Which PACs gave the most to John R. Thune?

American Express Company Political Action Committee (Axppac) ($10K), The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers Political Action Committee ($10K), National Shooting Sports Foundation, Inc. Political Action Committee (Nssf PAC) ($10K), Mortgage Bankers Association Political Action Committee (Morpac) ($10K), National Association of Manufacturers PAC (Nam-PAC) ($10K) in 2022.

Which super PACs spent on John R. Thune's race?

American Energy Action Fund ($102K for), National Rifle Association of America Political Victory Fund ($1K for) in 2022.

← Who bought my rep

Politician

John R. Thune

Republican · South Dakota · ran 1 time since 2020, won 1 · incumbent

FEC candidate S2SD00068

John R. Thune (Republican) raised $7.5M for the 2022 South Dakota Senate race, $2.8M of it from PACs, and outside groups spent $103K 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

$7.5M

2022; counted once per cycle

From PAC checks

38%

$2.8M from corporations, trade groups, unions and politicians

Outside money for

$103K

Super PACs and party groups helping

Outside money against

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	South Dakota Senate	$7.5M	38%	$103K / $0	–	$7.7M	✓ 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 $629KLeadership PAC $278KOther $197KMembership $175KUnion $23KSuper PAC $21K

American Express Company Political Action Committee (Axppac)CorporateLobbyist PAC$10K
The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers Political Action CommitteeMembershipLobbyist PAC$10K
National Shooting Sports Foundation, Inc. Political Action Committee (Nssf PAC)Trade groupLobbyist PAC$10K
Mortgage Bankers Association Political Action Committee (Morpac)Trade groupLobbyist PAC$10K
National Association of Manufacturers PAC (Nam-PAC)Trade groupLobbyist PAC$10K
Poet PACOtherLobbyist PAC$10K
Oorah! Political Action CommitteeLeadership PAC$10K
Deere & Company PAC (Aka John Deere PAC)CorporateLobbyist PAC$10K

Outside money, for and against

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

American Energy Action Fundfor $102K
National Rifle Association of America Political Victory Fundfor $1K

Funding and votes

How their votes align with industry funding

Across 16 industry-vote comparisons with at least $10K in traced funding, they voted the industry's way 13 times (81%). 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.

All issues →

Vote	Industry	Their money from it	Voted
Most-favored-nation drug pricingSenate · 2026 · 49–49	Pharma and health care wanted nay	$320K	Nay · with industry
Block Israel arms sale (Apr 2026)Senate · 2026 · 40–59	Pro-Israel groups wanted nay	$12K	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	$105K	Yea · with industry
Block Israel arms sale (Jul 2025)Senate · 2025 · 24–73	Pro-Israel groups wanted nay	$12K	Nay · with industry
One Big Beautiful Bill ActSenate · 2025 · 50–50	Oil, gas and coal wanted yeaWall Street and hedge funds wanted yea	$105K$237K	Yea · with industryYea · with industry
Halve Medicare drug prices (Sanders)Senate · 2025 · 47–53	Pharma and health care wanted nay	$320K	Nay · with industry
Strike the AI moratoriumSenate · 2025 · 99–1	Tech and AI wanted nay	$105K	Yea · against
Crypto corruption amendmentSenate · 2025 · 47–53	Crypto wanted nay	$2K	Nay · with industry
GENIUS Act (stablecoins)Senate · 2025 · 68–30	Crypto wanted yea	$2K	Yea · with industry
California clean cars waiver repealSenate · 2025 · 51–44	Oil, gas and coal wanted yea	$105K	Yea · with industry
OCC bank merger rule repealSenate · 2025 · 52–47	Wall Street and hedge funds wanted yea	$237K	Yea · with industry
CFPB overdraft rule repealSenate · 2025 · 52–48	Wall Street and hedge funds wanted yea	$237K	Yea · with industry
IRS DeFi broker rule repealSenate · 2025 · 70–28	Crypto wanted yea	$2K	Yea · with industry
Methane waste emissions charge repealSenate · 2025 · 52–47	Oil, gas and coal wanted yea	$105K	Yea · with industry
Block Israel arms sale (Nov 2024)Senate · 2024 · 18–79	Pro-Israel groups wanted nay	$12K	Nay · with industry
SAB 121 repealSenate · 2024 · 60–38	Crypto wanted yea	$2K	Yea · with industry
Joint-employer rule repealSenate · 2024 · 50–48	Labor unions wanted nay	$45K	Yea · against
NDAA FY2024Senate · 2023 · 87–13	Defense contractors wanted yea	$42K	Yea · with industry
Pistol brace rule repealSenate · 2023 · 49–50	Gun lobby wanted yea	$10K	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	Unknown coverageUnknown coverageUnknown coverage	Nay · with industryNay · with industryNay · with industry
Safer Communities Act (post-Uvalde)Senate · 2022 · 65–33	Gun lobby wanted nay	Unknown coverage	Nay · with industry

Constituents vs. funders

Voted the way most of their constituents wanted on 2 of 5 key votes (40%)

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 2 times 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.

Who sides with funders →

Vote	Their constituents	Their funders	Voted
Most-favored-nation drug pricingSenate · 2026	82% support ±10South Dakota · wanted Yea · CES 2022	$320K Pharma and health care wanted nay	NayFunders over voters
ACA enhanced premium tax creditsSenate · 2025	43% support ±9South Dakota · split · CES 2024 · related question	$76K Insurance wanted yea	NayVoters split
ANWR coastal plain leasingSenate · 2025	36% support ±9South Dakota · wanted Yea · CES 2024 · related question	$105K Oil, gas and coal wanted yea	YeaWith voters
One Big Beautiful Bill ActSenate · 2025	68% support ±9South Dakota · wanted Yea · CES 2024 · related question	$105K Oil, gas and coal wanted yea$237K Wall Street and hedge funds wanted yea	YeaWith voters
Halve Medicare drug prices (Sanders)Senate · 2025	82% support ±10South Dakota · wanted Yea · CES 2022 · related question	$320K Pharma and health care wanted nay	NayFunders over voters
Inflation Reduction ActSenate · 2022	57% support ±13South Dakota · split · CES 2022	No industry with a side gave $10K+	NayVoters split
Safer Communities Act (post-Uvalde)Senate · 2022	84% support ±7South Dakota · wanted Yea · CES 2024	No industry with a side gave $10K+	NayAgainst voters

The revolving door

7 former aides now lobbying

Lobbyists who list a job in John R. Thune'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.

James WilliamsFormer congressional staff
Sen. Finance Cmte: Sr Tax/Econ Policy Adv & Tax/IRS Subcmte Staff Dir | Sen. Thune: Sr Policy/Tax/Trade Policy Adv | Sen. Roberts: Dep Leg Dir/Sr Econ Policy…
Now lobbies for American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network INC, American Hotel & Lodging Association, UPS (united Parcel Service), Comcast Corporation and 8 more · via Fierce Government Relations
Jennifer BellFormer congressional staff
Health Policy Advisor, Sen. Finance Committee; Legislative Assistant, Rep. John Thune (R-SD)
Now lobbies for National Partnership For Women And Families, National Academy Of Elder Law Attorneys, INC., Society Of Hospital Medicine, Logan Health (formally Known As Kalispell Regional Healthcare) and 4 more · via Chamber Hill Strategies
John WeberFormer congressional staff
Legislative Director, Senior Policy Advisor, U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD); Legislative Assistant, Chairman Conaway, House Committee on Agriculture, Staff A…
Now lobbies for American Bankers Association, Feeding America, Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation, The National Wildlife Federation Action Fund and 3 more · via Monument Advocacy
David SchwietertFormer congressional staff
Sen. Comm. On Commerce, Science, & Transport., Staff Dir (13-15); Sen. Thune, Leg. Dir (07-12); Sen. Comm. On Environ. & Public Works, Waste Management SubCo…
Now lobbies for AT&T Services, INC. (fka AT&T), Biotechnology Innovation Organization, Alliance For Automotive Innovation · via Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld
Jane LucasFormer congressional staff
Special Assistant to the President, White House Office of Legislative Affairs; Principal Deputy Director, IOS-Office of Health Reform, HHS; Legislative Direc…
Now lobbies for America'S Health Insurance Plans (ahip), Unitedhealth Group, INC., Academy Of General Dentistry · via Alston & Bird LLP
Theodore TanzerFormer congressional staff
Sr. Counsel, House Energy & Commerce (23-24); Counsel, Commissioner Feldman, US CPSC (19-22); Pro. Staff Member, Sen. Commerce Committee (19); Law Clerk, Sen…
Now lobbies for Apple INC., Wiz, INC. · via Invariant LLC
Summer MersingerFormer congressional staff
Commissioner, CFTC; Chief of Staff, CFTC Commissioner Stump; Director, Office of Legislative Affairs, CFTC; Executive Director, General Counsel, DC Chief of …
Now lobbies for Blockchain Association

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 John R. Thune's 2022 campaign?: John R. Thune (Republican) raised $7.5M for the 2022 South Dakota Senate race, $2.8M of it from PACs, and outside groups spent $103K 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 John R. Thune?: American Express Company Political Action Committee (Axppac) ($10K), The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers Political Action Committee ($10K), National Shooting Sports Foundation, Inc. Political Action Committee (Nssf PAC) ($10K), Mortgage Bankers Association Political Action Committee (Morpac) ($10K), National Association of Manufacturers PAC (Nam-PAC) ($10K) in 2022.
Which super PACs spent on John R. Thune's race?: American Energy Action Fund ($102K for), National Rifle Association of America Political Victory Fund ($1K for) in 2022.