Industries
Which industries bought 2022, and whether it worked
Biggest industry
Wall Street and hedge funds
$428M in 2022
Worst bet
Defense contractors
11% of its super PAC money ended on the winning side
Best bet
Crypto
84% of its super PAC money ended on the winning side
14 industries
Wall Street and hedge funds
Hedge funds, private equity, banks and investors.
$428M
67% to Republicans · 2020: $558M
814 donors · 49% on the winning side · 2020: 53%
Ken Griffin $65M, Jeff Yass $48M, Timothy Mellon $40M, Stephen Schwarzman $36M, Amalgamated Bank $25M
PAC checks to candidates · $20M
53 PACs · 4186 checks to winners, 151 to losers
The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers Political Action Committee $2.0M, National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors Political Action Comm $1.2M, Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America, Inc. Political Action Committee (Insurpac) $1.1M, Investment Company Institute Political Action Committee (Ici PAC) $883K
Plus $172M on lobbying by its biggest players, 2021–2026.
How Congress voted on 4 bills Wall Street and hedge funds cared about →
Agriculture, food and retail
Farming, food companies, restaurants and big retail.
$140M
71% to Republicans · 2020: $152M
172 donors · 50% on the winning side · 2020: 34%
Richard Uihlein $77M, Bernie Marcus $12M, Ronald Cameron $9.6M, Elizabeth Uihlein $5.2M, JB Pritzker $1.2M
PAC checks to candidates · $26M
61 PACs · 6719 checks to winners, 261 to losers
American Crystal Sugar Company Political Action Committee $2.5M, The Home Depot Inc. Political Action Committee $2.1M, Delta Air Lines PAC $1.1M, American Hotel and Lodging Association Political Action Committee ('Hotelpac') $983K
Plus $67M on lobbying by its biggest players, 2021–2026.
How Congress voted on 2 bills Agriculture, food and retail cared about →
Tech and AI
Big Tech, AI labs, their founders and venture capital.
$115M
60% to Republicans · 2020: $125M
142 donors · 70% on the winning side · 2020: 74%
Peter Thiel $35M, Lawrence Ellison $30M, Reid Hoffman $8.0M, Connie Ballmer $6.0M, Michael Moritz $4.0M
PAC checks to candidates · $8.1M
19 PACs · 1764 checks to winners, 41 to losers
Employees of Raytheon Technologies Corporation PAC $1.3M, Amazon.Com Services LLC Separate Segregated Fund (Amazon PAC) $996K, L3harris Technologies, Inc. PAC $807K, Google LLC Netpac $758K
Plus $505M on lobbying by its biggest players, 2021–2026.
Telecom and media
Carriers, cable, studios and broadcasters.
$102M
80% to Democrats · 2020: $201M
77 donors · 73% on the winning side · 2020: 67%
Michael Bloomberg $40M, Fred Eychaner $32M, Thomas Peed $3.8M, Rhonda Peed $3.8M, K Rupert Murdoch $2.2M
PAC checks to candidates · $13M
21 PACs · 2662 checks to winners, 80 to losers
At&T Inc. Employee Federal Political Action Committee (At&T Employee Federal PAC) $2.3M, Comcast Corporation & Nbcuniversal Political Action Committee - Federal $1.9M, Charter Communications Inc. Political Action Committee $1.4M, Verizon Communications, Inc. Political Action Committee (Verizon PAC) $1.2M
Plus $452M on lobbying by its biggest players, 2021–2026.
Labor unions
Union political funds and their members' money.
$86M
89% to Democrats · 2020: $138M
76 donors · 68% on the winning side · 2020: 60%
Seiu General Fund $6.9M, Ibew PAC Educational Fund $4.9M, American Federation of Teachers Cope Voluntary a/C $3.5M, Aft Solidarity 527 $2.8M, American Federation of Teachers Solidarity 527 $2.0M
PAC checks to candidates · $49M
62 PACs · 7441 checks to winners, 1104 to losers
Culac the PAC of Credit Union National Association $2.7M, American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO Committee On Political Education $2.2M, American Federation of State County & Municipal Employees P E O P L E $2.1M, Machinists Non Partisan Political League of the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers $2.0M
Plus $87M on lobbying by its biggest players, 2021–2026.
Real estate and construction
Developers, builders, realtors and building suppliers.
$83M
66% to Republicans · 2020: $78M
362 donors · 65% on the winning side · 2020: 45%
Diane Hendricks $24M, National Association of Realtors $6.6M, George Marcus $6.5M, Mathew Ishbia $5.0M, Hillwood Development Company LLC $4.4M
PAC checks to candidates · $13M
14 PACs · 2114 checks to winners, 141 to losers
National Association of Realtors Political Action Committee $3.7M, Build Political Action Committee of the National Association of Home Builders (Buildpac) $1.9M, Mortgage Bankers Association Political Action Committee (Morpac) $1.3M, Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc. Political Action Committee (Abc PAC) $1.2M
Plus $473M on lobbying by its biggest players, 2021–2026.
How Congress voted on 1 bill Real estate and construction cared about →
Oil, gas and coal
Producers, pipelines, refiners and the Koch network.
$75M
95% to Republicans · 2020: $60M
70 donors · 44% on the winning side · 2020: 49%
Koch Industries $25M, Occidental Petroleum $7.3M, American Petroleum Institute $7.0M, Chevron Corporation $6.3M, Valero Services Inc. $3.1M
PAC checks to candidates · $8.0M
24 PACs · 1615 checks to winners, 88 to losers
Koch Industries, Inc. Political Action Committee (Kochpac) $1.4M, Chevron Employees Political Action Committee - Chevron Corporation $733K, The Williams Companies, Inc. Political Action Committee $717K, Marathon Petroleum Corporation Employees Political Action Committee (Mpac) $670K
Plus $265M on lobbying by its biggest players, 2021–2026.
How Congress voted on 8 bills Oil, gas and coal cared about →
Tobacco, alcohol and gambling
Cigarette makers, brewers, distillers and casinos.
$71M
92% to Republicans · 2020: $261M
28 donors · 37% on the winning side · 2020: 38%
Miriam Adelson $25M, Stephen Wynn $14M, M Jude Reyes $8.8M, J Christopher Reyes $8.8M, RAI Services (Reynolds American tobacco) $2.0M
PAC checks to candidates · $5.8M
9 PACs · 998 checks to winners, 39 to losers
National Beer Wholesalers Association Political Action Committee $3.0M, Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America, Inc. Political Action Committee $874K, Altria Group, Inc. Political Action Committee (Altriapac) $671K, Anheuser-Busch Companies LLC Political Action Committee $410K
Plus $159M on lobbying by its biggest players, 2021–2026.
Crypto
Exchanges, token issuers and the venture funds behind them.
$63M
65% to Democrats · 2020: $12M
13 donors · 84% on the winning side · 2020: 89%
Sam Bankman-Fried $33M, Ryan Salame $21M, Nishad Singh $5.8M, Sam Bankman-Fried $1.2M, Tyler Winklevoss $608K
PAC checks to candidates · $0
None of note.
Plus $53M on lobbying by its biggest players, 2021–2026.
Pharma and health care
Drug makers, insurers, hospitals and doctors.
$59M
68% to Democrats · 2020: $86M
287 donors · 75% on the winning side · 2020: 54%
Greater New York Hospital Association Management Corporation $10M, Karla Jurvetson $7.4M, David Shaw $2.5M, Greater New York Hospital Association $1.5M, Carolyn Oliver $1.3M
PAC checks to candidates · $27M
74 PACs · 6511 checks to winners, 166 to losers
American Hospital Association PAC $1.6M, American Society of Anesthesiologists Political Action Committee (Asa PAC) $1.3M, American Dental Association Political Action Committee $1.1M, Political Action Committee of the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons--PAC of Aaos $1.1M
Plus $523M on lobbying by its biggest players, 2021–2026.
How Congress voted on 5 bills Pharma and health care cared about →
Defense contractors
Weapons makers and aerospace.
$17M
78% to Republicans · 2020: $9.4M
12 donors · 11% on the winning side · 2020: 48%
Robert Bigelow $11M, Palmer Luckey $136K, James Reyes $47K, William Hafer $16K, James Hawley $14K
PAC checks to candidates · $6.6M
8 PACs · 1277 checks to winners, 27 to losers
Lockheed Martin Corporation Employees' Political Action Committee $1.4M, The Boeing Company Political Action Committee $1.2M, General Dynamics Corporation Political Action Committee (General Dynamics Employee PAC) $1.2M, Employees of Northrop Grumman Corporation PAC $941K
Plus $341M on lobbying by its biggest players, 2021–2026.
How Congress voted on 4 bills Defense contractors cared about →
Pro-Israel groups
AIPAC, its super PAC and allied groups.
$16M
50% to Republicans · 2020: $4.0M
4 donors · 63% on the winning side · 2020: 32%
AIPAC $11M, Republican Jewish Coalition $1.2M, Democratic Majority for Israel $650K, Philip Friedman $25K
PAC checks to candidates · $3.9M
6 PACs · 629 checks to winners, 81 to losers
American Israel Public Affairs Committee Political Action Committee $2.7M, Jstreetpac $303K, Republican Jewish Coalition-Political Action Committee (Rjc-PAC) $265K, Dmfi PAC $191K
Plus $25M on lobbying by its biggest players, 2021–2026.
How Congress voted on 7 bills Pro-Israel groups cared about →
Insurance
Insurers and their agents.
$13M
54% to Republicans · 2020: $15M
24 donors · 53% on the winning side · 2020: 63%
Richard Colburn $737K, Starr Insurance Holdings $500K, David Randolph Peeler $437K, Douglas Krupp $431K, Thomas Hagen $287K
PAC checks to candidates · $9.6M
23 PACs · 2129 checks to winners, 91 to losers
New York Life Insurance Company Political Action Committee $1.3M, Aflac Political Action Committee (Aflac PAC) $1.1M, National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies PAC $753K, United Services Automobile Association Employee PAC - Usaa Employee PAC $678K
Plus $297M on lobbying by its biggest players, 2021–2026.
Gun lobby
The NRA and firearms makers.
$8.8M
100% to Republicans · 2020: $6.4M
2 donors · 34% on the winning side · 2020: 13%
Nra Institute for Legislative Action $5.0M, Gun Owners of America Inc $2.8M
PAC checks to candidates · $989K
3 PACs · 304 checks to winners, 44 to losers
National Rifle Association of America Political Victory Fund $631K, Safari Club International PAC (Sci-PAC) $211K, Gun Owners of America, Inc. Political Victory Fund $148K
Plus $70M on lobbying by its biggest players, 2021–2026.