Senate Leadership Fund (Senate Republican leadership) spent $351M on independent expenditures 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 ($13M won, $320M lost, with $18M in races still being counted).
Outside spending
$351M
On the winning side
4%
$13M
On the losing side
$320M
$18M still being counted
Supporting vs attacking
4% / 96%
$13M for, $338M against
Google says Senate Leadership Fund also spent $36M on Google and YouTube ads this cycle (10% of its FEC-reported outside spending). All ad buyers →
Follow the money
Who filled the envelope
Senate Leadership Fund reported $388M in gifts from people, companies, nonprofits and other PACs. The biggest are below.
- Elon MuskIndividual$168M (43%)
- Miriam AdelsonIndividual$30M (8%)
- Stephen SchwarzmanIndividual$20M (5%)
- Paul SingerIndividual$15M (4%)
- Ken GriffinIndividual$10M (3%)
- Stephen WynnIndividual$8.0M (2%)
- Altria Client Services LLCCompany / nonprofit$6.8M (2%)
- J Joe RickettsIndividual$5.3M (1%)
- RAI Services (Reynolds American tobacco)Company$5.0M (1%)
- Chevron CorporationCompany$4.7M (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 Race not called yet Result not matched
| Candidate | Race | Spending | Amount | Paid off? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sherrod Brown | Ohio Senate (special) | Attacking | $93M | ✗ No |
| Josh Turek | Iowa Senate | Attacking | $49M | ✗ No |
| Abdul El-Sayed | Michigan Senate | Attacking | $46M | ✗ No |
| Troy Jackson | Maine Senate | Attacking | $38M | ✗ No |
| Roy Cooper | North Carolina Senate | Attacking | $30M | ✗ No |
| Adam Hamilton | Kansas Senate | Attacking | $16M | ✗ No |
| Mary Peltola | Alaska Senate | Attacking | $16M | Counting |
| Annie Andrews | South Carolina Senate | Attacking | $13M | ✗ No |
| Chris Pappas | New Hampshire Senate | Attacking | $12M | ✗ No |
| Jon Ossoff | Georgia Senate | Attacking | $12M | ✗ No |
| Dan Osborn | Nebraska Senate | Attacking | $8.6M | ✓ Yes |
| Jon Husted | Ohio Senate (special) | Supporting | $2.6M | ✗ No |
Questions people ask
- How much did Senate Leadership Fund spend in 2026, and did it win?
- Senate Leadership Fund (Senate Republican leadership) spent $351M on independent expenditures 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 ($13M won, $320M lost, with $18M in races still being counted).
- Who funds Senate Leadership Fund?
- Its biggest reported donors in the 2026 cycle were Elon Musk ($168M), Miriam Adelson ($30M), Stephen Schwarzman ($20M), Paul Singer ($15M), Ken Griffin ($10M), out of $388M received from donors tracked here.
- Which candidates did Senate Leadership Fund spend the most on in 2026?
- against Sherrod Brown (Ohio Senate (special), $93M, lost); against Josh Turek (Iowa Senate, $49M, lost); against Abdul El-Sayed (Michigan Senate, $46M, lost).