Politician
John Garamendi
Democrat · California · ran 4 times since 2020, won 4 · incumbent
FEC candidate H0CA10149
John Garamendi (Democrat) raised $583K for the 2026 California 8th District race, $414K 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
$3.9M
2026, 2024, 2022, 2020; counted once per cycle
From PAC checks
58%
$2.3M from corporations, trade groups, unions and politicians
Outside money for
$14
Super PACs and party groups helping
Outside money against
$0
Spent attacking them
58% of John Garamendi'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 8th District | $583K | 71% | $0 / $0 | – | $583K | ✓ Won |
| 2024 | California 8th District | $1.1M | 50% | $0 / $0 | – | $1.1M | ✓ Won |
| 2022 | California 8th District | $1.1M | 59% | $0 / $0 | – | $1.1M | ✓ Won |
| 2020 | California 3rd District | $1.1M | 56% | $14 / $0 | – | $1.1M | ✓ Won |
Who wrote the checks
The PACs that gave the most across every run, and what kind of money it is.
Union $802KCorporate $760KTrade group $380KMembership $141KOther $95KSuper PAC $11KLeadership PAC $5K
- International Brotherhood of Boilermakers Campaign Assistance FundUnionLobbyist PAC$30K
- Transport Workers Union of America Political Contributions CommitteeUnionLobbyist PAC$30K
- D.R.I.V.E. - Dem, Rep, Ind Voter Ed (the PAC of the Int'l Brhd of Teamsters)Union$23K
- Allied Pilots Association Political Action CommitteeUnion$20K
- Employees of Rtx Corporation Political Action CommitteeCorporateLobbyist PAC$20K
- National Electrical Contractors Association Political Action CommitteeTrade groupLobbyist PAC$20K
- Saltchuk Resources, Inc. PACCorporateLobbyist PAC$20K
- American Maritime Officers Voluntary Political Action FundUnionLobbyist PAC$20K
- Amalgamated Transit Union - CopeUnionLobbyist PAC$10K
- Air Line Pilots Association PACUnionLobbyist PAC$10K
- American Crystal Sugar Company Political Action CommitteeCorporateLobbyist PAC$10K
- Fairbanks Morse, LLC Political Action CommitteeCorporate$10K
Outside money, for and against
Super PACs and party groups that spent the most on these races.
- National Union of Healthcare Workers Federal Committee On Political Educationfor $14
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 6 times (40%). 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 | $79K | Nay · against |
| Stop Insider Trading ActHouse · 2026 · 232–198 | Reported household trades wanted nay | $18K | Nay · with industry |
| Faster Labor Contracts ActHouse · 2026 · 230–193 | Labor unions wanted yea | $673K | Yea · with industry |
| Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection ActHouse · 2026 · 216–201 | Gun lobby wanted yea | $0 | Present / not voting |
| Year-round E15House · 2026 · 218–203 | Agriculture, food and retail wanted yeaOil, gas and coal wanted nay | $108K$0 | Nay · againstNay · with industry |
| Farm, Food, and National Security ActHouse · 2026 · 224–200 | Agriculture, food and retail wanted yea | $108K | Nay · against |
| Affordable HOMES ActHouse · 2026 · 263–147 | Real estate and construction wanted yea | $92K | Nay · against |
| Protect America's Workforce ActHouse · 2025 · 231–195 | Labor unions wanted yea | $673K | Yea · with industry |
| ANWR coastal plain leasingHouse · 2025 · 217–209 | Oil, gas and coal wanted yea | $0 | Nay · against |
| NDAA FY2026House · 2025 · 231–196 | Defense contractors wanted yea | $79K | Nay · against |
| GENIUS Act (stablecoins)House · 2025 · 308–122 | Crypto wanted yea | $0 | Nay · against |
| CLARITY Act (crypto market structure)House · 2025 · 294–134 | Crypto wanted yea | $0 | Nay · against |
| One Big Beautiful Bill ActHouse · 2025 · 218–214 | Oil, gas and coal wanted yeaWall Street and hedge funds wanted yea | $0$7K | Nay · againstNay · against |
| OCC bank merger rule repealHouse · 2025 · 220–207 | Wall Street and hedge funds wanted yea | $7K | Nay · against |
| California clean cars waiver repealHouse · 2025 · 246–164 | Oil, gas and coal wanted yea | $0 | Nay · against |
| CFPB overdraft rule repealHouse · 2025 · 217–211 | Wall Street and hedge funds wanted yea | $7K | Nay · against |
| IRS DeFi broker rule repealHouse · 2025 · 292–132 | Crypto wanted yea | $0 | Nay · against |
| Methane waste emissions charge repealHouse · 2025 · 220–206 | Oil, gas and coal wanted yea | $0 | Nay · against |
| FIT21 (crypto market structure)House · 2024 · 279–136 | Crypto wanted yea | $0 | Nay · against |
| Israel Security Assistance Support ActHouse · 2024 · 224–187 | Pro-Israel groups wanted yea | $6K | Nay · against |
| SAB 121 repealHouse · 2024 · 228–182 | Crypto wanted yea | $0 | Nay · against |
| Antisemitism Awareness ActHouse · 2024 · 320–91 | Pro-Israel groups wanted yea | $6K | Nay · against |
| Israel security supplemental (Apr 2024)House · 2024 · 366–58 | Pro-Israel groups wanted yea | $6K | Nay · against |
| Ukraine security supplementalHouse · 2024 · 311–112 | Defense contractors wanted yea | $57K | Yea · with industry |
| Protecting Health Care for All Patients ActHouse · 2024 · 211–208 | Pharma and health care wanted yea | $30K | Nay · against |
| Joint-employer rule repealHouse · 2024 · 206–177 | Labor unions wanted nay | $446K | Nay · with industry |
| NDAA FY2024House · 2023 · 310–118 | Defense contractors wanted yea | $57K | Yea · with industry |
| Israel aid (Nov 2023)House · 2023 · 226–196 | Pro-Israel groups wanted yea | $6K | Nay · against |
| Pistol brace rule repealHouse · 2023 · 219–210 | Gun lobby wanted yea | $0 | Nay · against |
| Lower Energy Costs ActHouse · 2023 · 225–204 | Oil, gas and coal wanted yea | $0 | Nay · against |
| Strategic Production Response ActHouse · 2023 · 221–205 | Oil, gas and coal wanted yea | $0 | Nay · against |
| Merger Filing Fee Modernization ActHouse · 2022 · 242–184 | Tech and AI wanted nay | $30K | 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 | $0$10K$3K | Yea · againstYea · againstYea · against |
| Assault Weapons Ban of 2022House · 2022 · 217–213 | Gun lobby wanted nay | $0 | Yea · against |
| Safer Communities Act (post-Uvalde)House · 2022 · 234–193 | Gun lobby wanted nay | $0 | Yea · against |
| Affordable Insulin Now ActHouse · 2022 · 232–193 | Pharma and health care wanted nay | $10K | Yea · against |
| Bipartisan Background Checks ActHouse · 2021 · 227–203 | Gun lobby wanted nay | $0 | Yea · against |
| PRO Act (union organizing)House · 2021 · 225–206 | Labor unions wanted yea | $219K | Yea · with industry |
Constituents vs. funders
Voted the way most of their constituents wanted on 4 of 5 key votes (80%)
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 | 52% support ±2California (statewide figure) · split · CES 2024 · related question | No industry with a side gave $10K+ | NayVoters split |
| One Big Beautiful Bill ActHouse · 2025 | 58% support ±2California (statewide figure) · wanted Yea · CES 2024 · related question | No industry with a side gave $10K+ | NayAgainst voters |
| Lower Energy Costs ActHouse · 2023 | 49% support ±2California (statewide figure) · split · CES 2024 · related question | No industry with a side gave $10K+ | NayVoters split |
| Strategic Production Response ActHouse · 2023 | 49% support ±2California (statewide figure) · split · CES 2024 · related question | No industry with a side gave $10K+ | NayVoters split |
| Inflation Reduction ActHouse · 2022 | 72% support ±11CA-03 · wanted Yea · CES 2022 | $10K Pharma and health care wanted nay | YeaVoters over funders |
| Assault Weapons Ban of 2022House · 2022 | 59% support ±12CA-03 · split · CES 2022 | No industry with a side gave $10K+ | YeaVoters split |
| 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 | 84% support ±9CA-03 · wanted Yea · CES 2022 · related question | $10K 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 |
Household disclosures
4 reported transactions, with volume $18K–$95K
Reconciled electronic STOCK Act reports from 1 filings since 2021, covering all reported asset types and transactions by a spouse or dependent child. 0 buys, 4 sells. Heaviest in tech and ai ($15K+), wall street and hedge funds ($1K+).
Most traded
- FB Meta Platforms, Inc. - Class A$15K+1 trades
- SQ Block, Inc. Class A Common Stock,$1K+1 trades
- GVA Granite Construction Incorporated$1K+1 trades
- TWTR Twitter, Inc.$1K+1 trades
Latest trades
- sellSQ2022-01-14 · stock · spouse$1K–$15K
- sellGVA2022-01-14 · stock · spouse$1K–$15K
- sellFB2022-01-14 · stock · spouse$15K–$50K
- sellTWTR2022-01-14 · stock · spouse$1K–$15K
Filings on the House Clerk's site.
The revolving door
1 former aide now lobbying
Lobbyists who list a job in John Garamendi'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.
Garrett DurstFormer congressional staff
Staff for Rep. Garamendi.
Now lobbies for The Nature Conservancy · via Natural Resource Results LLC
Figures are the candidate's principal committees as filed with the FEC, cycle by cycle. See About the data.
Questions people ask
- Who funded John Garamendi's 2026 campaign?
- John Garamendi (Democrat) raised $583K for the 2026 California 8th District race, $414K 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 John Garamendi?
- Amalgamated Transit Union - Cope ($10K), International Brotherhood of Boilermakers Campaign Assistance Fund ($10K), Air Line Pilots Association PAC ($10K), American Crystal Sugar Company Political Action Committee ($10K), Fairbanks Morse, LLC Political Action Committee ($10K) in 2026.
- How much has John Garamendi raised across elections?
- $583K in 2026, $1.1M in 2024, $1.1M in 2022, $1.1M in 2020. Receipts are counted once per candidate and cycle.