Industries
Which industries bought 2020, and whether it worked
Biggest industry
Wall Street and hedge funds
$558M in 2020
Worst bet
Gun lobby
13% of its super PAC money ended on the winning side
Best bet
Crypto
89% of its super PAC money ended on the winning side
14 industries
Wall Street and hedge funds
Hedge funds, private equity, banks and investors.
$558M
61% to Republicans
1197 donors · 53% on the winning side
Timothy Mellon $70M, Ken Griffin $63M, Tom Steyer $52M, Stephen Schwarzman $44M, Jeff Yass $30M
PAC checks to candidates · $23M
56 PACs · 4820 checks to winners, 302 to losers
The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers Political Action Committee $1.7M, National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors Political Action Comm $1.2M, Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America, Inc. Political Action Committee (Insurpac) $1.2M, Investment Company Institute Political Action Committee (Ici PAC) $1.0M
Plus $172M on lobbying by its biggest players, 2021–2026.
How Congress voted on 4 bills Wall Street and hedge funds cared about →
Tobacco, alcohol and gambling
Cigarette makers, brewers, distillers and casinos.
$261M
97% to Republicans
28 donors · 38% on the winning side
Miriam Adelson $108M, Sheldon Adelson $108M, Stephen Wynn $11M, J Christopher Reyes $8.8M, M Jude Reyes $8.8M
PAC checks to candidates · $5.9M
9 PACs · 1083 checks to winners, 54 to losers
National Beer Wholesalers Association Political Action Committee $3.0M, Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America, Inc. Political Action Committee $926K, Altria Group, Inc. Political Action Committee (Altriapac) $734K, Reynolds American Inc. Political Action Committee; Rai PAC $343K
Plus $159M on lobbying by its biggest players, 2021–2026.
Telecom and media
Carriers, cable, studios and broadcasters.
$201M
88% to Democrats
123 donors · 67% on the winning side
Michael Bloomberg $142M, Fred Eychaner $14M, Isaac Perlmutter $11M, Haim Saban $4.1M, Amos Hostetter $2.3M
PAC checks to candidates · $14M
21 PACs · 2893 checks to winners, 127 to losers
Comcast Corporation & Nbcuniversal Political Action Committee - Federal $2.6M, At&T Inc./Warnermedia LLC Federal Political Action Committee (At&T/Warnermedia Federal PAC) $2.5M, Charter Communications Inc. Political Action Committee $1.4M, Verizon Communications, Inc. Political Action Committee (Verizon PAC) $1.3M
Plus $452M on lobbying by its biggest players, 2021–2026.
Agriculture, food and retail
Farming, food companies, restaurants and big retail.
$152M
79% to Republicans
266 donors · 34% on the winning side
Richard Uihlein $65M, Bernie Marcus $20M, Ronald Cameron $12M, JB Pritzker $3.8M, Elizabeth Uihlein $3.4M
PAC checks to candidates · $30M
70 PACs · 7914 checks to winners, 471 to losers
American Crystal Sugar Company Political Action Committee $2.6M, The Home Depot Inc. Political Action Committee $2.0M, General Motors Company Political Action Committee (Gm PAC) $1.3M, Walmart Inc. PAC for Responsible Government $1.2M
Plus $67M on lobbying by its biggest players, 2021–2026.
How Congress voted on 2 bills Agriculture, food and retail cared about →
Labor unions
Union political funds and their members' money.
$138M
91% to Democrats
78 donors · 60% on the winning side
Association Nea Advocacy Fund $14M, Aft Solidarity 527 $9.6M, Afscme Special Account $7.2M, National Education Association $6.4M, Seiu General Fund $5.9M
PAC checks to candidates · $56M
66 PACs · 8465 checks to winners, 1767 to losers
Culac the PAC of Credit Union National Association $2.8M, National Air Traffic Controllers Association PAC $2.4M, American Federation of State County & Municipal Employees P E O P L E $2.3M, American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO Committee On Political Education $2.2M
Plus $87M on lobbying by its biggest players, 2021–2026.
Tech and AI
Big Tech, AI labs, their founders and venture capital.
$125M
86% to Democrats
261 donors · 74% on the winning side
Dustin Moskovitz $50M, Reid Hoffman $8.6M, Connie Ballmer $8.5M, Lawrence Ellison $6.3M, Michael Moritz $5.1M
PAC checks to candidates · $9.9M
21 PACs · 2303 checks to winners, 77 to losers
Employees of Raytheon Technologies Corporation PAC $1.7M, Amazon.Com Services LLC Separate Segregated Fund (Amazon PAC) $1.2M, Google LLC Netpac $1.1M, Microsoft Corporation Political Action Committee $790K
Plus $505M on lobbying by its biggest players, 2021–2026.
Pharma and health care
Drug makers, insurers, hospitals and doctors.
$86M
75% to Democrats
547 donors · 54% on the winning side
Karla Jurvetson $19M, Greater New York Hospital Association Management Corporation $8.0M, David Shaw $5.5M, Erica Lawson $3.3M, Joan Klein Jacobs $2.0M
PAC checks to candidates · $29M
77 PACs · 7251 checks to winners, 437 to losers
American Society of Anesthesiologists Political Action Committee (Asa PAC) $1.5M, American Dental Association Political Action Committee $1.2M, American Hospital Association PAC $1.1M, Political Action Committee of the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons--PAC of Aaos $1.1M
Plus $523M on lobbying by its biggest players, 2021–2026.
How Congress voted on 5 bills Pharma and health care cared about →
Real estate and construction
Developers, builders, realtors and building suppliers.
$78M
59% to Republicans
565 donors · 45% on the winning side
George Marcus $11M, National Association of Realtors $6.6M, Geoffrey Palmer $6.4M, Diane Hendricks $5.2M, Hillwood Development Company LLC $5.2M
PAC checks to candidates · $13M
13 PACs · 2108 checks to winners, 143 to losers
National Association of Realtors Political Action Committee $3.8M, Build Political Action Committee of the National Association of Home Builders (Buildpac) $1.9M, National Apartment Association Political Action Committee $1.2M, Mortgage Bankers Association Political Action Committee (Morpac) $1.1M
Plus $473M on lobbying by its biggest players, 2021–2026.
How Congress voted on 1 bill Real estate and construction cared about →
Oil, gas and coal
Producers, pipelines, refiners and the Koch network.
$60M
94% to Republicans
103 donors · 49% on the winning side
Koch Industries $11M, Kelcy Warren $10M, Chevron Corporation $6.2M, American Petroleum Institute $5.0M, Stephen Chazen $2.2M
PAC checks to candidates · $9.5M
26 PACs · 1767 checks to winners, 138 to losers
Koch Industries, Inc. Political Action Committee (Kochpac) $1.4M, Exxon Mobil Corporation Political Action Committee (Exxonmobil PAC) $1.1M, Chevron Employees Political Action Committee - Chevron Corporation $967K, Marathon Petroleum Corporation Employees Political Action Committee (Mpac) $899K
Plus $265M on lobbying by its biggest players, 2021–2026.
How Congress voted on 8 bills Oil, gas and coal cared about →
Insurance
Insurers and their agents.
$15M
52% to Democrats
51 donors · 63% on the winning side
David Randolph Peeler $535K, George Krupp $497K, Richard Colburn $457K, Robert Small $354K, Douglas Krupp $336K
PAC checks to candidates · $12M
26 PACs · 2585 checks to winners, 135 to losers
New York Life Insurance Company Political Action Committee $1.4M, Aflac Political Action Committee (Aflac PAC) $1.2M, Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company Political Action Committee $1.0M, United Services Automobile Association Employee PAC - Usaa Employee PAC $920K
Plus $297M on lobbying by its biggest players, 2021–2026.
Crypto
Exchanges, token issuers and the venture funds behind them.
$12M
100% to Democrats
5 donors · 89% on the winning side
Alameda Research LLC $5.2M, Sam Bankman-Fried $5.0M, Nishad Singh $1.0M, Jeffrey Berns $250K, Stephen Clark $10K
PAC checks to candidates · $0
None of note.
Plus $53M on lobbying by its biggest players, 2021–2026.
Defense contractors
Weapons makers and aerospace.
$9.4M
53% to Republicans
17 donors · 48% on the winning side
Palmer Luckey $71K, David Calhoun $50K, James Harvey $42K, Charles White $42K, David Jaffe $26K
PAC checks to candidates · $9.0M
8 PACs · 1548 checks to winners, 51 to losers
Lockheed Martin Corporation Employees' Political Action Committee $1.9M, Employees of Northrop Grumman Corporation PAC $1.9M, The Boeing Company Political Action Committee $1.7M, General Dynamics Corporation Political Action Committee (Gdc PAC) $1.4M
Plus $341M on lobbying by its biggest players, 2021–2026.
How Congress voted on 4 bills Defense contractors cared about →
Gun lobby
The NRA and firearms makers.
$6.4M
100% to Republicans
1 donors · 13% on the winning side
PAC checks to candidates · $1.2M
3 PACs · 316 checks to winners, 43 to losers
National Rifle Association of America Political Victory Fund $601K, Safari Club International PAC (Sci-PAC) $388K, Gun Owners of America, Inc. Political Victory Fund $171K
Plus $70M on lobbying by its biggest players, 2021–2026.
Pro-Israel groups
AIPAC, its super PAC and allied groups.
$4.0M
68% to Republicans
3 donors · 32% on the winning side
Republican Jewish Coalition $1.8M, Democratic Majority for Israel $600K, Yisrael Friedman $13K
PAC checks to candidates · $1.6M
5 PACs · 339 checks to winners, 131 to losers
Jstreetpac $531K, Republican Jewish Coalition-Political Action Committee (Rjc-PAC) $330K, Dmfi PAC $314K, Norpac $247K
Plus $25M on lobbying by its biggest players, 2021–2026.
How Congress voted on 7 bills Pro-Israel groups cared about →