Progressive Turnout Project spent $3.8M on independent expenditures 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, 86% ended up on the winning side ($3.3M won, $537K lost).
Outside spending
$3.8M
On the winning side
86%
$3.3M
On the losing side
$537K
Supporting vs attacking
100% / 0%
$3.8M for, $0 against
Google says Progressive Turnout Project also spent $1.4M on Google and YouTube ads this cycle (37% of its FEC-reported outside spending). All ad buyers →
Follow the money
Who filled the envelope
Progressive Turnout Project reported $23M in gifts from people, companies, nonprofits and other PACs. The biggest are below.
- Progressive Turnout Project 527 CommitteeCompany / nonprofit$380K (2%)
- Jeremy KahanIndividual$100K (0%)
- Judith MillerIndividual$58K (0%)
- Clifford BurnsteinIndividual$50K (0%)
- Theresa BlumfelderIndividual$35K (0%)
- Martinus NickersonIndividual$27K (0%)
- Gloria PageIndividual$26K (0%)
- Jane EgerIndividual$26K (0%)
- Stanley MeyersIndividual$23K (0%)
- Alice TianoIndividual$23K (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 | $2.1M | ✓ Yes |
| Jon Ossoff | Georgia Senate | Supporting | $345K | ✓ Yes |
| Raphael Warnock | Georgia Senate (special) | Supporting | $340K | ✓ Yes |
| Gary Peters | Michigan Senate | Supporting | $178K | ✓ Yes |
| Cal Cunningham | North Carolina Senate | Supporting | $146K | ✗ No |
| Mark Kelly | Arizona Senate | Supporting | $129K | ✓ Yes |
| John W. Hickenlooper | Colorado Senate | Supporting | $120K | ✓ Yes |
| Jaime Harrison | South Carolina Senate | Supporting | $84K | ✗ No |
| Amy McGrath | Kentucky Senate | Supporting | $70K | ✗ No |
| Doug Jones | Alabama Senate | Supporting | $65K | ✗ No |
| Barbara Bollier | Kansas Senate | Supporting | $56K | ✗ No |
| Theresa Greenfield | Iowa Senate | Supporting | $45K | ✗ No |
Questions people ask
- How much did Progressive Turnout Project spend in 2020, and did it win?
- Progressive Turnout Project spent $3.8M on independent expenditures 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, 86% ended up on the winning side ($3.3M won, $537K lost).
- Who funds Progressive Turnout Project?
- Its biggest reported donors in the 2020 cycle were Progressive Turnout Project 527 Committee ($380K), Jeremy Kahan ($100K), Judith Miller ($58K), Clifford Burnstein ($50K), Theresa Blumfelder ($35K), out of $23M received from donors tracked here.
- Which candidates did Progressive Turnout Project spend the most on in 2020?
- for Joe Biden (President, $2.1M, won); for Jon Ossoff (Georgia Senate, $345K, won); for Raphael Warnock (Georgia Senate (special), $340K, won).