Donor
Joshua Bekenstein
IndividualManaging Director, Bain Capital · Massachusetts
26 reported gifts; 12 recipient groups listed, as reported to the FEC by the groups that received them.
Joshua Bekenstein gave $7.0M 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, 54% were on the winning side ($2.6M won, $2.2M lost). $148K had no matched result and is excluded.
Gave to outside spenders
$7.0M
100% of it helped Democrats
Winning share of scored dollars
54%
$4.8M scored (68% of gifts)
Spent on the losing side
$2.2M
Not allocated or result unknown
$2.2M
$2.1M not allocated to tracked outside spending; $148K has no matched result. Neither is cash on hand.
Where the checks went
| Group | Gave | How the group spent it | Won / lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate Majority PAC $671K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $1.8M | $449K / $630K | |
| Lcv Victory Fund $341K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $1.1M | $376K / $379K | |
| House Majority PAC $130K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $950K | $151K / $667K | |
| Edf Action Votes $268K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $850K | $342K / $200K | |
| Votevets $182K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $593K | $224K / $125K | |
| Priorities USA Action $5K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $500K | $420K / $75K | |
| Future Forward (FF PAC) $116K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $500K | $342K / $41K | |
| Unite the Country $57K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $250K | $188K / $5K | |
| Nextgen Climate Action Committee $195K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $250K | $48K / $6K | |
| The Lincoln Project $44K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $100K | $41K / $15K | |
| DSCC $50K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $71K | $3K / $18K | |
| New Leadership PAC $4K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $50K | $0 / $7K |
The trail
What the money bought
| Candidate | Race | Spending | Their share | Paid off? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donald Trump | President | Attacking | $733K | ✓ Yes |
| Joe Biden | President | Supporting | $693K | ✓ Yes |
| Steve Daines | Montana Senate | Attacking | $247K | ✗ No |
| Joni Ernst | Iowa Senate | Attacking | $233K | ✗ No |
| David A. Perdue | Georgia Senate | Attacking | $219K | ✓ Yes |
| Thom Tilllis | North Carolina Senate | Attacking | $211K | ✗ No |
| Martha McSally | Arizona Senate | Attacking | $163K | ✓ Yes |
| Susan Margaret Collins | Maine Senate | Attacking | $148K | ✗ No |
| John James | Michigan Senate | Attacking | $143K | ✓ Yes |
| Joe Biden | President (primary) | Supporting | $86K | ✓ Yes |
| Cal Cunningham | North Carolina Senate | Supporting | $69K | ✗ No |
| Cal Cunningham | North Carolina Senate (primary) | Supporting | $68K | ✓ Yes |
Individual as classified from the FEC entity type and public reporting.
Questions people ask
- How much did Joshua Bekenstein spend on the 2020 elections, and did it win?
- Joshua Bekenstein gave $7.0M 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, 54% were on the winning side ($2.6M won, $2.2M lost). $148K had no matched result and is excluded.
- Which super PACs did Joshua Bekenstein fund in 2020?
- Senate Majority PAC ($1.8M), Lcv Victory Fund ($1.1M), House Majority PAC ($950K), Edf Action Votes ($850K), Votevets ($593K).
- Which candidates did Joshua Bekenstein's money end up backing or attacking in 2020?
- against Donald Trump (President, about $733K, won); for Joe Biden (President, about $693K, won); against Steve Daines (Montana Senate, about $247K, lost). Amounts are the donor's share of each group's spending.