Senate Leadership Fund (Senate Republican leadership) spent $294M on independent expenditures in the 2020 federal elections, and 97% of it helped Republicans (FEC filings through Dec 31, 2020). Counting dollars, not candidates, and only races already called, 56% ended up on the winning side ($164M won, $129M lost).
Outside spending
$294M
On the winning side
56%
$164M
On the losing side
$129M
Supporting vs attacking
5% / 95%
$16M for, $278M against
Google says Senate Leadership Fund also spent $9.5M on Google and YouTube ads this cycle (3% of its FEC-reported outside spending). All ad buyers →
Follow the money
Who filled the envelope
Senate Leadership Fund reported $409M in gifts from people, companies, nonprofits and other PACs. The biggest are below.
- Ken GriffinIndividual$37M (9%)
- Stephen SchwarzmanIndividual$35M (9%)
- Miriam AdelsonIndividual$35M (9%)
- Sheldon AdelsonIndividual$35M (9%)
- Timothy MellonIndividual$30M (7%)
- One NationDark money$22M (5%)
- Patrick Ryan Sr.Individual$9.5M (2%)
- Stephen WynnIndividual$9.0M (2%)
- J Christopher ReyesIndividual$8.8M (2%)
- M Jude ReyesIndividual$8.8M (2%)
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? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jon Ossoff | Georgia Senate | Attacking | $85M | ✗ No |
| Cal Cunningham | North Carolina Senate | Attacking | $47M | ✓ Yes |
| Steve Bullock | Montana Senate | Attacking | $25M | ✓ Yes |
| Theresa Greenfield | Iowa Senate | Attacking | $20M | ✓ Yes |
| Gary Peters | Michigan Senate | Attacking | $17M | ✗ No |
| Jaime Harrison | South Carolina Senate | Attacking | $16M | ✓ Yes |
| Barbara Bollier | Kansas Senate | Attacking | $16M | ✓ Yes |
| Mark Kelly | Arizona Senate | Attacking | $15M | ✗ No |
| Sara I. Gideon | Maine Senate | Attacking | $13M | ✓ Yes |
| Joni Ernst | Iowa Senate | Supporting | $12M | ✓ Yes |
| John W. Hickenlooper | Colorado Senate | Attacking | $8.1M | ✗ No |
| David A. Perdue | Georgia Senate | Attacking | $7.3M | ✓ Yes |
Questions people ask
- How much did Senate Leadership Fund spend in 2020, and did it win?
- Senate Leadership Fund (Senate Republican leadership) spent $294M on independent expenditures in the 2020 federal elections, and 97% of it helped Republicans (FEC filings through Dec 31, 2020). Counting dollars, not candidates, and only races already called, 56% ended up on the winning side ($164M won, $129M lost).
- Who funds Senate Leadership Fund?
- Its biggest reported donors in the 2020 cycle were Ken Griffin ($37M), Stephen Schwarzman ($35M), Miriam Adelson ($35M), Sheldon Adelson ($35M), Timothy Mellon ($30M), out of $409M received from donors tracked here.
- Which candidates did Senate Leadership Fund spend the most on in 2020?
- against Jon Ossoff (Georgia Senate, $85M, lost); against Cal Cunningham (North Carolina Senate, $47M, won); against Steve Bullock (Montana Senate, $25M, won).