backed the winner or attacked the loser ✗ Backed the loser or attacked the winner Result not matched
| Group | Gave | How the group spent it | Won / lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate Majority PAC $145K not spent yet | $1.3M | $460K / $646K | |
| DSCC $27K not spent yet | $71K | $7K / $37K |
The trail
What the money bought
The candidates Mellody Hobson's money was spent for or against, pro-rated by Mellody Hobson's share of each group's funding.
| Candidate | Race | Spending | Their share | Paid off? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thom Tilllis | North Carolina Senate | Attacking | $177K | ✗ No |
| Joni Ernst | Iowa Senate | Attacking | $176K | ✗ No |
| John James | Michigan Senate (primary) | Attacking | $165K | ✗ No |
| David A. Perdue | Georgia Senate | Attacking | $153K | ✓ Yes |
| Susan Margaret Collins | Maine Senate | Attacking | $134K | ✗ No |
| Steve Daines | Montana Senate | Attacking | $89K | ✗ No |
| Martha McSally | Arizona Senate | Attacking | $75K | ✓ Yes |
| John Cornyn | Texas Senate | Attacking | $41K | ✗ No |
| Cory Gardner | Colorado Senate | Attacking | $38K | ✓ Yes |
| Theresa Greenfield | Iowa Senate (primary) | Supporting | $35K | ✓ Yes |
| Lindsey Graham | South Carolina Senate | Attacking | $24K | ✗ No |
| John W. Hickenlooper | Colorado Senate (primary) | Supporting | $13K | ✓ Yes |
Individual as classified from the FEC entity type and public reporting.
Questions people ask
- How much did Mellody Hobson spend on the 2020 elections, and did it win?
- Mellody Hobson gave $1.3M to super PACs and other outside groups in the 2020 federal elections, and 100% of it helped Democrats (FEC filings through Dec 31, 2020). Counting dollars, not candidates, and only races already called, 41% ended up on the winning side ($467K won, $682K lost).
- Which super PACs did Mellody Hobson fund in 2020?
- Senate Majority PAC ($1.3M), DSCC ($71K).
- Which candidates did Mellody Hobson's money end up backing or attacking in 2020?
- against Thom Tilllis (North Carolina Senate, about $177K, lost); against Joni Ernst (Iowa Senate, about $176K, lost); against John James (Michigan Senate, about $165K, lost). Amounts are the donor's share of each group's spending.