Donor
Michael Smith
IndividualConsultant, Kaitar Resources · Colorado
1176 reported gifts; 34 recipient groups listed, as reported to the FEC by the groups that received them.
Michael Smith gave $2.6M to super PACs and other outside groups in the 2020 federal elections, and 95% of it helped Republicans (FEC filings with varying coverage dates; the most common larger-campaign cutoff is Dec 31, 2020). Among dollars with a matched election-stage result, 60% were on the winning side ($961K won, $645K lost). $3K had no matched result and is excluded.
Gave to outside spenders
$2.6M
95% of it helped Republicans
Winning share of scored dollars
60%
$1.6M scored (61% of gifts)
Spent on the losing side
$645K
Not allocated or result unknown
$1.0M
$1.0M not allocated to tracked outside spending; $3K has no matched result. Neither is cash on hand.
Where the checks went
| Group | Gave | How the group spent it | Won / lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate Leadership Fund $781K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $2.0M | $682K / $536K | |
| Security Is Strength PAC $11K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $125K | $107K / $6K | |
| 1820 PAC $12K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $100K | $79K / $9K | |
| DSCC $64K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $91K | $4K / $22K | |
| Georgia Action Fund $28K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $74K | $0 / $47K | |
| Texans for a Conservative Majority $7K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $74K | $68K / $0 | |
| DCCC $31K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $41K | $2K / $9K | |
| Republican National Committee $32K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $33K | $0 / $253 | |
| NRSC $21K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $32K | $7K / $5K | |
| Human Rights Campaign Equality Votes PAC $3K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $10K | $5K / $2K | |
| NRCC $7K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $9K | $2K / $201 | |
| Senate Majority PAC $3K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $7K | $2K / $3K | |
| Dmfi PAC $851 not allocated to tracked outside spending | $5K | $779 / $1K | |
| National Rifle Association of America Political Victory Fund $1K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $2K | $122 / $621 | |
| The Lincoln Project $901 not allocated to tracked outside spending | $2K | $842 / $304 | |
| Progressive Turnout Project $2K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $2K | $65 / $11 | |
| 314 Action Fund $799 not allocated to tracked outside spending | $1K | $77 / $405 | |
| Moveon.Org Political Action $1K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $1K | $180 / $73 | |
| The Committee to Defend the President $157 not allocated to tracked outside spending | $1K | $31 / $1K | |
| National Association of Realtors Political Action Committee $786 not allocated to tracked outside spending | $900 | $46 / $15 | |
| America First Action $87 not allocated to tracked outside spending | $700 | $0 / $613 | |
| Senate Conservatives Fund $392 not allocated to tracked outside spending | $691 | $129 / $129 | |
| Congressional Black Caucus PAC $635 not allocated to tracked outside spending | $690 | $19 / $36 | |
| Indivisible Action $461 not allocated to tracked outside spending | $583 | $76 / $28 | |
| Elbert Guillory's America $359 not allocated to tracked outside spending | $500 | $38 / $101 | |
| Black Americans to Re-Elect the President $348 not allocated to tracked outside spending | $500 | $5 / $146 | |
| Lcv Victory Fund $155 not allocated to tracked outside spending | $500 | $171 / $172 | |
| Tea Party Patriots Citizens Fund $292 not allocated to tracked outside spending | $450 | $14 / $144 | |
| Ditch Fund $176 not allocated to tracked outside spending | $360 | $18 / $166 | |
| End Citizens United $218 not allocated to tracked outside spending | $334 | $30 / $85 | |
| House Freedom Fund $184 not allocated to tracked outside spending | $250 | $36 / $26 | |
| Great America PAC $18 not allocated to tracked outside spending | $200 | $0 / $182 | |
| National Victory Action Fund $40 not allocated to tracked outside spending | $70 | $1 / $29 | |
| Somos PAC $14 not allocated to tracked outside spending | $25 | $11 / $0 |
The trail
What the money bought
| Candidate | Race | Spending | Their share | Paid off? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jon Ossoff | Georgia Senate | Attacking | $397K | ✗ No |
| Cal Cunningham | North Carolina Senate | Attacking | $197K | ✓ Yes |
| Jaime Harrison | South Carolina Senate | Attacking | $141K | ✓ Yes |
| Sara I. Gideon | Maine Senate | Attacking | $109K | ✓ Yes |
| Steve Bullock | Montana Senate | Attacking | $103K | ✓ Yes |
| Theresa Greenfield | Iowa Senate | Attacking | $84K | ✓ Yes |
| Gary Peters | Michigan Senate | Attacking | $73K | ✗ No |
| Mary Hegar | Texas Senate | Attacking | $68K | ✓ Yes |
| Barbara Bollier | Kansas Senate | Attacking | $65K | ✓ Yes |
| Mark Kelly | Arizona Senate | Attacking | $63K | ✗ No |
| Joni Ernst | Iowa Senate | Supporting | $50K | ✓ Yes |
| John W. Hickenlooper | Colorado Senate | Attacking | $34K | ✗ No |
Individual as classified from the FEC entity type and public reporting.
Questions people ask
- How much did Michael Smith spend on the 2020 elections, and did it win?
- Michael Smith gave $2.6M to super PACs and other outside groups in the 2020 federal elections, and 95% of it helped Republicans (FEC filings with varying coverage dates; the most common larger-campaign cutoff is Dec 31, 2020). Among dollars with a matched election-stage result, 60% were on the winning side ($961K won, $645K lost). $3K had no matched result and is excluded.
- Which super PACs did Michael Smith fund in 2020?
- Senate Leadership Fund ($2.0M), Security Is Strength PAC ($125K), 1820 PAC ($100K), DSCC ($91K), Georgia Action Fund ($74K).
- Which candidates did Michael Smith's money end up backing or attacking in 2020?
- against Jon Ossoff (Georgia Senate, about $397K, lost); against Cal Cunningham (North Carolina Senate, about $197K, won); against Jaime Harrison (South Carolina Senate, about $141K, won). Amounts are the donor's share of each group's spending.