Which PACs gave the most to Joni Ernst?

Winred ($620K), Ernst Victory ($85K), Votesane PAC ($63K), NRSC ($45K), Winning for Women, Inc. PAC ($13K) in 2020.

Which super PACs spent on Joni Ernst's race?

Senate Majority PAC ($34M against), DSCC ($28M against), Senate Leadership Fund ($12M for) in 2020.

Politician

Joni Ernst

Republican · Iowa · ran 1 time since 2020, won 1 · incumbent

FEC candidate S4IA00129

Joni Ernst (Republican) raised $28M for the 2020 Iowa Senate race, $2.7M of it from PACs, and outside groups spent $18M for and $81M against them (FEC filings through Dec 31, 2020). They won.

Raised, all runs

$28M

2020

From PAC checks

10%

$2.7M from corporations, trade groups, unions and politicians

Outside money for

$18M

Super PACs and party groups helping

Outside money against

$81M

Spent attacking them

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
2020	Iowa Senate	$28M	10%	$18M / $81M	–	$127M	✓ Won

Who wrote the checks

The PACs that gave the most across every run, and what kind of money it is.

Corporate $1.3MSuper PAC $654KTrade group $588KOther $375KLeadership PAC $372KMembership $195KParty $45KUnion $3K

WinredSuper PAC$620K
Ernst VictoryOther$85K
Votesane PACOther$63K
NRSCParty$45K
Winning for Women, Inc. PACMembership$13K
General Dynamics Corporation Political Action Committee (Gdc PAC)CorporateLobbyist PAC$13K
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Political Action CommitteeMembership$13K
National Automobile Dealers Association Political Action CommitteeTrade groupLobbyist PAC$10K

Outside money, for and against

Super PACs and party groups that spent the most on these races.

Senate Majority PACagainst $34M
DSCCagainst $28M
Senate Leadership Fundfor $12M
Women Vote!against $3.9M
Lcv Victory Fundagainst $3.8M

The payback

How they voted on their funders' bills

On the 18 key votes where Joni Ernst had taken $10K+ from the industry with a stake, they voted the industry's way 14 times (78%). Money is PAC checks plus credited super PAC support across every run since 2020; “with industry” is the vote the industry lobbied for.

All issues →

Vote	Industry	Their money from it	Voted
Most-favoured-nation drug pricingSenate · 2026 · 49–49	Pharma and health care wanted nay	$200K	Nay · with industry
Block Israel arms sale (Apr 2026)Senate · 2026 · 40–59	Pro-Israel groups wanted nay	$9K	Nay · with industry
ACA enhanced premium tax creditsSenate · 2025 · 51–48	Insurance wanted yea	$76K	Nay · against
ANWR coastal plain leasingSenate · 2025 · 49–45	Oil, gas and coal wanted yea	$635K	Yea · with industry
Block Israel arms sale (Jul 2025)Senate · 2025 · 24–73	Pro-Israel groups wanted nay	$9K	Nay · with industry
One Big Beautiful Bill ActSenate · 2025 · 50–50	Oil, gas and coal wanted yeaWall Street and hedge funds wanted yea	$635K$5.3M	Yea · with industryYea · with industry
Halve Medicare drug prices (Sanders)Senate · 2025 · 47–53	Pharma and health care wanted nay	$200K	Nay · with industry
Strike the AI moratoriumSenate · 2025 · 99–1	Tech and AI wanted nay	$335K	Yea · against
Crypto corruption amendmentSenate · 2025 · 47–53	Crypto wanted nay	$9	Nay · with industry
GENIUS Act (stablecoins)Senate · 2025 · 68–30	Crypto wanted yea	$9	Yea · with industry
California clean cars waiver repealSenate · 2025 · 51–44	Oil, gas and coal wanted yea	$635K	Yea · with industry
OCC bank merger rule repealSenate · 2025 · 52–47	Wall Street and hedge funds wanted yea	$5.3M	Yea · with industry
CFPB overdraft rule repealSenate · 2025 · 52–48	Wall Street and hedge funds wanted yea	$5.3M	Yea · with industry
IRS DeFi broker rule repealSenate · 2025 · 70–28	Crypto wanted yea	$9	Yea · with industry
Methane waste emissions charge repealSenate · 2025 · 52–47	Oil, gas and coal wanted yea	$635K	Yea · with industry
Block Israel arms sale (Nov 2024)Senate · 2024 · 18–79	Pro-Israel groups wanted nay	$9K	Nay · with industry
SAB 121 repealSenate · 2024 · 60–38	Crypto wanted yea	$9	Yea · with industry
Joint-employer rule repealSenate · 2024 · 50–48	Labor unions wanted nay	$27K	Yea · against
NDAA FY2024Senate · 2023 · 87–13	Defense contractors wanted yea	$47K	Yea · with industry
Pistol brace rule repealSenate · 2023 · 49–50	Gun lobby wanted yea	$77K	Yea · with industry
Inflation Reduction ActSenate · 2022 · 50–50	Oil, gas and coal wanted nayPharma and health care wanted nayWall Street and hedge funds wanted nay	$635K$200K$5.3M	Nay · with industryNay · with industryNay · with industry
Safer Communities Act (post-Uvalde)Senate · 2022 · 65–33	Gun lobby wanted nay	$77K	Yea · against

The revolving door

9 former aides now lobbying

Lobbyists who list a job in Joni Ernst's office among the government positions they held, and who they now work for. A former staffer gets the meeting.

Abbey OverlandFormer congressional staff
Special Asst. Office of the Sec Def, Special Asst. Office of the Asst. Sec Def for Leg Affairs, Legislative Asst., Sen. Joni Ernst
Now lobbies for Palantir Technologies INC., Tenable, INC. · via Alpine Group Partners, LLC.
Devin MoglerFormer congressional staff
Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)
Now lobbies for National Oilseed Processors Association, Green Plains · via Green Plains INC.
Zach DeatherageFormer congressional staff
Sr. Leg. Asst. & Leg. Dir., Rep. Stefanik (2/23-1/25); Leg. Asst., Rep. Hinson (1/21-2/23); Leg. Cor., Leg. Aide, & Leg. Asst., Rep. Ralph Abraham (6/19-1/21…
Now lobbies for Alliance For Automotive Innovation, Anheuser-Busch Companies, INC. · via Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld
Katherina DimensteinFormer congressional staff
Legislative Assistant for Senator Joni Ernst - March 2016 to January 2017 Legislative Director for Rep. David Schweikert - January 2017 to June 2018 Chief of…
Now lobbies for General Atomics, RTX Corporation And Affiliates
Emma KeiserFormer congressional staff
Legislative Correspondent, Legislative Aide, Sen. Joni Ernst
Now lobbies for Growth Energy INC
Courtney KleinFormer congressional staff
Sen. Ernst: Intern 5/2015-8/2015, 5/17-7/2017; Staff Asst 12/2017-4/2018; Exec Asst 4/2018-4/2019; Scheduler 4/2019-4/2022
Now lobbies for RTX Corporation And Affiliates
Jacob ProctorFormer congressional staff
Staff Assistant - US Senator Jeff Session (AL); Legislative Correspondent - US Senator Luther Strange (AL); Legislative Aide - US Senator Joni Ernst (IA)
Now lobbies for Parry Labs, LLC
Paige LindgrenFormer congressional staff
Press Assistant/Legislative Correspondent, Rep. Ralph Abraham; Press Assistant, Sen. David Perdue; Press Secretary, Sen. Joni Ernst; Communications Director,…
Now lobbies for Poet, LLC
Sarah KellyFormer congressional staff
2019-2022 US Senate - staff assistant, assistant to the Chief of staff, legislative correspondent Senator Ernst 2024-2025 - legislative assistant, senior leg…
Now lobbies for RTX Corporation And Affiliates · via The Dionne Company

The revolving door, industry by industry →

Figures are the candidate's principal committees as filed with the FEC, cycle by cycle. See About the data.

Questions people ask

Who funded Joni Ernst's 2020 campaign?: Joni Ernst (Republican) raised $28M for the 2020 Iowa Senate race, $2.7M of it from PACs, and outside groups spent $18M for and $81M against them (FEC filings through Dec 31, 2020). They won.
Which PACs gave the most to Joni Ernst?: Winred ($620K), Ernst Victory ($85K), Votesane PAC ($63K), NRSC ($45K), Winning for Women, Inc. PAC ($13K) in 2020.
Which super PACs spent on Joni Ernst's race?: Senate Majority PAC ($34M against), DSCC ($28M against), Senate Leadership Fund ($12M for) in 2020.