Nea Advocacy Fund spent $5.7M on independent expenditures in the 2020 federal elections, and 99% of it helped Democrats (FEC filings through Dec 31, 2020). Counting dollars, not candidates, and only races already called, 33% ended up on the winning side ($1.8M won, $3.6M lost).
Outside spending
$5.7M
On the winning side
33%
$1.8M
On the losing side
$3.6M
Supporting vs attacking
12% / 88%
$660K for, $5.1M against
Google says Nea Advocacy Fund also spent $30K on Google and YouTube ads this cycle (1% of its FEC-reported outside spending). All ad buyers →
Follow the money
Who filled the envelope
Nea Advocacy Fund reported $25M in gifts from people, companies, nonprofits and other PACs. The biggest are below.
- Association Nea Advocacy FundIndividual$14M (56%)
- National Education AssociationCompany / nonprofit$6.0M (24%)
- Association National EducationIndividual$5.0M (20%)
Where the money went
Biggest targets, with whether each one paid off.
✓ Backed the winner or attacked the loser ✗ Backed the loser or attacked the winner Result not matched
| Candidate | Race | Spending | Amount | Paid off? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thom Tilllis | North Carolina Senate | Attacking | $2.6M | ✗ No |
| John James | Michigan Senate | Attacking | $1.5M | ✓ Yes |
| Joyce Elliott | Arkansas 2nd District | Supporting | $408K | ✗ No |
| Andrew R. Garbarino | New York 2nd District | Attacking | $345K | ✗ No |
| Yvette Harrell | New Mexico 2nd District | Attacking | $313K | Unknown |
| Karen Handel | Georgia 6th District | Attacking | $129K | ✓ Yes |
| Mariannette Miller-Meeks | Iowa 2nd District | Attacking | $99K | ✗ No |
| Jackie Gordon | New York 2nd District | Supporting | $86K | ✗ No |
| Donald Trump | President | Attacking | $64K | ✓ Yes |
| Joe Biden | President | Supporting | $59K | ✓ Yes |
| Rita R. Hart | Iowa 2nd District | Supporting | $43K | ✗ No |
| Karen Handel | Georgia 6th District | Supporting | $33K | ✗ No |
Questions people ask
- How much did Nea Advocacy Fund spend in 2020, and did it win?
- Nea Advocacy Fund spent $5.7M on independent expenditures in the 2020 federal elections, and 99% of it helped Democrats (FEC filings through Dec 31, 2020). Counting dollars, not candidates, and only races already called, 33% ended up on the winning side ($1.8M won, $3.6M lost).
- Who funds Nea Advocacy Fund?
- Its biggest reported donors in the 2020 cycle were Association Nea Advocacy Fund ($14M), National Education Association ($6.0M), Association National Education ($5.0M), out of $25M received from donors tracked here.
- Which candidates did Nea Advocacy Fund spend the most on in 2020?
- against Thom Tilllis (North Carolina Senate, $2.6M, lost); against John James (Michigan Senate, $1.5M, won); for Joyce Elliott (Arkansas 2nd District, $408K, lost).