Top 50 Donors Gave $2.77 Billion to the 2026 US Midterm Cycle
The 50 largest donors and organisations gave a combined $2.77 billion during the 2026 US midterm election cycle, according to a tally published by Al Jazeera on 27 October 2026. Midterm elections choose members of Congress, and the money behind them is spread unevenly across the two main parties and other interests.
Republican-aligned contributors accounted for $1.67 billion, about 60% of the top 50 total. Democratic-aligned contributors gave $832 million, about 30%. Contributors classed as bipartisan or special interest, including groups backing sports betting and cryptocurrency, gave $264 million, or about 10%.
The largest individual contributor is Elon Musk, who gave $446 million, according to Federal Election Commission data. The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is the US agency that oversees federal campaign money. Musk's contributions went to Republican-aligned groups. Elizabeth and Richard Uihlein, founders of the shipping supplies company Uline, gave $150 million, and Jeff and Janine Yass gave $110 million.
Individual donors face a limit on direct giving. In the 2025-26 cycle, a person can give up to $3,500 per election to a federal candidate's campaign. Much of the larger money instead flows through super PACs, which are political committees that can raise and spend unlimited sums to support or oppose candidates, mainly through advertising. They may not coordinate that spending with the candidates or their campaigns. Super PACs must report their donors to the FEC. Nonprofit groups such as One Nation and Majority Forward do not have to disclose their own donors.
Spending on advertising is set to be large. The ad-tracking firm AdImpact projects that political advertising for the 2026 elections will reach $11.6 billion, more than in any previous cycle, including the 2024 presidential race.
In an FEC statistical summary published on 1 October 2026, the agency reported that 2026 congressional candidates collected $2.8 billion and disbursed $2 billion across the 18-month campaign activity period. Political parties received $1.4 billion and spent $1 billion over the same period.
