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 with varying coverage dates; the most common larger-campaign cutoff is Oct 14, 2026). They won.
Raised, all cycles
$7.6M
2026, 2024, 2022, 2020; counted once per cycle
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 organized money in Congress.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | California 21st District | $1.7M | 58% | $0 / $0 | – | $1.7M | ✓ Won |
| 2024 | California 21st District | $1.7M | 59% | $0 / $0 | $7K | $1.7M | ✓ Won |
| 2022 | California 21st District | $2.0M | 52% | $32K / $0 | – | $2.1M | ✓ Won |
| 2020 | California 16th District | $2.1M | 57% | $0 / $0 | – | $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 $318KMembership $277KOther $271KLeadership PAC $155KSuper PAC $16KParty $21
- National Chicken Council Political Action Committee (Fka) National Broiler Council PACTrade group$40K
- American Bankers Association PAC (Bankpac)Trade groupLobbyist PAC$20K
- National Cattlemen's Beef Association Political Action Committee (Ncba-PAC)Trade groupLobbyist PAC$20K
- National Propane Gas Association PACTrade groupLobbyist PAC$20K
- Edison International PACCorporateLobbyist PAC$20K
- Phillips 66 PACCorporateLobbyist PAC$20K
- National Rural Electric Cooperative Association America's Electric Cooperatives PACTrade groupLobbyist PAC$20K
- Deere & Company PAC (Aka John Deere PAC)CorporateLobbyist PAC$20K
- Comcast Corporation & Nbcuniversal Political Action Committee - FederalCorporateLobbyist PAC$20K
- The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers Political Action CommitteeMembershipLobbyist PAC$10K
- Bayer US LLC Employee Political Action Committee (Bayerpac)CorporateLobbyist PAC$10K
- Cheniere Energy, Inc. PACCorporate$10K
Outside money, for and against
Super PACs and party groups that spent the most on these races.
- Valley Works Action Fundfor $32K
Funding and votes
How their votes align with industry funding
Across 26 industry-vote comparisons with at least $10K in traced funding, they voted the industry's way 9 times (35%). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| NDAA FY2027House · 2026 · 216–212 | Defense contractors wanted yea | $26K | Nay · against |
| Stop Insider Trading ActHouse · 2026 · 232–198 | Reported household trades wanted nay | Unknown coverage | Nay · with industry |
| Faster Labor Contracts ActHouse · 2026 · 230–193 | Labor unions wanted yea | $273K | 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 | $593K$220K | Nay · againstNay · with industry |
| Farm, Food, and National Security ActHouse · 2026 · 224–200 | Agriculture, food and retail wanted yea | $593K | Yea · with industry |
| Affordable HOMES ActHouse · 2026 · 263–147 | Real estate and construction wanted yea | $101K | Yea · with industry |
| Protect America's Workforce ActHouse · 2025 · 231–195 | Labor unions wanted yea | $273K | Yea · with industry |
| ANWR coastal plain leasingHouse · 2025 · 217–209 | Oil, gas and coal wanted yea | $220K | Yea · with industry |
| NDAA FY2026House · 2025 · 231–196 | Defense contractors wanted yea | $26K | Nay · against |
| GENIUS Act (stablecoins)House · 2025 · 308–122 | Crypto wanted yea | $0 | Yea · with industry |
| CLARITY Act (crypto market structure)House · 2025 · 294–134 | Crypto wanted yea | $0 | Yea · with industry |
| One Big Beautiful Bill ActHouse · 2025 · 218–214 | Oil, gas and coal wanted yeaWall Street and hedge funds wanted yea | $220K$45K | Nay · againstNay · against |
| OCC bank merger rule repealHouse · 2025 · 220–207 | Wall Street and hedge funds wanted yea | $45K | Nay · against |
| California clean cars waiver repealHouse · 2025 · 246–164 | Oil, gas and coal wanted yea | $220K | Nay · against |
| CFPB overdraft rule repealHouse · 2025 · 217–211 | Wall Street and hedge funds wanted yea | $45K | Nay · against |
| IRS DeFi broker rule repealHouse · 2025 · 292–132 | Crypto wanted yea | $0 | Yea · with industry |
| Methane waste emissions charge repealHouse · 2025 · 220–206 | Oil, gas and coal wanted yea | $220K | Nay · against |
| FIT21 (crypto market structure)House · 2024 · 279–136 | Crypto wanted yea | $0 | Yea · with industry |
| Israel Security Assistance Support ActHouse · 2024 · 224–187 | Pro-Israel groups wanted yea | $8K | Nay · against |
| SAB 121 repealHouse · 2024 · 228–182 | Crypto wanted yea | $0 | Yea · with industry |
| Antisemitism Awareness ActHouse · 2024 · 320–91 | Pro-Israel groups wanted yea | $8K | Yea · with industry |
| Israel security supplemental (Apr 2024)House · 2024 · 366–58 | Pro-Israel groups wanted yea | $8K | Yea · with industry |
| Ukraine security supplementalHouse · 2024 · 311–112 | Defense contractors wanted yea | $16K | Yea · with industry |
| Protecting Health Care for All Patients ActHouse · 2024 · 211–208 | Pharma and health care wanted yea | $67K | Nay · against |
| Joint-employer rule repealHouse · 2024 · 206–177 | Labor unions wanted nay | $188K | Yea · against |
| NDAA FY2024House · 2023 · 310–118 | Defense contractors wanted yea | $16K | Yea · with industry |
| Israel aid (Nov 2023)House · 2023 · 226–196 | Pro-Israel groups wanted yea | $8K | 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 | $149K | Nay · against |
| Strategic Production Response ActHouse · 2023 · 221–205 | Oil, gas and coal wanted yea | $149K | Nay · against |
| Merger Filing Fee Modernization ActHouse · 2022 · 242–184 | Tech and AI wanted nay | $10K | 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 | $74K$41K$12K | 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 | $41K | Yea · against |
| Bipartisan Background Checks ActHouse · 2021 · 227–203 | Gun lobby wanted nay | $2K | Yea · against |
| PRO Act (union organizing)House · 2021 · 225–206 | Labor unions wanted yea | $87K | Yea · with industry |
Constituents vs. funders
Voted the way most of their constituents wanted on 5 of 5 key votes (100%)
On 2 votes, industries that gave them $10K+ before the vote wanted the opposite of what most of their constituents wanted. They sided with the funders 0 times and with their constituents 2. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ANWR coastal plain leasingHouse · 2025 | 47% support ±16CA-21 · split · CES 2024 · related question | $220K Oil, gas and coal wanted yea | YeaVoters split |
| One Big Beautiful Bill ActHouse · 2025 | 57% support ±16CA-21 · split · CES 2024 · related question | $220K Oil, gas and coal wanted yea$45K Wall Street and hedge funds wanted yea | NayVoters split |
| Lower Energy Costs ActHouse · 2023 | 61% support ±15CA-21 · split · CES 2024 · related question | $149K Oil, gas and coal wanted yea | NayVoters split |
| Strategic Production Response ActHouse · 2023 | 61% support ±15CA-21 · split · CES 2024 · related question | $149K Oil, gas and coal wanted yea | NayVoters split |
| Inflation Reduction ActHouse · 2022 | 73% support ±2California (statewide figure) · wanted Yea · CES 2022 | $74K Oil, gas and coal wanted nay$41K Pharma and health care wanted nay$12K Wall Street and hedge funds wanted nay | YeaVoters over funders |
| Assault Weapons Ban of 2022House · 2022 | 68% support ±2California (statewide figure) · wanted Yea · CES 2022 | No industry with a side gave $10K+ | YeaWith voters |
| Safer Communities Act (post-Uvalde)House · 2022 | 89% support ±2California (statewide figure) · wanted Yea · CES 2024 | No industry with a side gave $10K+ | YeaWith voters |
| Affordable Insulin Now ActHouse · 2022 | 87% support ±1California (statewide figure) · wanted Yea · CES 2022 · related question | $41K Pharma and health care wanted nay | YeaVoters over funders |
| Bipartisan Background Checks ActHouse · 2021 | 94% support ±1California (statewide figure) · wanted Yea · CES 2024 | No industry with a side gave $10K+ | YeaWith voters |
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 listed former position does not establish contact with that office.
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 with varying coverage dates; the most common larger-campaign cutoff is Oct 14, 2026). They won.
- Which PACs gave the most to Jim Costa?
- 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), National Chicken Council Political Action Committee (Fka) National Broiler Council PAC ($10K) in 2026.
- How much has Jim Costa raised across elections?
- $1.7M in 2026, $1.7M in 2024, $2.0M in 2022, $2.1M in 2020. Receipts are counted once per candidate and cycle.