People for the American Way spent $1.3M 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, 88% ended up on the winning side ($1.1M won, $147K lost).
Outside spending
$1.3M
On the winning side
88%
$1.1M
On the losing side
$147K
Supporting vs attacking
61% / 39%
$786K for, $493K against
Google says People for the American Way also spent $14K on Google and YouTube ads this cycle (1% of its FEC-reported outside spending). All ad buyers →
Follow the money
Who filled the envelope
People for the American Way reported $1.5M in gifts from people, companies, nonprofits and other PACs. The biggest are below.
- Jeffrey LawsonIndividual$350K (23%)
- Ronald ConwayIndividual$189K (13%)
- Barbara StiefelIndividual$125K (8%)
- Dc SeiuIndividual$100K (7%)
- De La Frontera VocesIndividual$84K (6%)
- Transit Union AmalgamatedIndividual$75K (5%)
- Lawrence BenesonIndividual$64K (4%)
- Tom Wallace LyonsIndividual$60K (4%)
- Wins ArizonaIndividual$50K (3%)
- America VotesIndividual$50K (3%)
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 | $454K | ✓ Yes |
| Donald Trump | President | Attacking | $442K | ✓ Yes |
| Raphael Warnock | Georgia Senate (special) | Supporting | $76K | ✓ Yes |
| Jon Ossoff | Georgia Senate | Supporting | $58K | ✓ Yes |
| Jaime Harrison | South Carolina Senate | Supporting | $44K | ✗ No |
| Doug Jones | Alabama Senate (primary) | Supporting | $42K | ✓ Yes |
| Daniel Mccready | North Carolina 9th District | Supporting | $30K | Unknown |
| Doug Jones | Alabama Senate | Supporting | $22K | ✗ No |
| Mike Espy | Mississippi Senate | Supporting | $20K | ✗ No |
| Katie Porter | California 45th District | Supporting | $11K | ✓ Yes |
| Martha McSally | Arizona Senate | Attacking | $11K | ✓ Yes |
| Jon Hoadley | Michigan 6th District | Supporting | $11K | ✗ No |
Questions people ask
- How much did People for the American Way spend in 2020, and did it win?
- People for the American Way spent $1.3M 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, 88% ended up on the winning side ($1.1M won, $147K lost).
- Who funds People for the American Way?
- Its biggest reported donors in the 2020 cycle were Jeffrey Lawson ($350K), Ronald Conway ($189K), Barbara Stiefel ($125K), Dc Seiu ($100K), De La Frontera Voces ($84K), out of $1.5M received from donors tracked here.
- Which candidates did People for the American Way spend the most on in 2020?
- for Joe Biden (President, $454K, won); against Donald Trump (President, $442K, won); for Raphael Warnock (Georgia Senate (special), $76K, won).