Black PAC spent $32M 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, 92% ended up on the winning side ($30M won, $2.5M lost).
Outside spending
$32M
On the winning side
92%
$30M
On the losing side
$2.5M
Supporting vs attacking
91% / 9%
$29M for, $2.9M against
Google says Black PAC also spent $310K on Google and YouTube ads this cycle (1% of its FEC-reported outside spending). All ad buyers →
Follow the money
Who filled the envelope
Black PAC reported $26M in gifts from people, companies, nonprofits and other PACs. The biggest are below.
- America VotesCompany / nonprofit$10M (39%)
- Michael BloombergIndividual$7.4M (28%)
- Sixteen Thirty FundDark money$2.3M (9%)
- Senate Majority PAC (SMP)Another PAC$1.0M (4%)
- Unite the CountryAnother PAC$1.0M (4%)
- Democracy PACAnother PAC$500K (2%)
- Louise GundIndividual$440K (2%)
- Lcv Victory FundAnother PAC$400K (2%)
- American Federation of Teachers AFL-CIO Aft Solidarity 527Company / nonprofit$300K (1%)
- State Victory ActionCompany / nonprofit$250K (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? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Biden | President | Supporting | $14M | ✓ Yes |
| Raphael Warnock | Georgia Senate (special) | Supporting | $4.9M | ✓ Yes |
| Jon Ossoff | Georgia Senate | Supporting | $4.6M | ✓ Yes |
| Gary Peters | Michigan Senate | Supporting | $3.1M | ✓ Yes |
| Donald Trump | President | Attacking | $2.1M | ✓ Yes |
| Cal Cunningham | North Carolina Senate | Supporting | $1.4M | ✗ No |
| Thom Tilllis | North Carolina Senate | Attacking | $632K | ✗ No |
| Gary Peters | Michigan Senate (primary) | Supporting | $235K | ✓ Yes |
| Lucy McBath | Georgia 6th District | Supporting | $206K | ✓ Yes |
| Joyce Elliott | Arkansas 2nd District | Supporting | $172K | ✗ No |
| Elaine G. Luria | Virginia 2nd District | Supporting | $146K | ✓ Yes |
| Abigail A. Spanberger | Virginia 7th District | Supporting | $134K | ✓ Yes |
Questions people ask
- How much did Black PAC spend in 2020, and did it win?
- Black PAC spent $32M 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, 92% ended up on the winning side ($30M won, $2.5M lost).
- Who funds Black PAC?
- Its biggest reported donors in the 2020 cycle were America Votes ($10M), Michael Bloomberg ($7.4M), Sixteen Thirty Fund ($2.3M), Senate Majority PAC (SMP) ($1.0M), Unite the Country ($1.0M), out of $26M received from donors tracked here.
- Which candidates did Black PAC spend the most on in 2020?
- for Joe Biden (President, $14M, won); for Raphael Warnock (Georgia Senate (special), $4.9M, won); for Jon Ossoff (Georgia Senate, $4.6M, won).