Politician
Michelle Steel
Republican · California · ran 3 times since 2020, won 2 · incumbent
FEC candidate H0CA48198
Michelle Steel (Republican) raised $11M for the 2024 California 45th District race, $2.0M of it from PACs, and outside groups spent $5.2M for and $12M against them (FEC filings with varying coverage dates; the most common larger-campaign cutoff is Dec 31, 2024). They lost.
Raised, all cycles
$25M
2024, 2022, 2020; counted once per cycle
From PAC checks
16%
$3.9M from corporations, trade groups, unions and politicians
Outside money for
$5.6M
Super PACs and party groups helping
Outside money against
$23M
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | California 45th District | $11M | 18% | $5.2M / $12M | $418K | $28M | ✗ Lost |
| 2022 | California 45th District | $7.4M | 20% | $333K / $368K | $150K | $8.1M | ✓ Won |
| 2020 | California 48th District | $6.4M | 6% | $129K / $10M | $141K | $17M | ✓ Won |
Who wrote the checks
The PACs that gave the most across every run, and what kind of money it is.
Corporate $1.2MLeadership PAC $1.0MTrade group $558KOther $412KMembership $265KSuper PAC $160KParty $28KUnion $23K
- WinredSuper PAC$28K
- Forever Youth Organization Utilizing a New Generation PACLeadership PAC$20K
- Eureka Political Action CommitteeLeadership PAC$20K
- Majority Committee PAC--Mc PACLeadership PAC$20K
- New York Life Insurance Company Political Action CommitteeCorporateLobbyist PAC$15K
- Republican Jewish Coalition-Political Action Committee (Rjc-PAC)MembershipLobbyist PAC$13K
- No Nonsense PACOther$13K
- Blue Shield of California PAC (Shield PAC)CorporateLobbyist PAC$10K
- Stop Collectivism Or Totalitarianism Triumphs PACLeadership PAC$10K
- Republican Governance Group/Tuesday Group PACOther$10K
- The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers Political Action CommitteeMembershipLobbyist PAC$10K
- Edison International PACCorporateLobbyist PAC$10K
Outside money, for and against
Super PACs and party groups that spent the most on these races.
- House Majority PACagainst $14M
- DCCCagainst $5.1M
- Fairshakefor $2.8M
- Votevetsagainst $1.5M
- America PACfor $795K
- Congressional Leadership Fundfor $348K
- Edf Action Votesagainst $306K
- American Federation of State County & Municipal Employees Peopleagainst $225K
- National Association of Realtors Political Action Committeefor $65K
- Defeat Seditionistsagainst $36K
Funding and votes
How their votes align with industry funding
Across 13 industry-vote comparisons with at least $10K in traced funding, they voted the industry's way 12 times (92%). 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 | $2K | Yea · with industry |
| Israel Security Assistance Support ActHouse · 2024 · 224–187 | Pro-Israel groups wanted yea | $19K | Yea · with industry |
| SAB 121 repealHouse · 2024 · 228–182 | Crypto wanted yea | $2K | Yea · with industry |
| Antisemitism Awareness ActHouse · 2024 · 320–91 | Pro-Israel groups wanted yea | $19K | Yea · with industry |
| Israel security supplemental (Apr 2024)House · 2024 · 366–58 | Pro-Israel groups wanted yea | $19K | Yea · with industry |
| Ukraine security supplementalHouse · 2024 · 311–112 | Defense contractors wanted yea | $10K | Yea · with industry |
| Protecting Health Care for All Patients ActHouse · 2024 · 211–208 | Pharma and health care wanted yea | $58K | Yea · with industry |
| Joint-employer rule repealHouse · 2024 · 206–177 | Labor unions wanted nay | $25K | Yea · against |
| NDAA FY2024House · 2023 · 310–118 | Defense contractors wanted yea | $10K | Yea · with industry |
| Israel aid (Nov 2023)House · 2023 · 226–196 | Pro-Israel groups wanted yea | $19K | Yea · with industry |
| Pistol brace rule repealHouse · 2023 · 219–210 | Gun lobby wanted yea | $15K | Yea · with industry |
| Lower Energy Costs ActHouse · 2023 · 225–204 | Oil, gas and coal wanted yea | $65K | Yea · with industry |
| Strategic Production Response ActHouse · 2023 · 221–205 | Oil, gas and coal wanted yea | $65K | Yea · with industry |
| Merger Filing Fee Modernization ActHouse · 2022 · 242–184 | Tech and AI wanted nay | $1K | 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 | $13K$1K$34K | Nay · with industryNay · with industryNay · with industry |
| Assault Weapons Ban of 2022House · 2022 · 217–213 | Gun lobby wanted nay | $5K | Nay · with industry |
| Safer Communities Act (post-Uvalde)House · 2022 · 234–193 | Gun lobby wanted nay | $5K | Nay · with industry |
| Affordable Insulin Now ActHouse · 2022 · 232–193 | Pharma and health care wanted nay | $1K | Nay · with industry |
| Bipartisan Background Checks ActHouse · 2021 · 227–203 | Gun lobby wanted nay | $5K | Nay · with industry |
| PRO Act (union organizing)House · 2021 · 225–206 | Labor unions wanted yea | $1K | Nay · against |
Constituents vs. funders
Voted the way most of their constituents wanted on 0 of 5 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 | 49% support ±2California (statewide figure) · split · CES 2024 · related question | $65K Oil, gas and coal wanted yea | YeaVoters split |
| Strategic Production Response ActHouse · 2023 | 49% support ±2California (statewide figure) · split · CES 2024 · related question | $65K Oil, gas and coal wanted yea | YeaVoters split |
| Inflation Reduction ActHouse · 2022 | 73% support ±2California (statewide figure) · wanted Yea · CES 2022 | $13K Oil, gas and coal wanted nay$34K Wall Street and hedge funds wanted nay | NayFunders over voters |
| Assault Weapons Ban of 2022House · 2022 | 68% support ±2California (statewide figure) · wanted Yea · CES 2022 | No industry with a side gave $10K+ | NayAgainst voters |
| Safer Communities Act (post-Uvalde)House · 2022 | 89% support ±2California (statewide figure) · wanted Yea · CES 2024 | No industry with a side gave $10K+ | NayAgainst voters |
| Affordable Insulin Now ActHouse · 2022 | 87% support ±1California (statewide figure) · wanted Yea · CES 2022 · related question | No industry with a side gave $10K+ | NayAgainst voters |
| Bipartisan Background Checks ActHouse · 2021 | 94% support ±1California (statewide figure) · wanted Yea · CES 2024 | No industry with a side gave $10K+ | NayAgainst voters |
The revolving door
1 former aide now lobbying
Lobbyists who list a job in Michelle Steel'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.
Arie DanaFormer congressional staff
Chief of Staff, Rep. Michelle Steel (2021-2025)
Now lobbies for Republican Jewish Coalition
Figures are the candidate's principal committees as filed with the FEC, cycle by cycle. See About the data.
Questions people ask
- Who funded Michelle Steel's 2024 campaign?
- Michelle Steel (Republican) raised $11M for the 2024 California 45th District race, $2.0M of it from PACs, and outside groups spent $5.2M for and $12M against them (FEC filings with varying coverage dates; the most common larger-campaign cutoff is Dec 31, 2024). They lost.
- Which PACs gave the most to Michelle Steel?
- Republican Jewish Coalition-Political Action Committee (Rjc-PAC) ($13K), Blue Shield of California PAC (Shield PAC) ($10K), Stop Collectivism Or Totalitarianism Triumphs PAC ($10K), Republican Governance Group/Tuesday Group PAC ($10K), Forever Youth Organization Utilizing a New Generation PAC ($10K) in 2024.
- Which super PACs spent on Michelle Steel's race?
- House Majority PAC ($6.4M against), DCCC ($3.0M against), Fairshake ($2.8M for) in 2024.
- How much has Michelle Steel raised across elections?
- $11M in 2024, $7.4M in 2022, $6.4M in 2020. Receipts are counted once per candidate and cycle.