Donor
Connie Ballmer
IndividualCo-Founder and CEO, Ballmer Group (Microsoft fortune) · Washington
4 reported gifts; 4 recipient groups listed, as reported to the FEC by the groups that received them.
Connie Ballmer gave $8.5M to super PACs and other outside groups in the 2020 federal elections, and 100% of it helped Democrats (FEC filings with varying coverage dates; the most common larger-campaign cutoff is Dec 31, 2020). Among dollars with a matched election-stage result, 56% were on the winning side ($3.3M won, $2.5M lost). $3K had no matched result and is excluded.
Gave to outside spenders
$8.5M
100% of it helped Democrats
Winning share of scored dollars
56%
$5.8M scored (68% of gifts)
Spent on the losing side
$2.5M
Not allocated or result unknown
$2.7M
$2.7M not allocated to tracked outside spending; $3K has no matched result. Neither is cash on hand.
Where the checks went
| Group | Gave | How the group spent it | Won / lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Everytown for Gun Safety Victory Fund $2.4M not allocated to tracked outside spending | $7.0M | $2.7M / $1.8M | |
| House Majority PAC $137K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $1.0M | $159K / $702K | |
| Unite the Country $114K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $500K | $375K / $11K | |
| DCCC $26K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $35K | $2K / $8K |
The trail
What the money bought
| Candidate | Race | Spending | Their share | Paid off? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donald Trump | President | Attacking | $1.2M | ✓ Yes |
| Joe Biden | President | Supporting | $1.1M | ✓ Yes |
| Thom Tilllis | North Carolina Senate | Attacking | $836K | ✗ No |
| Joni Ernst | Iowa Senate | Attacking | $589K | ✗ No |
| Karen Handel | Georgia 6th District | Attacking | $389K | ✓ Yes |
| Troy Nehls | Texas 22nd District | Attacking | $193K | ✗ No |
| Beth Van Duyne | Texas 24th District | Attacking | $187K | ✗ No |
| Joe Biden | President (primary) | Supporting | $153K | ✓ Yes |
| Rich McCormick | Georgia 7th District | Attacking | $153K | ✓ Yes |
| Cory Gardner | Colorado Senate | Attacking | $106K | ✓ Yes |
| Tony Gonzales | Texas 23rd District | Attacking | $64K | ✗ No |
| Wesley Hunt | Texas 7th District | Attacking | $52K | ✓ Yes |
Individual as classified from the FEC entity type and public reporting.
Questions people ask
- How much did Connie Ballmer spend on the 2020 elections, and did it win?
- Connie Ballmer gave $8.5M to super PACs and other outside groups in the 2020 federal elections, and 100% of it helped Democrats (FEC filings with varying coverage dates; the most common larger-campaign cutoff is Dec 31, 2020). Among dollars with a matched election-stage result, 56% were on the winning side ($3.3M won, $2.5M lost). $3K had no matched result and is excluded.
- Which super PACs did Connie Ballmer fund in 2020?
- Everytown for Gun Safety Victory Fund ($7.0M), House Majority PAC ($1.0M), Unite the Country ($500K), DCCC ($35K).
- Which candidates did Connie Ballmer's money end up backing or attacking in 2020?
- against Donald Trump (President, about $1.2M, won); for Joe Biden (President, about $1.1M, won); against Thom Tilllis (North Carolina Senate, about $836K, lost). Amounts are the donor's share of each group's spending.