Donor
J Joe Ricketts
IndividualBusinessman & Philanthropist, Self-Employed · Nebraska
2 gifts to 1 group, as reported to the FEC by the groups that received them.
J Joe Ricketts gave $5.3M to super PACs and other outside groups in the 2026 federal elections, and 100% of it helped Republicans (FEC filings through Oct 14, 2026). Counting dollars, not candidates, and only races already called, 4% ended up on the winning side ($182K won, $4.3M lost, with $249K in races still being counted).
Gave to outside spenders
$5.3M
100% of it helped Republicans
Ended up on the winning side
4%
$182K of the dollars in races already called
Spent on the losing side
$4.3M
$249K still being counted
Not spent yet
$494K
Sitting with groups that have not spent
Where the cheques went
| Group | Gave | How the group spent it | Won / lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate Leadership Fund $494K not spent yet | $5.3M | $182K / $4.3M |
The trail
What the money bought
| Candidate | Race | Spending | Their share | Paid off? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sherrod Brown | Ohio Senate (special) | Attacking | $1.3M | ✗ No |
| Josh Turek | Iowa Senate | Attacking | $659K | ✗ No |
| Abdul El-Sayed | Michigan Senate | Attacking | $625K | ✗ No |
| Troy Jackson | Maine Senate | Attacking | $514K | ✗ No |
| Roy Cooper | North Carolina Senate | Attacking | $409K | ✗ No |
| Mary Peltola | Alaska Senate | Attacking | $238K | Counting |
| Adam Hamilton | Kansas Senate | Attacking | $219K | ✗ No |
| Annie Andrews | South Carolina Senate | Attacking | $174K | ✗ No |
| Chris Pappas | New Hampshire Senate | Attacking | $169K | ✗ No |
| Jon Ossoff | Georgia Senate | Attacking | $160K | ✗ No |
| Dan Osborn | Nebraska Senate | Attacking | $117K | ✓ Yes |
| Jon Husted | Ohio Senate (special) | Supporting | $43K | ✗ No |
Individual as classified from the FEC entity type and public reporting.
Questions people ask
- How much did J Joe Ricketts spend on the 2026 elections, and did it win?
- J Joe Ricketts gave $5.3M to super PACs and other outside groups in the 2026 federal elections, and 100% of it helped Republicans (FEC filings through Oct 14, 2026). Counting dollars, not candidates, and only races already called, 4% ended up on the winning side ($182K won, $4.3M lost, with $249K in races still being counted).
- Which super PACs did J Joe Ricketts fund in 2026?
- Senate Leadership Fund ($5.3M).
- Which candidates did J Joe Ricketts's money end up backing or attacking in 2026?
- against Sherrod Brown (Ohio Senate (special), about $1.3M, lost); against Josh Turek (Iowa Senate, about $659K, lost); against Abdul El-Sayed (Michigan Senate, about $625K, lost). Amounts are the donor's share of each group's spending.