United We Can spent $3.9M on independent expenditures in the 2020 federal elections, and 98% of it helped Democrats (FEC filings through Dec 31, 2020). Counting dollars, not candidates, and only races already called, 97% ended up on the winning side ($3.8M won, $107K lost).
Outside spending
$3.9M
On the winning side
97%
$3.8M
On the losing side
$107K
Supporting vs attacking
85% / 15%
$3.3M for, $601K against
Follow the money
Who filled the envelope
United We Can reported $11M in gifts from people, companies, nonprofits and other PACs. The biggest are below.
- Seiu General FundCompany / nonprofit$5.9M (51%)
- Seiu Cope (Service Employees International Union Committee On Political Education)Another PAC$4.4M (39%)
- America VotesCompany / nonprofit$450K (4%)
- Seiu United Healthcare Workers WestCompany / nonprofit$259K (2%)
- Dignity Ca Seiu Local 2015Company / nonprofit$150K (1%)
- Seiu Local 2015Company / nonprofit$123K (1%)
- Seiu United Service Workers WestCompany / nonprofit$95K (1%)
- Seiu Local 1000 Ucsw Candidate PACCompany / nonprofit$73K (1%)
- Seiu California State CouncilCompany / nonprofit$4K (0%)
- Seiu Local 1021 Candidate PACCompany / nonprofit$3K (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? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Biden | President | Supporting | $1.6M | ✓ Yes |
| Raphael Warnock | Georgia Senate (special) | Supporting | $606K | ✓ Yes |
| Jon Ossoff | Georgia Senate | Supporting | $600K | ✓ Yes |
| Mark Kelly | Arizona Senate | Supporting | $347K | ✓ Yes |
| John James | Michigan Senate | Attacking | $331K | ✓ Yes |
| Donald Trump | President | Attacking | $171K | ✓ Yes |
| Marilyn Strickland | Washington 10th District | Attacking | $88K | ✗ No |
| Elaine G. Luria | Virginia 2nd District | Supporting | $85K | ✓ Yes |
| Tina Smith | Minnesota Senate | Supporting | $42K | ✓ Yes |
| Gary Peters | Michigan Senate | Supporting | $24K | ✓ Yes |
| Angie Craig | Minnesota 2nd District | Supporting | $10K | ✓ Yes |
| Qasim Rashid | Virginia 1st District | Supporting | $9K | ✗ No |
Questions people ask
- How much did United We Can spend in 2020, and did it win?
- United We Can spent $3.9M on independent expenditures in the 2020 federal elections, and 98% of it helped Democrats (FEC filings through Dec 31, 2020). Counting dollars, not candidates, and only races already called, 97% ended up on the winning side ($3.8M won, $107K lost).
- Who funds United We Can?
- Its biggest reported donors in the 2020 cycle were Seiu General Fund ($5.9M), Seiu Cope (Service Employees International Union Committee On Political Education) ($4.4M), America Votes ($450K), Seiu United Healthcare Workers West ($259K), Dignity Ca Seiu Local 2015 ($150K), out of $11M received from donors tracked here.
- Which candidates did United We Can spend the most on in 2020?
- for Joe Biden (President, $1.6M, won); for Raphael Warnock (Georgia Senate (special), $606K, won); for Jon Ossoff (Georgia Senate, $600K, won).