DSCC (Senate Democrats' party committee) spent $91M 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, 16% ended up on the winning side ($14M won, $77M lost).
Outside spending
$91M
On the winning side
16%
$14M
On the losing side
$77M
Supporting vs attacking
2% / 98%
$1.9M for, $89M against
Google says DSCC also spent $13M on Google and YouTube ads this cycle (14% of its FEC-reported outside spending). All ad buyers →
Follow the money
Who filled the envelope
DSCC reported $147M in gifts from people, companies, nonprofits and other PACs. The biggest are below.
- William HarrisIndividual$176K (0%)
- Giovanna RandallIndividual$142K (0%)
- Eric LauferIndividual$142K (0%)
- Dale TaylorIndividual$107K (0%)
- Scott ShenkerIndividual$100K (0%)
- Joseph FieldIndividual$95K (0%)
- Michael SmithIndividual$91K (0%)
- Marta KauffmanIndividual$86K (0%)
- Jed ManocherianIndividual$86K (0%)
- David HarrisIndividual$78K (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? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joni Ernst | Iowa Senate | Attacking | $28M | ✗ No |
| Thom Tilllis | North Carolina Senate | Attacking | $24M | ✗ No |
| Steve Daines | Montana Senate | Attacking | $18M | ✗ No |
| Martha McSally | Arizona Senate | Attacking | $6.5M | ✓ Yes |
| Susan Margaret Collins | Maine Senate | Attacking | $4.6M | ✗ No |
| Kelly Loeffler | Georgia Senate (special) | Attacking | $3.8M | ✓ Yes |
| David A. Perdue | Georgia Senate | Attacking | $3.8M | ✓ Yes |
| Steve Bullock | Montana Senate | Supporting | $1.6M | ✗ No |
| Jon Ossoff | Georgia Senate | Supporting | $125K | ✓ Yes |
| Raphael Warnock | Georgia Senate (special) | Supporting | $125K | ✓ Yes |
Questions people ask
- How much did DSCC spend in 2020, and did it win?
- DSCC (Senate Democrats' party committee) spent $91M 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, 16% ended up on the winning side ($14M won, $77M lost).
- Who funds DSCC?
- Its biggest reported donors in the 2020 cycle were William Harris ($176K), Giovanna Randall ($142K), Eric Laufer ($142K), Dale Taylor ($107K), Scott Shenker ($100K), out of $147M received from donors tracked here.
- Which candidates did DSCC spend the most on in 2020?
- against Joni Ernst (Iowa Senate, $28M, lost); against Thom Tilllis (North Carolina Senate, $24M, lost); against Steve Daines (Montana Senate, $18M, lost).