The Lincoln Project spent $1.1M on independent expenditures in the 2022 federal elections, and 100% of it helped Democrats (FEC filings through Dec 31, 2022). Counting dollars, not candidates, and only races already called, 30% ended up on the winning side ($322K won, $747K lost).
Outside spending
$1.1M
On the winning side
30%
$322K
On the losing side
$747K
Supporting vs attacking
20% / 80%
$212K for, $872K against
Google says The Lincoln Project also spent $11K on Google and YouTube ads this cycle (1% of its FEC-reported outside spending). All ad buyers →
Follow the money
Who filled the envelope
The Lincoln Project reported $17M in gifts from people, companies, nonprofits and other PACs. The biggest are below.
- William HarrisIndividual$1.2M (7%)
- Michael MoritzIndividual$1.0M (6%)
- Arthur KernIndividual$600K (3%)
- David FisherIndividual$588K (3%)
- Alfred ClarkIndividual$402K (2%)
- Joseph Kaempfer Jr.Individual$400K (2%)
- Christy WaltonIndividual$300K (2%)
- Louise GundIndividual$200K (1%)
- Dale TaylorIndividual$120K (1%)
- Inette BrownIndividual$102K (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? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JD Vance | Ohio Senate | Attacking | $164K | ✗ No |
| Raphael Warnock | Georgia Senate | Supporting | $121K | ✓ Yes |
| Ted Budd | North Carolina Senate | Attacking | $118K | ✗ No |
| Elise M. Stefanik | New York 21st District (primary) | Attacking | $84K | ✗ No |
| Donald Trump | President (primary) | Attacking | $79K | ✓ Yes |
| Val Demings | Florida Senate | Supporting | $68K | ✗ No |
| Paul Gosar | Arizona 9th District | Attacking | $50K | ✗ No |
| Marjorie Taylor Greene | Georgia 14th District | Attacking | $50K | ✗ No |
| Steve Scalise | Louisiana 1st District | Attacking | $50K | ✗ No |
| Kevin McCarthy | California 20th District | Attacking | $50K | ✗ No |
| Elise M. Stefanik | New York 21st District | Attacking | $50K | ✗ No |
| Blake Masters | Arizona Senate | Attacking | $45K | ✓ Yes |
Questions people ask
- How much did The Lincoln Project spend in 2022, and did it win?
- The Lincoln Project spent $1.1M on independent expenditures in the 2022 federal elections, and 100% of it helped Democrats (FEC filings through Dec 31, 2022). Counting dollars, not candidates, and only races already called, 30% ended up on the winning side ($322K won, $747K lost).
- Who funds The Lincoln Project?
- Its biggest reported donors in the 2022 cycle were William Harris ($1.2M), Michael Moritz ($1.0M), Arthur Kern ($600K), David Fisher ($588K), Alfred Clark ($402K), out of $17M received from donors tracked here.
- Which candidates did The Lincoln Project spend the most on in 2022?
- against JD Vance (Ohio Senate, $164K, lost); for Raphael Warnock (Georgia Senate, $121K, won); against Ted Budd (North Carolina Senate, $118K, lost).