OpenSecrets

06/02/2026

As New Jersey’s 12th district holds its primary today, 12 Democratic contenders who have collectively raised over $4.5 million compete to replace Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman.

We dig into the fundraising to reveal the sources of support and the role of super PACs before the results come in.

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Twelve candidates have collectively raised $4.5M ahead of New Jersey’s 12th district primary, one of the most crowded races this year.

06/01/2026

Despite laying low for nearly three months and missing almost 100 votes in D.C., Rep. Tom Kean Jr.’s campaign still managed to pull in $167,585 between April 1 and May 13 ahead of the June 2 primary.

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Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-N.J.) has spent nearly three months out of public view. His fundraising machine still managed to bring in six figures.

05/29/2026

Chart of the Week: Despite more than $2.3 million in PAC and committee transfers, Sen. John Cornyn was not able to overcome Texas AG Ken Paxton’s haul from large individual donors.

Paxton defeated Cornyn by 25 points in the GOP runoff for the Senate nomination in Texas. Roughly 15% of Paxton’s receipts came from small donors, while Cornyn’s campaign relied far more on PAC funds and only about 2% from small donors.

05/27/2026

In 2022, the Supreme Court removed the cap and 20‑day window on post‑election loan repayments. This cycle, candidates have already poured at least $203 million of their own money into House and Senate races. That ruling makes it easier for campaigns to use funds raised long after voters cast ballots to repay large personal loans.

One striking example from 2024: Sen. Bernie Moreno lent his Senate campaign $4.5 million and was repaid $1.25 million more than a year after the election with post‑election donations. The ruling paved the way for bigger and more frequent self‑loans.

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Since the Supreme Court ended limits on loan repayments, candidates have increasingly used money raised after elections to repay themselves.

05/26/2026

Ahead of tonight’s runoff: Several dark money groups tied to one Republican operative funneled millions into Texans for a Conservative Majority, which raised about $35.6 million this cycle and spent over $24 million to boost Sen. John Cornyn and attack his GOP rivals, helping make this Texas Senate primary the most expensive on record.

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Several dark money groups tied to the same GOP operative have funneled millions into a super PAC supporting Sen. John Cornyn.

05/26/2026

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05/26/2026

Chart of the Week: Rep. Thomas Massie was defeated in Kentucky’s Republican primary by Trump-endorsed Ed Gallrein, despite Massie having raised about $4.9 million by Q1 2026 to Gallrein's $2.4 million, highlighting Trump's influence in reshaping GOP primaries and mirroring the dynamics in tonight’s high-stakes Texas Senate primary runoff.

05/24/2026

Memorial Day is a case study of how lobbying and othe forms of advocacy led to national policy. 🇺🇸

05/20/2026

Uber (ramped up federal lobbying 25% in 2025, raising spending from $2.7M to $3.4M and hiring a firm with White House ties as it pushed to include independent contractors in the “No Tax on Tips” proposal.

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Uber heavily increased its political spending in 2025 as it ramped up lobbying on President Donald Trump’s “No Tax on Tips” proposal.

05/19/2026

Chart of the Week: Democrats dominate the top Senate campaign fundraisers; Sen. Jon Ossoff leads with $57 million and $31.7 million cash on hand. The only Republican in the top 10 is Sen. Susan Collins with $10.3 million.