Donor
Bernie Marcus
IndividualPhilanthropist, Home Depot co-founder · Georgia
18 reported gifts; 10 recipient groups listed, as reported to the FEC by the groups that received them.
Bernie Marcus gave $20M to super PACs and other outside groups in the 2020 federal elections, and 97% of it helped Republicans (FEC filings with varying coverage dates; the most common larger-campaign cutoff is Dec 31, 2020). Among dollars with a matched election-stage result, 25% were on the winning side ($4.1M won, $13M lost). $173K had no matched result and is excluded.
Gave to outside spenders
$20M
97% of it helped Republicans
Winning share of scored dollars
25%
$17M scored (83% of gifts)
Spent on the losing side
$13M
Not allocated or result unknown
$3.3M
$3.1M not allocated to tracked outside spending; $173K has no matched result. Neither is cash on hand.
Where the checks went
| Group | Gave | How the group spent it | Won / lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preserve America PAC $221K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $10M | $0 / $9.8M | |
| Senate Leadership Fund $2.2M not allocated to tracked outside spending | $5.8M | $2.0M / $1.5M | |
| Congressional Leadership Fund $329K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $2.3M | $1.5M / $285K | |
| Georgia Action Fund $186K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $500K | $0 / $314K | |
| Georgia United Victory $18K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $500K | $340K / $142K | |
| Better Future Mi Fund $42K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $400K | $0 / $358K | |
| 1820 PAC $30K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $250K | $197K / $23K | |
| American Principles Project PAC $18K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $100K | $835 / $81K | |
| House Freedom Action $22K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $100K | $50K / $6K | |
| Republican National Committee $35K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $36K | $0 / $277 |
The trail
What the money bought
| Candidate | Race | Spending | Their share | Paid off? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Biden | President | Attacking | $9.9M | ✗ No |
| Jon Ossoff | Georgia Senate | Attacking | $1.3M | ✗ No |
| Cal Cunningham | North Carolina Senate | Attacking | $562K | ✓ Yes |
| Gary Peters | Michigan Senate | Attacking | $516K | ✗ No |
| Doug Collins | Georgia Senate (special) | Attacking | $340K | ✓ Yes |
| Steve Bullock | Montana Senate | Attacking | $293K | ✓ Yes |
| Sara I. Gideon | Maine Senate | Attacking | $289K | ✓ Yes |
| Theresa Greenfield | Iowa Senate | Attacking | $236K | ✓ Yes |
| Jaime Harrison | South Carolina Senate | Attacking | $194K | ✓ Yes |
| Barbara Bollier | Kansas Senate | Attacking | $186K | ✓ Yes |
| Mark Kelly | Arizona Senate | Attacking | $177K | ✗ No |
| Joni Ernst | Iowa Senate | Supporting | $145K | ✓ Yes |
Individual as classified from the FEC entity type and public reporting.
Questions people ask
- How much did Bernie Marcus spend on the 2020 elections, and did it win?
- Bernie Marcus gave $20M to super PACs and other outside groups in the 2020 federal elections, and 97% of it helped Republicans (FEC filings with varying coverage dates; the most common larger-campaign cutoff is Dec 31, 2020). Among dollars with a matched election-stage result, 25% were on the winning side ($4.1M won, $13M lost). $173K had no matched result and is excluded.
- Which super PACs did Bernie Marcus fund in 2020?
- Preserve America PAC ($10M), Senate Leadership Fund ($5.8M), Congressional Leadership Fund ($2.3M), Georgia Action Fund ($500K), Georgia United Victory ($500K).
- Which candidates did Bernie Marcus's money end up backing or attacking in 2020?
- against Joe Biden (President, about $9.9M, lost); against Jon Ossoff (Georgia Senate, about $1.3M, lost); against Cal Cunningham (North Carolina Senate, about $562K, won). Amounts are the donor's share of each group's spending.