American Democracy Project spent $1.3M on independent expenditures in the 2026 federal elections, and 93% of it helped Democrats (FEC filings through Oct 14, 2026). Counting dollars, not candidates, and only races already called, 55% ended up on the winning side ($246K won, $203K lost, with $575K in races still being counted).
Outside spending
$1.3M
On the winning side
55%
$246K
On the losing side
$203K
$575K still being counted
Supporting vs attacking
33% / 67%
$438K for, $885K against
Google says American Democracy Project also spent $287K on Google and YouTube ads this cycle (22% of its FEC-reported outside spending). All ad buyers →
Follow the money
Who filled the envelope
American Democracy Project reported $479K in gifts from people, companies, nonprofits and other PACs. The biggest are below.
- Senate Majority PAC (SMP)Another PAC$300K (63%)
- Rishi Bhutada ShraddhaIndividual$100K (21%)
- United Action CouncilCompany / nonprofit$50K (10%)
- Sachin KulkarniIndividual$25K (5%)
- Mihir MeghaniIndividual$4K (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 Race not called yet Result not matched
| Candidate | Race | Spending | Amount | Paid off? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jenny Costa Honeycutt | South Carolina 1st District | Attacking | $350K | Counting |
| David Leslie | Alaska Senate (primary) | Supporting | $299K | Unknown |
| Sydney Gruters | Florida 16th District | Attacking | $203K | ✗ No |
| Aisha Wahab | California 14th District | Attacking | $83K | Counting |
| Jay Feely | Arizona 1st District | Attacking | $75K | Counting |
| Marlene Galan-Woods | Arizona 1st District (primary) | Attacking | $65K | ✓ Yes |
| Mike Lawler | New York 17th District | Attacking | $53K | ✓ Yes |
| Tom Suozzi | New York 3rd District | Supporting | $35K | ✓ Yes |
| Anthony Constantino | New York 21st District | Attacking | $33K | Counting |
| Blake Gendebien | New York 21st District | Supporting | $33K | Counting |
| Cait Conley | New York 17th District | Supporting | $29K | ✓ Yes |
| Josh Riley | New York 19th District | Supporting | $26K | ✓ Yes |
Questions people ask
- How much did American Democracy Project spend in 2026, and did it win?
- American Democracy Project spent $1.3M on independent expenditures in the 2026 federal elections, and 93% of it helped Democrats (FEC filings through Oct 14, 2026). Counting dollars, not candidates, and only races already called, 55% ended up on the winning side ($246K won, $203K lost, with $575K in races still being counted).
- Who funds American Democracy Project?
- Its biggest reported donors in the 2026 cycle were Senate Majority PAC (SMP) ($300K), Rishi Bhutada Shraddha ($100K), United Action Council ($50K), Sachin Kulkarni ($25K), Mihir Meghani ($4K), out of $479K received from donors tracked here.
- Which candidates did American Democracy Project spend the most on in 2026?
- against Jenny Costa Honeycutt (South Carolina 1st District, $350K, pending); for David Leslie (Alaska Senate, $299K, unknown); against Sydney Gruters (Florida 16th District, $203K, lost).