Politician
Jim Costa
Democrat · California · ran 4 times since 2020, won 4 · incumbent
FEC candidate H4CA20082
Jim Costa (Democrat) raised $1.7M for the 2026 California 21st District race, $980K of it from PACs, and outside groups spent $0 for and $0 against them (FEC filings through Oct 14, 2026). They won.
Raised, all runs
$7.6M
2026, 2024, 2022, 2020
From PAC checks
57%
$4.3M from corporations, trade groups, unions and politicians
Outside money for
$32K
Super PACs and party groups helping
Outside money against
$0
Spent attacking them
57% of Jim Costa's campaign money came from PAC checks, not from people. That is one of the heaviest reliances on organised money in Congress.
Every run
Each general election, with the money behind it and the result.
| Cycle | Race | Raised | PAC share | Outside for / against | Google ads | All money | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | California 21st District | $1.7M | 58% | $0 / $0 | $9K | $1.7M | ✓ Won |
| 2024 | California 21st District | $1.7M | 59% | $0 / $0 | $29K | $1.7M | ✓ Won |
| 2022 | California 21st District | $2.0M | 52% | $32K / $0 | $2K | $2.1M | ✓ Won |
| 2020 | California 16th District | $2.1M | 57% | $0 / $0 | $1K | $2.1M | ✓ Won |
Who wrote the checks
The PACs that gave the most across every run, and what kind of money it is.
Corporate $1.6MTrade group $1.5MUnion $327KMembership $293KOther $272KLeadership PAC $156KSuper PAC $16KParty $21
- National Chicken Council Political Action Committee (Fka) National Broiler Council PACTrade group$40K
- National Cattlemen's Beef Association Political Action Committee (Ncba-PAC)Trade groupLobbyist PAC$34K
- American Israel Public Affairs Committee Political Action CommitteeMembershipLobbyist PAC$25K
- National Propane Gas Association PACTrade groupLobbyist PAC$20K
- California Dairies, Inc. Federal Political Action CommitteeCorporate$20K
- Phillips 66 PACCorporateLobbyist PAC$20K
- Comcast Corporation & Nbcuniversal Political Action Committee - FederalCorporateLobbyist PAC$20K
- Engineers Political Education Committee (Epec)/International Union of Operating EngineersUnionLobbyist PAC$15K
- National Air Traffic Controllers Association PACUnionLobbyist PAC$13K
- Culac the PAC of Credit Union National AssociationTrade groupLobbyist PAC$13K
- National Association of Realtors Political Action CommitteeMembershipLobbyist PAC$11K
- American Bankers Association PAC (Bankpac)Trade groupLobbyist PAC$10K
Outside money, for and against
Super PACs and party groups that spent the most on these races.
- Valley Works Action Fundfor $32K
The payback
How they voted on their funders' bills
On the 31 key votes where Jim Costa had taken $10K+ from the industry with a stake, they voted the industry's way 11 times (35%). Money is PAC checks plus credited super PAC support across every run since 2020; “with industry” is the vote the industry lobbied for.
| Vote | Industry | Their money from it | Voted |
|---|---|---|---|
| NDAA FY2027House · 2026 · 216–212 | Defense contractors wanted yea | $34K | Nay · against |
| Stop Insider Trading ActHouse · 2026 · 232–198 | Members who trade stocks wanted nay | – | Nay · with industry |
| Faster Labor Contracts ActHouse · 2026 · 230–193 | Labor unions wanted yea | $366K | Yea · with industry |
| Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection ActHouse · 2026 · 216–201 | Gun lobby wanted yea | $2K | Nay · against |
| Year-round E15House · 2026 · 218–203 | Agriculture, food and retail wanted yeaOil, gas and coal wanted nay | $780K$268K | Nay · againstNay · with industry |
| Farm, Food, and National Security ActHouse · 2026 · 224–200 | Agriculture, food and retail wanted yea | $780K | Yea · with industry |
| Affordable HOMES ActHouse · 2026 · 263–147 | Real estate and construction wanted yea | $132K | Yea · with industry |
| Protect America's Workforce ActHouse · 2025 · 231–195 | Labor unions wanted yea | $366K | Yea · with industry |
| ANWR coastal plain leasingHouse · 2025 · 217–209 | Oil, gas and coal wanted yea | $268K | Yea · with industry |
| NDAA FY2026House · 2025 · 231–196 | Defense contractors wanted yea | $34K | Nay · against |
| GENIUS Act (stablecoins)House · 2025 · 308–122 | Crypto wanted yea | – | Yea · with industry |
| CLARITY Act (crypto market structure)House · 2025 · 294–134 | Crypto wanted yea | – | Yea · with industry |
| One Big Beautiful Bill ActHouse · 2025 · 218–214 | Oil, gas and coal wanted yeaWall Street and hedge funds wanted yea | $268K$63K | Nay · againstNay · against |
| OCC bank merger rule repealHouse · 2025 · 220–207 | Wall Street and hedge funds wanted yea | $63K | Nay · against |
| California clean cars waiver repealHouse · 2025 · 246–164 | Oil, gas and coal wanted yea | $268K | Nay · against |
| CFPB overdraft rule repealHouse · 2025 · 217–211 | Wall Street and hedge funds wanted yea | $63K | Nay · against |
| IRS DeFi broker rule repealHouse · 2025 · 292–132 | Crypto wanted yea | – | Yea · with industry |
| Methane waste emissions charge repealHouse · 2025 · 220–206 | Oil, gas and coal wanted yea | $268K | Nay · against |
| FIT21 (crypto market structure)House · 2024 · 279–136 | Crypto wanted yea | – | Yea · with industry |
| Israel Security Assistance Support ActHouse · 2024 · 224–187 | Pro-Israel groups wanted yea | $33K | Nay · against |
| SAB 121 repealHouse · 2024 · 228–182 | Crypto wanted yea | – | Yea · with industry |
| Antisemitism Awareness ActHouse · 2024 · 320–91 | Pro-Israel groups wanted yea | $33K | Yea · with industry |
| Israel security supplemental (Apr 2024)House · 2024 · 366–58 | Pro-Israel groups wanted yea | $33K | Yea · with industry |
| Ukraine security supplementalHouse · 2024 · 311–112 | Defense contractors wanted yea | $34K | Yea · with industry |
| Protecting Health Care for All Patients ActHouse · 2024 · 211–208 | Pharma and health care wanted yea | $116K | Nay · against |
| Joint-employer rule repealHouse · 2024 · 206–177 | Labor unions wanted nay | $366K | Yea · against |
| NDAA FY2024House · 2023 · 310–118 | Defense contractors wanted yea | $34K | Yea · with industry |
| Israel aid (Nov 2023)House · 2023 · 226–196 | Pro-Israel groups wanted yea | $33K | Nay · against |
| Pistol brace rule repealHouse · 2023 · 219–210 | Gun lobby wanted yea | $2K | Nay · against |
| Lower Energy Costs ActHouse · 2023 · 225–204 | Oil, gas and coal wanted yea | $268K | Nay · against |
| Strategic Production Response ActHouse · 2023 · 221–205 | Oil, gas and coal wanted yea | $268K | Nay · against |
| Merger Filing Fee Modernization ActHouse · 2022 · 242–184 | Tech and AI wanted nay | $32K | Yea · against |
| Inflation Reduction ActHouse · 2022 · 220–207 | Oil, gas and coal wanted nayPharma and health care wanted nayWall Street and hedge funds wanted nay | $268K$116K$63K | Yea · againstYea · againstYea · against |
| Assault Weapons Ban of 2022House · 2022 · 217–213 | Gun lobby wanted nay | $2K | Yea · against |
| Safer Communities Act (post-Uvalde)House · 2022 · 234–193 | Gun lobby wanted nay | $2K | Yea · against |
| Affordable Insulin Now ActHouse · 2022 · 232–193 | Pharma and health care wanted nay | $116K | Yea · against |
| Bipartisan Background Checks ActHouse · 2021 · 227–203 | Gun lobby wanted nay | $2K | Yea · against |
| PRO Act (union organising)House · 2021 · 225–206 | Labor unions wanted yea | $366K | Yea · with industry |
The revolving door
3 former aides now lobbying
Lobbyists who list a job in Jim Costa's office among the government positions they held, and who they now work for. A former staffer gets the meeting.
Donald GradyFormer congressional staff
Legislative Assistant and Legislative Correspondent, Rep. Jim Costa; Legislative Correspondent and Staff Assistant, Rep. Jim Marshall.
Now lobbies for United Egg Producers, International Dairy Foods Association
John DrakeFormer congressional staff
Professional Staff, Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials, U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, 2006-2009; Legis…
Now lobbies for Chamber Of Commerce Of The U.S.A.
Claudia LarsonFormer congressional staff
Strategic Policy Associate and Communication Director, Rep. Costa
Now lobbies for National Milk Producers Federation
Figures are the candidate's principal committees as filed with the FEC, cycle by cycle. See About the data.
Questions people ask
- Who funded Jim Costa's 2026 campaign?
- Jim Costa (Democrat) raised $1.7M for the 2026 California 21st District race, $980K of it from PACs, and outside groups spent $0 for and $0 against them (FEC filings through Oct 14, 2026). They won.
- Which PACs gave the most to Jim Costa?
- American Israel Public Affairs Committee Political Action Committee ($10K), American Bankers Association PAC (Bankpac) ($10K), National Cattlemen's Beef Association Political Action Committee (Ncba-PAC) ($10K), The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers Political Action Committee ($10K), National Propane Gas Association PAC ($10K) in 2026.
- How much has Jim Costa raised across elections?
- $1.7M in 2026 (California 21st District), $1.7M in 2024 (California 21st District), $2.0M in 2022 (California 21st District), $2.1M in 2020 (California 16th District).