Politician
Steve Daines
Republican · Montana · ran 1 time since 2020, won 1 · incumbent
FEC candidate S2MT00096
Steve Daines (Republican) raised $32M for the 2020 Montana Senate race, $3.3M of it from PACs, and outside groups spent $6.7M for and $46M against them (FEC filings through Dec 31, 2020). They won.
Raised, all runs
$32M
2020
From PAC checks
10%
$3.3M from corporations, trade groups, unions and politicians
Outside money for
$6.7M
Super PACs and party groups helping
Outside money against
$46M
Spent attacking them
Every run
Each general election, with the money behind it and the result.
| Cycle | Race | Raised | PAC share | Outside for / against | Google ads | All money | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Montana Senate | $32M | 10% | $6.7M / $46M | $2.0M | $85M | ✓ Won |
Who wrote the checks
The PACs that gave the most across every run, and what kind of money it is.
Corporate $1.6MTrade group $713KSuper PAC $690KLeadership PAC $389KOther $259KMembership $258KUnion $72KParty $50K
- WinredSuper PAC$669K
- NRSCParty$45K
- National Restaurant Association PAC (Restaurant PAC)MembershipLobbyist PAC$15K
- Senate Conservatives FundOther$14K
- Arkansas for Leadership Political Action Committee (Arkpac)Leadership PAC$13K
- Bloomin' Brands, Inc. Political Action CommitteeCorporateLobbyist PAC$13K
- Oneok Inc. Employee Political Action CommitteeCorporateLobbyist PAC$12K
- Air Line Pilots Association PACUnionLobbyist PAC$12K
Outside money, for and against
Super PACs and party groups that spent the most on these races.
- DSCCagainst $18M
- Senate Majority PACagainst $16M
- Lcv Victory Fundagainst $4.3M
- Americans for Prosperity Actionfor $3.2M
- Montana Hunters and Anglers Leadership Fundagainst $2.0M
The payback
How they voted on their funders' bills
On the 20 key votes where Steve Daines had taken $10K+ from the industry with a stake, they voted the industry's way 18 times (90%). Money is PAC checks plus credited super PAC support across every run since 2020; “with industry” is the vote the industry lobbied for.
| Vote | Industry | Their money from it | Voted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most-favoured-nation drug pricingSenate · 2026 · 49–49 | Pharma and health care wanted nay | $310K | Nay · with industry |
| Block Israel arms sale (Apr 2026)Senate · 2026 · 40–59 | Pro-Israel groups wanted nay | $11K | Nay · with industry |
| ACA enhanced premium tax creditsSenate · 2025 · 51–48 | Insurance wanted yea | $105K | Present |
| ANWR coastal plain leasingSenate · 2025 · 49–45 | Oil, gas and coal wanted yea | $650K | Yea · with industry |
| Block Israel arms sale (Jul 2025)Senate · 2025 · 24–73 | Pro-Israel groups wanted nay | $11K | Nay · with industry |
| One Big Beautiful Bill ActSenate · 2025 · 50–50 | Oil, gas and coal wanted yeaWall Street and hedge funds wanted yea | $650K$604K | Yea · with industryYea · with industry |
| Halve Medicare drug prices (Sanders)Senate · 2025 · 47–53 | Pharma and health care wanted nay | $310K | Nay · with industry |
| Strike the AI moratoriumSenate · 2025 · 99–1 | Tech and AI wanted nay | $100K | Yea · against |
| Crypto corruption amendmentSenate · 2025 · 47–53 | Crypto wanted nay | $13 | Nay · with industry |
| GENIUS Act (stablecoins)Senate · 2025 · 68–30 | Crypto wanted yea | $13 | Yea · with industry |
| California clean cars waiver repealSenate · 2025 · 51–44 | Oil, gas and coal wanted yea | $650K | Yea · with industry |
| OCC bank merger rule repealSenate · 2025 · 52–47 | Wall Street and hedge funds wanted yea | $604K | Yea · with industry |
| CFPB overdraft rule repealSenate · 2025 · 52–48 | Wall Street and hedge funds wanted yea | $604K | Yea · with industry |
| IRS DeFi broker rule repealSenate · 2025 · 70–28 | Crypto wanted yea | $13 | Yea · with industry |
| Methane waste emissions charge repealSenate · 2025 · 52–47 | Oil, gas and coal wanted yea | $650K | Yea · with industry |
| Block Israel arms sale (Nov 2024)Senate · 2024 · 18–79 | Pro-Israel groups wanted nay | $11K | Nay · with industry |
| SAB 121 repealSenate · 2024 · 60–38 | Crypto wanted yea | $13 | Yea · with industry |
| Joint-employer rule repealSenate · 2024 · 50–48 | Labor unions wanted nay | $108K | Yea · against |
| NDAA FY2024Senate · 2023 · 87–13 | Defense contractors wanted yea | $43K | Yea · with industry |
| Pistol brace rule repealSenate · 2023 · 49–50 | Gun lobby wanted yea | $59K | Yea · with industry |
| Inflation Reduction ActSenate · 2022 · 50–50 | Oil, gas and coal wanted nayPharma and health care wanted nayWall Street and hedge funds wanted nay | $650K$310K$604K | Nay · with industryNay · with industryNay · with industry |
| Safer Communities Act (post-Uvalde)Senate · 2022 · 65–33 | Gun lobby wanted nay | $59K | Nay · with industry |
The revolving door
1 former aide now lobbying
Lobbyists who list a job in Steve Daines's office among the government positions they held, and who they now work for. A former staffer gets the meeting.
Jason ThielmanFormer congressional staff
Chief of Staff, Transition Aide, Rep. Steve Daines; District Director, Rep. Marilyn Musgrave
Now lobbies for Charter Communications, INC, · via S2r, LLC
Figures are the candidate's principal committees as filed with the FEC, cycle by cycle. See About the data.
Questions people ask
- Who funded Steve Daines's 2020 campaign?
- Steve Daines (Republican) raised $32M for the 2020 Montana Senate race, $3.3M of it from PACs, and outside groups spent $6.7M for and $46M against them (FEC filings through Dec 31, 2020). They won.
- Which PACs gave the most to Steve Daines?
- Winred ($669K), NRSC ($45K), National Restaurant Association PAC (Restaurant PAC) ($15K), Senate Conservatives Fund ($14K), Arkansas for Leadership Political Action Committee (Arkpac) ($13K) in 2020.
- Which super PACs spent on Steve Daines's race?
- DSCC ($18M against), Senate Majority PAC ($16M against), Lcv Victory Fund ($4.3M against) in 2020.