Votevets spent $35M on independent expenditures in the 2026 federal elections, and 99% 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, 98% were on the winning side ($28M won, $684K lost, with $741K in races still being counted). $5.0M had no matched result and is excluded.
Outside spending
$35M
Winning share of scored dollars
98%
$29M scored (84% of spending); $5.0M unknown
On the losing side
$684K
$741K still being counted
Supporting vs attacking
56% / 44%
$19M for, $15M against
Google says Votevets also spent $3.0M on Google and YouTube ads this cycle (9% of its FEC-reported outside spending). All ad buyers →
Follow the money
Who filled the envelope
The donor records in this snapshot trace $34M to Votevets. This is incomplete funding coverage; percentages below refer only to these traced gifts. The allocation denominator is $58M.
- Government That Works PACCompany / nonprofit$6.9M (20%)
- Global Impact Social Welfare FundCompany / nonprofit$3.0M (9%)
- Better World Civic TrustCompany / nonprofit$1.6M (5%)
- Democracy MattersCompany / nonprofit$1.4M (4%)
- Joshua BekensteinIndividual$1.2M (3%)
- Deborah SimonIndividual$1.2M (3%)
- Votevets Action FundCompany / nonprofit$1.0M (3%)
- Ab PACAnother PAC$800K (2%)
- Christy WaltonIndividual$750K (2%)
- Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian CommunityCompany / nonprofit$750K (2%)
The people behind it
The people giving to Votevets
7,980 named people gave $15M in itemized gifts this cycle. These are the biggest 25. Committees must name anyone who gives more than $200 in a year; smaller gifts are reported only as a lump sum, and money from companies, unions and other groups is not in this list.
- Joshua BekensteinInvestor · Bain Capital · MA$1.2M4 gifts
- Deborah SimonNot Employed · IN$1.2M4 gifts
- Christy WaltonPhilanthropist · AR$750K
- Anita BekensteinNot Employed · MA$700K2 gifts
- Michael BloombergExecutive · Bloomberg, LP · NY$700K
- Lisa MennetTherapist · Cooper House · WA$500K
- Michael Jonathan MoritzInvestor · Sequoia Capital · CA$500K
- Jonathon JacobsonFounding Member · Highsage Ventures · MA$450K2 gifts
- Peter NorrisNot Employed · MA$330K33 gifts
- Andrew Nathan SchwartzbergNot Employed · Housing, Inc. · MD$300K2 gifts
Show 15 moreShow fewer
- Janice BrandtRetired · VA$300K3 gifts
- Neele JohnstonIt Consultant · Intelligenesis Inc. · MD$263K6 gifts
- Paul SimonMusician · NY$250K
- William Seale Sr.Consultant · MD$225K6 gifts
- Gregory BerlantiProducer · CA$200K2 gifts
- Wayne JordanReal Estate Development · Jordan Real Estate Investments · CA$200K
- Susan SarofimNot Employed · TX$190K
- Deborah KernRetail Owner · Garden Room Inc · WI$155K2 gifts
- Daniel CohenChairman · Cohen & Company · NY$150K2 gifts
- Emanuel RouvelasPartner · K&L Gates LLP · VA$150K2 gifts
- Marcy FriedmanRetired · CA$130K
- Frank ArmstrongInvestment Advisor · Investor Solutions · FL$126K4 gifts
- J Sebastian ScrippsNot Employed · KY$125K
- Peter KellnerNot Employed · MA$120K3 gifts
- Leonard Louis DreyNot Employed · MO$100K2 gifts
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
Biggest targets, with whether each one won.
✓ 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 | Won? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashley Hinson | Iowa Senate | Attacking | $9.9M | ✓ Yes |
| Josh Turek | Iowa Senate (primary) | Supporting | $9.8M | ✓ Yes |
| Maura Sullivan | New Hampshire 1st District (primary) | Supporting | $2.3M | Unknown |
| Matthew Maasdam | Michigan 7th District (primary) | Supporting | $2.2M | Unknown |
| Juan Ciscomani | Arizona 6th District | Attacking | $1.3M | ✓ Yes |
| Cait Conley | New York 17th District (primary) | Supporting | $1.1M | ✓ Yes |
| Luke Bronin | Connecticut 1st District (primary) | Supporting | $1.0M | ✓ Yes |
| Rebecca Bennett | New Jersey 7th District (primary) | Supporting | $1.0M | ✓ Yes |
| Jenny Costa Honeycutt | South Carolina 1st District | Attacking | $999K | ✓ Yes |
| Ammar Campa-Najjar | California 48th District (primary) | Supporting | $444K | Unknown |
| Nancy Lacore | South Carolina 1st District (primary) | Supporting | $413K | ✓ Yes |
| Jack Bergman | Michigan 1st District | Attacking | $363K | ✗ No |
Questions people ask
- How much did Votevets spend in 2026, and did it win?
- Votevets spent $35M on independent expenditures in the 2026 federal elections, and 99% 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, 98% were on the winning side ($28M won, $684K lost, with $741K in races still being counted). $5.0M had no matched result and is excluded.
- Who funds Votevets?
- Its biggest reported donors in the 2026 cycle were Government That Works PAC ($6.9M), Global Impact Social Welfare Fund ($3.0M), Better World Civic Trust ($1.6M), Democracy Matters ($1.4M), Joshua Bekenstein ($1.2M), out of $34M received from donors tracked here.
- Which candidates did Votevets spend the most on in 2026?
- against Ashley Hinson (Iowa Senate, $9.9M, won); for Josh Turek (Iowa Senate, $9.8M, won); for Maura Sullivan (New Hampshire 1st District, $2.3M, unknown).