Politician
Debbie Lesko
Republican · Arizona · ran 2 times since 2020, won 2 · incumbent
FEC candidate H8AZ08158
Debbie Lesko (Republican) raised $1.2M for the 2022 Arizona 8th District race, $418K of it from PACs, and outside groups spent $26K for and $0 against them (FEC filings with varying coverage dates; the most common larger-campaign cutoff is Dec 31, 2022). They won.
Raised, all cycles
$2.8M
2022, 2020; counted once per cycle
From PAC checks
29%
$815K from corporations, trade groups, unions and politicians
Outside money for
$41K
Super PACs and party groups helping
Outside money against
$0
Spent attacking them
Every run
Each election and its result. Campaign receipts cover the whole cycle and can appear in both regular and special contests; they count once in the totals above.
| Cycle | Race | Raised | PAC share | Outside for / against | Google ads | All money | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Arizona 8th District | $1.2M | 35% | $26K / $0 | – | $1.2M | ✓ Won |
| 2020 | Arizona 8th District | $1.6M | 25% | $16K / $0 | $22K | $1.6M | ✓ Won |
Who wrote the checks
The PACs that gave the most across every run, and what kind of money it is.
Corporate $375KTrade group $139KLeadership PAC $116KMembership $84KOther $41KSuper PAC $29KUnion $28K
- House Freedom FundLeadership PAC$26K
- Value in Electing Women Political Action CommitteeSuper PACLobbyist PAC$25K
- Pinnacle West Capital Corporation PACCorporateLobbyist PAC$20K
- Air Line Pilots Association PACUnionLobbyist PAC$20K
- Koch Industries, Inc. Political Action Committee (Kochpac)CorporateLobbyist PAC$20K
- Cmr Political Action CommitteeLeadership PAC$10K
- Majority Committee PAC--Mc PACLeadership PAC$10K
- The Eye of the Tiger Political Action CommitteeLeadership PAC$10K
- Freeport-Mcmoran Inc. Citizenship CommitteeCorporateLobbyist PAC$10K
- E-PACLeadership PAC$10K
- Cox Enterprises PAC (Coxpac) Inc.CorporateLobbyist PAC$10K
Outside money, for and against
Super PACs and party groups that spent the most on these races.
- National Rifle Association of America Political Victory Fundfor $17K
- American Majority Action Inc.for $13K
- Saving Arizona PACfor $12K
Funding and votes
How their votes align with industry funding
Across 15 industry-vote comparisons with at least $10K in traced funding, they voted the industry's way 11 times (73%). This is a retrospective comparison using covered 2020–2026 runs; some money arrived after the vote. A vote can appear for multiple industries. Unknown coverage is excluded. “With industry” means its stated preferred side, and does not establish causation.
| Vote | Industry | Their money from it | Voted |
|---|---|---|---|
| FIT21 (crypto market structure)House · 2024 · 279–136 | Crypto wanted yea | $437 | Yea · with industry |
| Israel Security Assistance Support ActHouse · 2024 · 224–187 | Pro-Israel groups wanted yea | $10K | Yea · with industry |
| SAB 121 repealHouse · 2024 · 228–182 | Crypto wanted yea | $437 | Yea · with industry |
| Antisemitism Awareness ActHouse · 2024 · 320–91 | Pro-Israel groups wanted yea | $10K | Yea · with industry |
| Israel security supplemental (Apr 2024)House · 2024 · 366–58 | Pro-Israel groups wanted yea | $10K | Yea · with industry |
| Ukraine security supplementalHouse · 2024 · 311–112 | Defense contractors wanted yea | $32K | Nay · against |
| Protecting Health Care for All Patients ActHouse · 2024 · 211–208 | Pharma and health care wanted yea | $47K | Yea · with industry |
| Joint-employer rule repealHouse · 2024 · 206–177 | Labor unions wanted nay | $36K | Yea · against |
| NDAA FY2024House · 2023 · 310–118 | Defense contractors wanted yea | $32K | Nay · against |
| Israel aid (Nov 2023)House · 2023 · 226–196 | Pro-Israel groups wanted yea | $10K | Present / not voting |
| Pistol brace rule repealHouse · 2023 · 219–210 | Gun lobby wanted yea | $6K | Yea · with industry |
| Lower Energy Costs ActHouse · 2023 · 225–204 | Oil, gas and coal wanted yea | $54K | Yea · with industry |
| Strategic Production Response ActHouse · 2023 · 221–205 | Oil, gas and coal wanted yea | $54K | Yea · with industry |
| Merger Filing Fee Modernization ActHouse · 2022 · 242–184 | Tech and AI wanted nay | $10K | Nay · with industry |
| Inflation Reduction ActHouse · 2022 · 220–207 | Oil, gas and coal wanted nayPharma and health care wanted nayWall Street and hedge funds wanted nay | $18K$19K$19K | Nay · with industryNay · with industryNay · with industry |
| Assault Weapons Ban of 2022House · 2022 · 217–213 | Gun lobby wanted nay | $4K | Nay · with industry |
| Safer Communities Act (post-Uvalde)House · 2022 · 234–193 | Gun lobby wanted nay | $4K | Nay · with industry |
| Affordable Insulin Now ActHouse · 2022 · 232–193 | Pharma and health care wanted nay | $19K | Nay · with industry |
| Bipartisan Background Checks ActHouse · 2021 · 227–203 | Gun lobby wanted nay | $4K | Nay · with industry |
| PRO Act (union organizing)House · 2021 · 225–206 | Labor unions wanted yea | $22K | Nay · against |
Constituents vs. funders
Voted the way most of their constituents wanted on 0 of 3 key votes (0%)
On 1 vote, industries that gave them $10K+ before the vote wanted the opposite of what most of their constituents wanted. They sided with the funders 1 time and with their constituents 0. Constituent views come from the Cooperative Election Study, a survey of about 60,000 adults a year. A side counts as what constituents wanted only when it leads by more than the margin of error; closer results are shown as split. Party explains most votes, and none of this shows that money changed a vote.
| Vote | Their constituents | Their funders | Voted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower Energy Costs ActHouse · 2023 | 53% support ±14AZ-08 · split · CES 2024 · related question | $54K Oil, gas and coal wanted yea | YeaVoters split |
| Strategic Production Response ActHouse · 2023 | 53% support ±14AZ-08 · split · CES 2024 · related question | $54K Oil, gas and coal wanted yea | YeaVoters split |
| Inflation Reduction ActHouse · 2022 | 52% support ±11AZ-08 · split · CES 2022 | $18K Oil, gas and coal wanted nay$19K Pharma and health care wanted nay$19K Wall Street and hedge funds wanted nay | NayVoters split |
| Assault Weapons Ban of 2022House · 2022 | 49% support ±11AZ-08 · split · CES 2022 | No industry with a side gave $10K+ | NayVoters split |
| Safer Communities Act (post-Uvalde)House · 2022 | 82% support ±4Arizona (statewide figure) · wanted Yea · CES 2024 | No industry with a side gave $10K+ | NayAgainst voters |
| Affordable Insulin Now ActHouse · 2022 | 82% support ±9AZ-08 · wanted Yea · CES 2022 · related question | $19K Pharma and health care wanted nay | NayFunders over voters |
| Bipartisan Background Checks ActHouse · 2021 | 92% support ±3Arizona (statewide figure) · wanted Yea · CES 2024 | No industry with a side gave $10K+ | NayAgainst voters |
Household disclosures
2 reported transactions, with volume $2K–$30K
Reconciled electronic STOCK Act reports from 2 filings since 2021, covering all reported asset types and transactions by a spouse or dependent child. 2 buys, 0 sells.
Most traded
Latest trades
- buySeries I Savings Bond2023-03-26 · government bond$1K–$15K
- buySeries I Savings Bond2023-01-03 · government bond · spouse$1K–$15K
Filings on the House Clerk's site.
The revolving door
3 former aides now lobbying
Lobbyists who list a job in Debbie Lesko's office among the government positions they held, and who they now work for. A listed former position does not establish contact with that office.
Abigail Gunderson-SchwarzFormer congressional staff
Leg. Correspondent-Rep. Doug Lamborn; Leg. Asst-Rep. Doug Lamborn; Sr. Leg. Asst-Rep. Scott Rigell; Leg. Dir-Rep. Lamar Smith; COS-Rep. Debbie Lesko; Directi…
Now lobbies for H&r Block Management, LLC, A Subsidiary Of H&r Block, INC., Americas Credit Unions, Fka Credit Union National Association, INC. Dba America · via Americas Credit Unions, Fka Credit Union National Association, INC. Dba Americas Credit Unions
John ZwaanstraFormer congressional staff
Congresswoman Debbie Lesko, Legislative Director
Now lobbies for Case New Holland Industrial INC
Ebbie YazdaniFormer congressional staff
Leg. Director, Congressmember Debbie Lesko, 1/2021 - 12/2021 Leg. Director, Office of 4th District of Texas, 5/2020 -1/2021 Leg Counsel, Congressmember John …
Now lobbies for Technology Network Aka Technet
Figures are the candidate's principal committees as filed with the FEC, cycle by cycle. See About the data.
Questions people ask
- Who funded Debbie Lesko's 2022 campaign?
- Debbie Lesko (Republican) raised $1.2M for the 2022 Arizona 8th District race, $418K of it from PACs, and outside groups spent $26K for and $0 against them (FEC filings with varying coverage dates; the most common larger-campaign cutoff is Dec 31, 2022). They won.
- Which PACs gave the most to Debbie Lesko?
- House Freedom Fund ($16K), Cmr Political Action Committee ($10K), Pinnacle West Capital Corporation PAC ($10K), Air Line Pilots Association PAC ($10K), Value in Electing Women Political Action Committee ($10K) in 2022.
- Which super PACs spent on Debbie Lesko's race?
- American Majority Action Inc. ($13K for), Saving Arizona PAC ($12K for), National Rifle Association of America Political Victory Fund ($2K for) in 2022.
- How much has Debbie Lesko raised across elections?
- $1.2M in 2022, $1.6M in 2020. Receipts are counted once per candidate and cycle.