Industries
Which industries bought 2026, and whether it worked
Biggest industry
Wall Street and hedge funds
$350M in 2026
Worst bet
Tobacco, alcohol and gambling
6% of its super PAC money ended on the winning side
Best bet
Labor unions
96% of its super PAC money ended on the winning side
14 industries
Wall Street and hedge funds
Hedge funds, private equity, banks and investors.
$350M
74% to Republicans · 2024: $799M
753 donors · 29% on the winning side · 2024: 70%
Jeff Yass $55M, Paul Singer $32M, Ken Griffin $30M, Stephen Schwarzman $28M, Timothy Mellon $21M
PAC checks to candidates · $21M
51 PACs · 3551 checks to winners, 509 to losers
America's Credit Unions PAC $1.7M, The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers Political Action Committee $1.6M, 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
Plus $172M on lobbying by its biggest players, 2021–2026.
How Congress voted on 4 bills Wall Street and hedge funds cared about →
Tech and AI
Big Tech, AI labs, their founders and venture capital.
$298M
76% to Republicans · 2024: $349M
126 donors · 21% on the winning side · 2024: 63%
Elon Musk $233M, Reid Hoffman $21M, Greg Brockman $13M, Connie Ballmer $6.1M, Reed Hastings $2.5M
PAC checks to candidates · $9.2M
20 PACs · 1469 checks to winners, 173 to losers
Honeywell International Inc. Technologies Public Affairs Council (Honpac) $1.6M, Space Exploration Technologies Corp. PAC $1.2M, National Multifamily Housing Council and Real Estate Technology and Transformation Center Political Action Committee (Nmhc PAC) $1.2M, Amazon.Com Services LLC Separate Segregated Fund (Amazon PAC) $782K
Plus $505M on lobbying by its biggest players, 2021–2026.
Crypto
Exchanges, token issuers and the venture funds behind them.
$241M
74% to Republicans · 2024: $213M
43 donors · 26% on the winning side · 2024: 66%
Ripple Labs Inc. $49M, Crypto.com (Foris DAX) $38M, Coinbase $28M, Gemini (Winklevoss twins' exchange) $24M, Winklevoss Capital Fund, LLC $21M
PAC checks to candidates · $0
None of note.
Plus $53M on lobbying by its biggest players, 2021–2026.
Agriculture, food and retail
Farming, food companies, restaurants and big retail.
$137M
76% to Republicans · 2024: $236M
120 donors · 34% on the winning side · 2024: 69%
Richard Uihlein $59M, JB Pritzker $11M, Jim Walton $9.7M, Ronald Cameron $7.7M, Rob Walton $7.1M
PAC checks to candidates · $23M
60 PACs · 5200 checks to winners, 655 to losers
American Crystal Sugar Company Political Action Committee $2.0M, The Home Depot Inc. Political Action Committee $1.5M, Walmart Inc. PAC for Responsible Government $1.1M, The Farm Credit Council Political Action Committee $922K
Plus $67M on lobbying by its biggest players, 2021–2026.
How Congress voted on 2 bills Agriculture, food and retail cared about →
Tobacco, alcohol and gambling
Cigarette makers, brewers, distillers and casinos.
$126M
96% to Republicans · 2024: $197M
34 donors · 6% on the winning side · 2024: 88%
Miriam Adelson $66M, RAI Services (Reynolds American tobacco) $14M, J Christopher Reyes $10M, Altria Client Services LLC $9.6M, M Jude Reyes $8.9M
PAC checks to candidates · $3.8M
5 PACs · 660 checks to winners, 85 to losers
National Beer Wholesalers Association Political Action Committee $1.9M, Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America, Inc. Political Action Committee $812K, Altria Group, Inc. Political Action Committee (Altriapac) $626K, Reynolds American Inc. Political Action Committee; Rai PAC $216K
Plus $159M on lobbying by its biggest players, 2021–2026.
Oil, gas and coal
Producers, pipelines, refiners and the Koch network.
$115M
97% to Republicans · 2024: $131M
52 donors · 10% on the winning side · 2024: 67%
Koch Inc. $31M, Energy Transfer LP $13M, Kelcy Warren $13M, Chevron Corporation $8.4M, American Petroleum Institute $7.0M
PAC checks to candidates · $6.6M
22 PACs · 1025 checks to winners, 230 to losers
Koch, Inc. Political Action Committee (Kochpac) $1.1M, Chevron Employees Political Action Committee - Chevron Corporation $840K, Constellation Energy Corporation Employee Political Action Committee (Cepac) $541K, Valero Energy Corporation Political Action Committee $473K
Plus $265M on lobbying by its biggest players, 2021–2026.
How Congress voted on 8 bills Oil, gas and coal cared about →
Real estate and construction
Developers, builders, realtors and building suppliers.
$71M
59% to Republicans · 2024: $132M
265 donors · 41% on the winning side · 2024: 75%
Diane Hendricks $26M, George Marcus $4.4M, National Association of Realtors $3.8M, Hillwood Development Company LLC $2.5M, United Wholesale Mortgage, LLC $2.0M
PAC checks to candidates · $10M
14 PACs · 1568 checks to winners, 253 to losers
National Association of Realtors Political Action Committee $2.3M, Build Political Action Committee of the National Association of Home Builders (Buildpac) $1.5M, Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc. Political Action Committee (Abc PAC) $1.2M, National Apartment Association Political Action Committee $1000K
Plus $473M on lobbying by its biggest players, 2021–2026.
How Congress voted on 1 bill Real estate and construction cared about →
Pharma and health care
Drug makers, insurers, hospitals and doctors.
$59M
60% to Republicans · 2024: $54M
260 donors · 32% on the winning side · 2024: 50%
United Healthcare Services Inc $5.0M, Benjamin Landa $5.0M, Frederick Eansor Cooper $3.0M, National Community Pharmacist Association $2.0M, Karla Jurvetson $1.4M
PAC checks to candidates · $23M
70 PACs · 4796 checks to winners, 630 to losers
American Hospital Association PAC $1.2M, Elevance Health, Inc. Political Action Committee (Elevance Health PAC) $972K, American Society of Anesthesiologists Political Action Committee (Asa PAC) $949K, National Emergency Medicine Political Action Committee / American College of Emergency Physicians $756K
Plus $523M on lobbying by its biggest players, 2021–2026.
How Congress voted on 5 bills Pharma and health care cared about →
Labor unions
Union political funds and their members' money.
$48M
86% to Democrats · 2024: $84M
53 donors · 96% on the winning side · 2024: 37%
National Nurses United $2.7M, Aft Solidarity 527 $1.6M, Ibew PAC Educational Fund $1.4M, American Federation of Teachers Cope State & Local Education Fund $1.3M, Afscme Working Families Fund $1.1M
PAC checks to candidates · $36M
57 PACs · 5620 checks to winners, 480 to losers
Machinists Non Partisan Political League of the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers $2.2M, American Federation of State County & Municipal Employees P E O P L E $2.0M, Air Line Pilots Association PAC $1.4M, American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO Committee On Political Education $1.4M
Plus $87M on lobbying by its biggest players, 2021–2026.
Telecom and media
Carriers, cable, studios and broadcasters.
$44M
75% to Democrats · 2024: $72M
62 donors · 83% on the winning side · 2024: 34%
Michael Bloomberg $18M, Fred Eychaner $5.2M, Amos Hostetter $4.0M, K Rupert Murdoch $2.0M, John Malone $1.5M
PAC checks to candidates · $7.6M
16 PACs · 1544 checks to winners, 164 to losers
Charter Communications Inc. Political Action Committee $1.2M, At&T Inc. Employee Federal Political Action Committee (At&T Employee Federal PAC) $837K, Verizon Communications, Inc. Political Action Committee (Verizon PAC) $811K, Comcast Corporation & Nbcuniversal Political Action Committee - Federal $773K
Plus $452M on lobbying by its biggest players, 2021–2026.
Pro-Israel groups
AIPAC, its super PAC and allied groups.
$36M
51% to Republicans · 2024: $25M
5 donors · 46% on the winning side · 2024: 92%
AIPAC $30M, Democratic Majority for Israel $1.4M, J Street (C4 Fund) $315K, Voice of the Children of Israel $250K, Voices of the Children of Israel $100K
PAC checks to candidates · $3.8M
4 PACs · 348 checks to winners, 79 to losers
American Israel Public Affairs Committee Political Action Committee $2.7M, Republican Jewish Coalition Political Action Committee (Rjc-PAC) $460K, Jstreetpac $443K, Norpac $245K
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.
$12M
52% to Republicans · 2024: $14M
35 donors · 63% on the winning side · 2024: 58%
David Randolph Peeler $1.4M, Daniel Amos $354K, David Sterling $255K, George Krupp $243K, Richard Colburn $144K
PAC checks to candidates · $8.5M
27 PACs · 1714 checks to winners, 262 to losers
New York Life Insurance Company Political Action Committee $1.2M, Aflac Political Action Committee (Aflac PAC) $1.0M, National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies PAC $543K, Teachers Insurance Annuity Association of America PAC (Tiaa PAC) $475K
Plus $297M on lobbying by its biggest players, 2021–2026.
Defense contractors
Weapons makers and aerospace.
$8.8M
57% to Republicans · 2024: $9.3M
6 donors · 31% on the winning side · 2024: 52%
Brian Schimpf $177K, Xp Aerospace $50K, Palmer Luckey $25K, William Budmats $20K, Patricia Marsland $13K
PAC checks to candidates · $8.6M
11 PACs · 1377 checks to winners, 125 to losers
The Boeing Company PAC $1.4M, Employees of Northrop Grumman Corporation PAC $1.3M, General Dynamics Corporation Political Action Committee (General Dynamics Employee PAC) $1.1M, Lockheed Martin Corporation Employees' Political Action Committee $1.1M
Plus $341M on lobbying by its biggest players, 2021–2026.
How Congress voted on 4 bills Defense contractors cared about →
Gun lobby
The NRA and firearms makers.
$760K
100% to Republicans · 2024: $2.2M
1 donors · nothing decided yet · 2024: 88%
Randy Kozuch $25K
PAC checks to candidates · $735K
2 PACs · 161 checks to winners, 41 to losers
National Rifle Association of America Political Victory Fund $467K, Safari Club International PAC (Sci-PAC) $268K
Plus $70M on lobbying by its biggest players, 2021–2026.