Ditch Fund spent $12M on independent expenditures 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, 10% were on the winning side ($1.2M won, $11M lost). $0 had no matched result and is excluded.
Outside spending
$12M
Winning share of scored dollars
10%
$12M scored (100% of spending); $0 unknown
On the losing side
$11M
Supporting vs attacking
34% / 66%
$4.1M for, $8.1M against
Google says Ditch Fund also spent $593K on Google and YouTube ads this cycle (5% of its FEC-reported outside spending). All ad buyers →
Follow the money
Who filled the envelope
The donor records in this snapshot trace $6.9M to Ditch Fund. This is incomplete funding coverage; percentages below refer only to these traced gifts. The allocation denominator is $24M.
- Bluegrass Voters CoalitionCompany / nonprofit$37K (1%)
- Robert RothhouseIndividual$30K (0%)
- Glen TullmanIndividual$26K (0%)
- Joseph Kaempfer Jr.Individual$25K (0%)
- Natalie BernsteinIndividual$25K (0%)
- Robert ComptonIndividual$25K (0%)
- Michael SonnenfeldtIndividual$23K (0%)
- Virginia MaherIndividual$17K (0%)
- George BrownIndividual$15K (0%)
- Charles BagleyIndividual$15K (0%)
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? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mitch McConnell | Kentucky Senate | Attacking | $5.5M | ✗ No |
| Amy McGrath | Kentucky Senate | Supporting | $3.0M | ✗ No |
| Mitch McConnell | Kentucky Senate (primary) | Attacking | $2.6M | ✗ No |
| Jon Ossoff | Georgia Senate | Supporting | $500K | ✓ Yes |
| Raphael Warnock | Georgia Senate (special) | Supporting | $500K | ✓ Yes |
| Amy McGrath | Kentucky Senate (primary) | Supporting | $147K | ✓ Yes |
| Kelly Loeffler | Georgia Senate (special) | Attacking | $8K | ✓ Yes |
| David A. Perdue | Georgia Senate | Attacking | $8K | ✓ Yes |
| Amy McGrath | Kentucky Senate | Attacking | $2K | ✓ Yes |
Questions people ask
- How much did Ditch Fund spend in 2020, and did it win?
- Ditch Fund spent $12M on independent expenditures 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, 10% were on the winning side ($1.2M won, $11M lost). $0 had no matched result and is excluded.
- Who funds Ditch Fund?
- Its biggest reported donors in the 2020 cycle were Bluegrass Voters Coalition ($37K), Robert Rothhouse ($30K), Glen Tullman ($26K), Joseph Kaempfer Jr. ($25K), Natalie Bernstein ($25K), out of $6.9M received from donors tracked here.
- Which candidates did Ditch Fund spend the most on in 2020?
- against Mitch McConnell (Kentucky Senate, $5.5M, lost); for Amy McGrath (Kentucky Senate, $3.0M, lost); against Mitch McConnell (Kentucky Senate, $2.6M, lost).