Esafund spent $6.4M on independent expenditures in the 2020 federal elections, and 100% of it helped Republicans (FEC filings through Dec 31, 2020). Counting dollars, not candidates, and only races already called, 19% ended up on the winning side ($1.2M won, $5.2M lost).
Outside spending
$6.4M
On the winning side
19%
$1.2M
On the losing side
$5.2M
Supporting vs attacking
57% / 43%
$3.7M for, $2.8M against
Google says Esafund also spent $97K on Google and YouTube ads this cycle (2% of its FEC-reported outside spending). All ad buyers →
Follow the money
Who filled the envelope
Esafund reported $9.8M in gifts from people, companies, nonprofits and other PACs. The biggest are below.
- Marlene RickettsIndividual$5.1M (52%)
- Paul SingerIndividual$1.3M (13%)
- Charles SchwabIndividual$1.3M (13%)
- Ken GriffinIndividual$1.0M (10%)
- Congressional Leadership FundAnother PAC$900K (9%)
- Cliff AsnessIndividual$100K (1%)
- Daniel LoebIndividual$100K (1%)
- James Elbert StephensonIndividual$50K (1%)
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? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kelly Loeffler | Georgia Senate (special) | Supporting | $1.0M | ✗ No |
| David A. Perdue | Georgia Senate | Supporting | $1.0M | ✗ No |
| Cory Gardner | Colorado Senate | Supporting | $583K | ✗ No |
| John W. Hickenlooper | Colorado Senate | Attacking | $583K | ✗ No |
| John James | Michigan Senate | Supporting | $533K | ✗ No |
| Jon Ossoff | Georgia Senate | Attacking | $407K | ✗ No |
| Raphael Warnock | Georgia Senate (special) | Attacking | $407K | ✗ No |
| Gary Peters | Michigan Senate | Attacking | $321K | ✗ No |
| Dan Schwartz | Nevada 3rd District (primary) | Attacking | $318K | ✓ Yes |
| Donald Bacon | Nebraska 2nd District | Supporting | $304K | ✓ Yes |
| Kara Eastman | Nebraska 2nd District | Attacking | $304K | ✓ Yes |
| Mark Kelly | Arizona Senate | Attacking | $276K | ✗ No |
Questions people ask
- How much did Esafund spend in 2020, and did it win?
- Esafund spent $6.4M on independent expenditures in the 2020 federal elections, and 100% of it helped Republicans (FEC filings through Dec 31, 2020). Counting dollars, not candidates, and only races already called, 19% ended up on the winning side ($1.2M won, $5.2M lost).
- Who funds Esafund?
- Its biggest reported donors in the 2020 cycle were Marlene Ricketts ($5.1M), Paul Singer ($1.3M), Charles Schwab ($1.3M), Ken Griffin ($1.0M), Congressional Leadership Fund ($900K), out of $9.8M received from donors tracked here.
- Which candidates did Esafund spend the most on in 2020?
- for Kelly Loeffler (Georgia Senate (special), $1.0M, lost); for David A. Perdue (Georgia Senate, $1.0M, lost); for Cory Gardner (Colorado Senate, $583K, lost).