End Citizens United spent $15M 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, 26% ended up on the winning side ($3.9M won, $11M lost).
Outside spending
$15M
On the winning side
26%
$3.9M
On the losing side
$11M
Supporting vs attacking
25% / 75%
$3.7M for, $11M against
Google says End Citizens United also spent $226K on Google and YouTube ads this cycle (2% of its FEC-reported outside spending). All ad buyers →
Follow the money
Who filled the envelope
End Citizens United reported $16M in gifts from people, companies, nonprofits and other PACs. The biggest are below.
- Carla MeyerIndividual$375K (2%)
- Vin RyanIndividual$371K (2%)
- Margaret JemisonIndividual$191K (1%)
- Daniel Caputo Jr.Individual$177K (1%)
- Barbara ForsterIndividual$124K (1%)
- Christina Lang-AssaelIndividual$118K (1%)
- Deborah SimonIndividual$97K (1%)
- Patricia JosephIndividual$90K (1%)
- Mark JosephIndividual$90K (1%)
- Marcia LucasIndividual$90K (1%)
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 | $2.5M | ✗ No |
| Susan Margaret Collins | Maine Senate (primary) | Attacking | $2.0M | ✗ No |
| Thom Tilllis | North Carolina Senate | Attacking | $1.8M | ✗ No |
| Katie Porter | California 45th District | Supporting | $1.2M | ✓ Yes |
| Steve Daines | Montana Senate | Attacking | $900K | ✗ No |
| Nicole Malliotakis | New York 11th District | Attacking | $726K | ✗ No |
| Kendra S. Horn | Oklahoma 5th District | Supporting | $517K | ✗ No |
| Jared F. Golden | Maine 2nd District | Supporting | $419K | ✓ Yes |
| Abigail A. Spanberger | Virginia 7th District | Supporting | $355K | ✓ Yes |
| Yvette Herrell | New Mexico 2nd District | Attacking | $305K | ✗ No |
| Mark Kelly | Arizona Senate (primary) | Supporting | $283K | ✓ Yes |
| Mitch McConnell | Kentucky Senate | Attacking | $282K | ✗ No |
Questions people ask
- How much did End Citizens United spend in 2020, and did it win?
- End Citizens United spent $15M 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, 26% ended up on the winning side ($3.9M won, $11M lost).
- Who funds End Citizens United?
- Its biggest reported donors in the 2020 cycle were Carla Meyer ($375K), Vin Ryan ($371K), Margaret Jemison ($191K), Daniel Caputo Jr. ($177K), Barbara Forster ($124K), out of $16M received from donors tracked here.
- Which candidates did End Citizens United spend the most on in 2020?
- against Joni Ernst (Iowa Senate, $2.5M, lost); against Susan Margaret Collins (Maine Senate, $2.0M, lost); against Thom Tilllis (North Carolina Senate, $1.8M, lost).