Politician
Ted Budd
Republican · North Carolina · ran 1 time since 2020, won 1
FEC candidate S2NC00505
Ted Budd (Republican) raised $15M for the 2022 North Carolina Senate race, $1.4M of it from PACs, and outside groups spent $14M for and $16M against them (FEC filings with varying coverage dates; the most common larger-campaign cutoff is Dec 31, 2022). They won.
Raised, all cycles
$15M
2022; counted once per cycle
From PAC checks
10%
$1.4M from corporations, trade groups, unions and politicians
Outside money for
$14M
Super PACs and party groups helping
Outside money against
$16M
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 | North Carolina Senate | $15M | 10% | $14M / $16M | $487K | $45M | ✓ Won |
Who wrote the checks
The PACs that gave the most across every run, and what kind of money it is.
Corporate $378KLeadership PAC $354KTrade group $268KMembership $154KOther $153KParty $52KSuper PAC $35K
- NRSCParty$51K
- NorpacOther$24K
- National Shooting Sports Foundation, Inc. Political Action Committee (Nssf PAC)Trade groupLobbyist PAC$10K
- Freedom First PACOther$10K
- JpacOther$10K
- American Property Casualty Insurance Association Political Action Committee (Insuring America PAC)Trade groupLobbyist PAC$10K
- The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers Political Action CommitteeMembershipLobbyist PAC$10K
- Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Political Action CommitteeMembership$10K
Outside money, for and against
Super PACs and party groups that spent the most on these races.
- Senate Majority PACagainst $11M
- Americans for Prosperity Actionfor $9.3M
- Women Vote!against $3.1M
- Opportunity Matters Fund, Inc.for $1.5M
- Truth and Justice Fund Companyagainst $1.0M
Funding and votes
How their votes align with industry funding
Across 25 industry-vote comparisons with at least $10K in traced funding, they voted the industry's way 20 times (80%). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most-favored-nation drug pricingSenate · 2026 · 49–49 | Pharma and health care wanted nay | $84K | Nay · with industry |
| Block Israel arms sale (Apr 2026)Senate · 2026 · 40–59 | Pro-Israel groups wanted nay | $35K | Nay · with industry |
| ACA enhanced premium tax creditsSenate · 2025 · 51–48 | Insurance wanted yea | $86K | Nay · against |
| ANWR coastal plain leasingSenate · 2025 · 49–45 | Oil, gas and coal wanted yea | $2.4M | Yea · with industry |
| Block Israel arms sale (Jul 2025)Senate · 2025 · 24–73 | Pro-Israel groups wanted nay | $35K | Nay · with industry |
| One Big Beautiful Bill ActSenate · 2025 · 50–50 | Oil, gas and coal wanted yeaWall Street and hedge funds wanted yea | $2.4M$843K | Yea · with industryYea · with industry |
| Halve Medicare drug prices (Sanders)Senate · 2025 · 47–53 | Pharma and health care wanted nay | $84K | Nay · with industry |
| Strike the AI moratoriumSenate · 2025 · 99–1 | Tech and AI wanted nay | $1.2M | Yea · against |
| Crypto corruption amendmentSenate · 2025 · 47–53 | Crypto wanted nay | $13K | Nay · with industry |
| GENIUS Act (stablecoins)Senate · 2025 · 68–30 | Crypto wanted yea | $13K | Yea · with industry |
| California clean cars waiver repealSenate · 2025 · 51–44 | Oil, gas and coal wanted yea | $2.4M | Present / not voting |
| OCC bank merger rule repealSenate · 2025 · 52–47 | Wall Street and hedge funds wanted yea | $843K | Yea · with industry |
| CFPB overdraft rule repealSenate · 2025 · 52–48 | Wall Street and hedge funds wanted yea | $843K | Yea · with industry |
| IRS DeFi broker rule repealSenate · 2025 · 70–28 | Crypto wanted yea | $13K | Yea · with industry |
| Methane waste emissions charge repealSenate · 2025 · 52–47 | Oil, gas and coal wanted yea | $2.4M | Yea · with industry |
| Block Israel arms sale (Nov 2024)Senate · 2024 · 18–79 | Pro-Israel groups wanted nay | $35K | Nay · with industry |
| SAB 121 repealSenate · 2024 · 60–38 | Crypto wanted yea | $13K | Yea · with industry |
| Joint-employer rule repealSenate · 2024 · 50–48 | Labor unions wanted nay | $39K | Yea · against |
| NDAA FY2024Senate · 2023 · 87–13 | Defense contractors wanted yea | $4K | Yea · with industry |
| Pistol brace rule repealSenate · 2023 · 49–50 | Gun lobby wanted yea | $562K | Yea · with industry |
| 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 | $39K$13K$242K | 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 | $13K | 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 | $16K | Nay · against |
Constituents vs. funders
Voted the way most of their constituents wanted on 1 of 7 key votes (14%)
On 3 votes, industries that gave them $10K+ before the vote wanted the opposite of what most of their constituents wanted. They sided with the funders 3 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.
| Vote | Their constituents | Their funders | Voted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most-favored-nation drug pricingSenate · 2026 | 84% support ±2North Carolina · wanted Yea · CES 2022 | $84K Pharma and health care wanted nay | NayFunders over voters |
| ACA enhanced premium tax creditsSenate · 2025 | 42% support ±4North Carolina · wanted Yea · CES 2024 · related question | $86K Insurance wanted yea | NayAgainst voters |
| ANWR coastal plain leasingSenate · 2025 | 46% support ±4North Carolina · split · CES 2024 · related question | $2.4M Oil, gas and coal wanted yea | YeaVoters split |
| One Big Beautiful Bill ActSenate · 2025 | 62% support ±4North Carolina · wanted Yea · CES 2024 · related question | $2.4M Oil, gas and coal wanted yea$843K Wall Street and hedge funds wanted yea | YeaWith voters |
| Halve Medicare drug prices (Sanders)Senate · 2025 | 84% support ±2North Carolina · wanted Yea · CES 2022 · related question | $84K Pharma and health care wanted nay | NayFunders over voters |
| Inflation Reduction ActHouse · 2022 | 51% support ±11NC-13 · split · CES 2022 | $39K Oil, gas and coal wanted nay$13K Pharma and health care wanted nay$242K Wall Street and hedge funds wanted nay | NayVoters split |
| Assault Weapons Ban of 2022House · 2022 | 47% support ±11NC-13 · split · CES 2022 | No industry with a side gave $10K+ | NayVoters split |
| Safer Communities Act (post-Uvalde)House · 2022 | 87% support ±3North Carolina (statewide figure) · wanted Yea · CES 2024 | No industry with a side gave $10K+ | NayAgainst voters |
| Affordable Insulin Now ActHouse · 2022 | 81% support ±9NC-13 · wanted Yea · CES 2022 · related question | $13K Pharma and health care wanted nay | NayFunders over voters |
| Bipartisan Background Checks ActHouse · 2021 | 92% support ±2North Carolina (statewide figure) · wanted Yea · CES 2024 | No industry with a side gave $10K+ | NayAgainst voters |
The revolving door
3 former aides now lobbying
Lobbyists who list a job in Ted Budd'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.
Charles MichaelsFormer congressional staff
Chief of Staff, Deputy Chief of Staff, Legislative Director, Senior Legislative Assistant, and Legislative Assistant, Rep. David Schweikert; Staff Assistant,…
Now lobbies for American Bankers Association Hsa Council, Genentech, National Association Of Realtors, Pharmaceutical Research And Manufacturers Of America (phrma) and 1 more · via Capitol Counsel LLC
Paul CalkinsFormer congressional staff
Intern, Rep. Ted Budd
Now lobbies for International Franchise Association, Elevance Health, Google Client Services Fka Google Cloud · via Continental Strategy, LLC
Matthew FontenotFormer congressional staff
Legis. Asst., Legis. Correspondent, Speaker Johnson, Staff Asst., Sen. Budd
Now lobbies for National Association Of Manufacturers
Figures are the candidate's principal committees as filed with the FEC, cycle by cycle. See About the data.
Questions people ask
- Who funded Ted Budd's 2022 campaign?
- Ted Budd (Republican) raised $15M for the 2022 North Carolina Senate race, $1.4M of it from PACs, and outside groups spent $14M for and $16M 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 Ted Budd?
- NRSC ($51K), Norpac ($24K), National Shooting Sports Foundation, Inc. Political Action Committee (Nssf PAC) ($10K), Freedom First PAC ($10K), Jpac ($10K) in 2022.
- Which super PACs spent on Ted Budd's race?
- Senate Majority PAC ($11M against), Americans for Prosperity Action ($9.3M for), Women Vote! ($3.1M against) in 2022.