American Democracy Project spent $1.3M on independent expenditures in the 2026 federal elections, and 93% of it helped Democrats (FEC filings with varying coverage dates; the most common larger-campaign cutoff is Oct 14, 2026). Among dollars with a matched election-stage result, 75% were on the winning side ($606K won, $203K lost, with $150K in races still being counted). $364K had no matched result and is excluded.
Outside spending
$1.3M
Winning share of scored dollars
75%
$809K scored (61% of spending); $364K unknown
On the losing side
$203K
$150K still being counted
Supporting vs attacking
33% / 67%
$438K for, $885K against
Google says American Democracy Project also spent $287K on Google and YouTube ads this cycle (22% of its FEC-reported outside spending). All ad buyers →
Follow the money
Who filled the envelope
- Senate Majority PAC (SMP)Another PAC$300K (63%)
- Rishi Bhutada ShraddhaIndividual$100K (21%)
- United Action CouncilCompany / nonprofit$50K (10%)
- Sachin KulkarniIndividual$25K (5%)
- Mihir MeghaniIndividual$4K (1%)
The people behind it
The people giving to American Democracy Project
- Rishi Bhutada ShraddhaExecutive Vice President · Star Pipe Products · TX$100K2 gifts
- Sachin KulkarniChief Technology Officer · Oscilar · CA$25K
- Mihir MeghaniPhysician · The Permanente Medical Group · CA$4K
Names, employers and occupations are as the committee reported them to the FEC. People with the same name in the same state are counted as one person. Federal law bars using these names to ask for money or for any commercial purpose.
Where the money went
| Candidate | Race | Spending | Amount | Won? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jenny Costa Honeycutt | South Carolina 1st District | Attacking | $350K | ✓ Yes |
| David Leslie | Alaska Senate (primary) | Supporting | $299K | Unknown |
| Sydney Gruters | Florida 16th District | Attacking | $203K | ✗ No |
| Aisha Wahab | California 14th District | Attacking | $83K | Counting |
| Jay Feely | Arizona 1st District | Attacking | $75K | ✓ Yes |
| Marlene Galan-Woods | Arizona 1st District (primary) | Attacking | $65K | Unknown |
| Mike Lawler | New York 17th District | Attacking | $53K | ✓ Yes |
| Tom Suozzi | New York 3rd District | Supporting | $35K | ✓ Yes |
| Anthony Constantino | New York 21st District | Attacking | $33K | Counting |
| Blake Gendebien | New York 21st District | Supporting | $33K | Counting |
| Cait Conley | New York 17th District | Supporting | $29K | ✓ Yes |
| Josh Riley | New York 19th District | Supporting | $26K | ✓ Yes |
Questions people ask
- How much did American Democracy Project spend in 2026, and did it win?
- American Democracy Project spent $1.3M on independent expenditures in the 2026 federal elections, and 93% of it helped Democrats (FEC filings with varying coverage dates; the most common larger-campaign cutoff is Oct 14, 2026). Among dollars with a matched election-stage result, 75% were on the winning side ($606K won, $203K lost, with $150K in races still being counted). $364K had no matched result and is excluded.
- Who funds American Democracy Project?
- Its biggest reported donors in the 2026 cycle were Senate Majority PAC (SMP) ($300K), Rishi Bhutada Shraddha ($100K), United Action Council ($50K), Sachin Kulkarni ($25K), Mihir Meghani ($4K), out of $479K received from donors tracked here.
- Which candidates did American Democracy Project spend the most on in 2026?
- against Jenny Costa Honeycutt (South Carolina 1st District, $350K, won); for David Leslie (Alaska Senate, $299K, unknown); against Sydney Gruters (Florida 16th District, $203K, lost).