NRSC (Senate Republicans' party committee) spent $121M on independent expenditures in the 2020 federal elections, and 100% of it helped Republicans (FEC filings through Dec 31, 2020). Counting dollars, not candidates, and only races already called, 59% ended up on the winning side ($72M won, $49M lost).
Outside spending
$121M
On the winning side
59%
$72M
On the losing side
$49M
Supporting vs attacking
2% / 98%
$1.9M for, $119M against
Google says NRSC also spent $8.8M on Google and YouTube ads this cycle (7% of its FEC-reported outside spending). All ad buyers →
Follow the money
Who filled the envelope
NRSC reported $151M in gifts from people, companies, nonprofits and other PACs. The biggest are below.
- Frederick SmithIndividual$231K (0%)
- Oliver Grace Jr.Individual$147K (0%)
- Thomas KempnerIndividual$142K (0%)
- Barry VolpertIndividual$142K (0%)
- James Haslam IIIIndividual$142K (0%)
- Patrick DonahoeIndividual$137K (0%)
- Barbara TaylorIndividual$132K (0%)
- William JohnsonIndividual$119K (0%)
- David JohnsonIndividual$118K (0%)
- William CochranIndividual$113K (0%)
Where the money went
Biggest targets, with whether each one paid off.
✓ Backed the winner or attacked the loser ✗ Backed the loser or attacked the winner Result not matched
| Candidate | Race | Spending | Amount | Paid off? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Theresa Greenfield | Iowa Senate | Attacking | $20M | ✓ Yes |
| Sara I. Gideon | Maine Senate | Attacking | $16M | ✓ Yes |
| Steve Bullock | Montana Senate | Attacking | $14M | ✓ Yes |
| Jon Ossoff | Georgia Senate | Attacking | $14M | ✗ No |
| Cal Cunningham | North Carolina Senate | Attacking | $14M | ✓ Yes |
| Raphael Warnock | Georgia Senate (special) | Attacking | $9.8M | ✗ No |
| Mark Kelly | Arizona Senate | Attacking | $8.7M | ✗ No |
| John W. Hickenlooper | Colorado Senate | Attacking | $8.3M | ✗ No |
| Gary Peters | Michigan Senate | Attacking | $8.2M | ✗ No |
| Barbara Bollier | Kansas Senate | Attacking | $4.6M | ✓ Yes |
| Al Gross | Alaska Senate | Attacking | $2.3M | ✓ Yes |
| Susan Margaret Collins | Maine Senate | Supporting | $1.4M | ✓ Yes |
Questions people ask
- How much did NRSC spend in 2020, and did it win?
- NRSC (Senate Republicans' party committee) spent $121M on independent expenditures in the 2020 federal elections, and 100% of it helped Republicans (FEC filings through Dec 31, 2020). Counting dollars, not candidates, and only races already called, 59% ended up on the winning side ($72M won, $49M lost).
- Who funds NRSC?
- Its biggest reported donors in the 2020 cycle were Frederick Smith ($231K), Oliver Grace Jr. ($147K), Thomas Kempner ($142K), Barry Volpert ($142K), James Haslam III ($142K), out of $151M received from donors tracked here.
- Which candidates did NRSC spend the most on in 2020?
- against Theresa Greenfield (Iowa Senate, $20M, won); against Sara I. Gideon (Maine Senate, $16M, won); against Steve Bullock (Montana Senate, $14M, won).