Leaders We Deserve spent $2.7M on independent expenditures in the 2026 federal elections, and 92% of it helped Democrats (FEC filings through Oct 14, 2026). Counting dollars, not candidates, and only races already called, 81% ended up on the winning side ($922K won, $214K lost, with $330K in races still being counted).
Outside spending
$2.7M
On the winning side
81%
$922K
On the losing side
$214K
$330K still being counted
Supporting vs attacking
92% / 8%
$2.5M for, $214K against
Google says Leaders We Deserve also spent $319K on Google and YouTube ads this cycle (12% of its FEC-reported outside spending). All ad buyers →
Follow the money
Who filled the envelope
Leaders We Deserve reported $6.7M in gifts from people, companies, nonprofits and other PACs. The biggest are below.
- Barbara WeitzIndividual$350K (5%)
- Amos HostetterIndividual$225K (3%)
- Clay KirkIndividual$210K (3%)
- Dagmar DolbyIndividual$200K (3%)
- Flip the Table PACAnother PAC$168K (3%)
- Adam RuthIndividual$145K (2%)
- Barrie LandryIndividual$125K (2%)
- Alexander AdellIndividual$103K (2%)
- William HarrisIndividual$100K (1%)
- Payam ShohadaiIndividual$100K (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? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lauren Babb Tomlinson | California 6th District (primary) | Supporting | $475K | Unknown |
| Randy Villegas | California 22nd District (primary) | Supporting | $450K | ✓ Yes |
| Nida Allam | North Carolina 4th District (primary) | Supporting | $386K | Unknown |
| Patrick Roath | Massachusetts 8th District (primary) | Supporting | $256K | Unknown |
| Stephen Lynch | Massachusetts 8th District (primary) | Attacking | $214K | ✗ No |
| Christian Menefee | Texas 18th District (primary) | Supporting | $178K | ✓ Yes |
| Claire Valdez | New York 7th District (primary) | Supporting | $175K | ✓ Yes |
| Mai Vang | California 7th District | Supporting | $168K | Counting |
| Kristina Knickerbocker | Ohio 10th District | Supporting | $162K | Counting |
| Deja Operana-Foxx | Arizona 7th District | Supporting | $150K | Unknown |
| Christian Menefee | Texas 18th District | Supporting | $108K | ✓ Yes |
| Abdul El-Sayed | Michigan Senate | Supporting | $10K | ✓ Yes |
Questions people ask
- How much did Leaders We Deserve spend in 2026, and did it win?
- Leaders We Deserve spent $2.7M on independent expenditures in the 2026 federal elections, and 92% of it helped Democrats (FEC filings through Oct 14, 2026). Counting dollars, not candidates, and only races already called, 81% ended up on the winning side ($922K won, $214K lost, with $330K in races still being counted).
- Who funds Leaders We Deserve?
- Its biggest reported donors in the 2026 cycle were Barbara Weitz ($350K), Amos Hostetter ($225K), Clay Kirk ($210K), Dagmar Dolby ($200K), Flip the Table PAC ($168K), out of $6.7M received from donors tracked here.
- Which candidates did Leaders We Deserve spend the most on in 2026?
- for Lauren Babb Tomlinson (California 6th District, $475K, unknown); for Randy Villegas (California 22nd District, $450K, won); for Nida Allam (North Carolina 4th District, $386K, unknown).