Senate Majority PAC
| Senate Majority PAC | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Location: | Washington, D.C. |
| Type: | Super PAC |
| Affiliation: | Democrat |
| Top official: | Stephanie Potter, Executive director |
| Year founded: | 2010 |
| Website: | Official website |
Senate Majority PAC[1] (formerly known as Commonsense Ten and Majority PAC) is a Democratic super PAC based in Washington, D.C., that supports Senate campaigns.[2][3] The super PAC was founded as a response to Republican satellite spending groups.[4]
Mission
As of July 2020, the Senate Majority PAC's website listed the following mission statement for the organization:[4]
| “ | Senate Majority PAC was founded by experienced, aggressive Democratic strategists with one mission: To win Senate races.
In the face of this threat, Senate Majority PAC formed in 2011 to make sure that our Democratic candidates would not be forced to face such overwhelming odds against them again. Running transparent, low-overhead, independent campaigns, we defend Democrats from Republican attacks, aggressively contest open Senate seats, and go after Republicans on their own turf. The threat has only gotten worse since 2010 with the rise of the Republican dark money network. This increasing threat has only made our mission more critical than ever. In 2019-2020, we will work to elect Democratic senators who are committed to an economy that provides opportunity and security for America’s working families and who stand up to protect the rights of all Americans. We will fight to hold Republicans accountable for their radical proposals to sabotage the health care of millions of Americans and to give more tax breaks to the top 1% while cutting Medicare and education. [5] |
” |
Background
The Senate Majority PAC (SMPAC) was organized in 2010 (as Commonsense Ten) and modeled on the Patriot Majority PAC, according to Politico.[6] It was initially organized by Rebecca Lambe and Susan McCue—former aides and advisors to Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.)—as well as Patriot Majority PAC director, Craig Varoga. Former Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee individuals J.B. Poersch and Jim Jordan, as well as Democratic fundraiser Monica Dixon and Democratic attorney Marc Elias, were also involved in the super PAC's launch.[6] The launch was aimed at preparing the Democratic Party to defend 23 U.S. Senate seats in the 2012 elections and garnering support for Barack Obama's (D) presidential re-election.[6] During the 2012 election cycle, the super PAC spent $42 million.[7]
In 2014, Reid encouraged donors to give to the SMPAC with the intent of maintaining a Democratic majority in the Senate. According to Politico, between 2012 and 2014, nine Senators helped to bring in $1.4 million for the group. Among the Senators, Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) contributed his personal funds. Reid and Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) attended fundraising events for the super PAC. Other Senators have contributed to Majority PAC via their own political funds, such as Reid's Searchlight Leadership Fund, Sen. Tim Kaine's (D-Va.) Common Ground leadership PAC, and Boxer's Change Fund.[7] As a result of the election, the Democratic majority was lost.
Work
| Super PACs |
|---|
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| Read more about super PACs and the super PACs covered on Ballotpedia. |
As a super PAC, the SMPAC can make independent expenditures in support of or opposition to candidates for office. The group began in 2011, and by November 2014, it had released 40,000 Senate campaign ads, outnumbering all other outside groups, according to Time.[8] During the 2014 election cycle, the super PAC raised over $53 million and made $47 million in independent expenditures, mostly in the form of campaign ads. Time noted that the expenditures were "credited with keeping the races close and Democrats competitive."[8]
In 2015, SMPAC released two ads against Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.). According to Roll Call, the ads were part of a larger $300,000 ad buy in New Hampshire and part of a total of $550,000 spent in the state. In a counter ad, Republican satellite spending groups spent $2 million in ads against Gov. Maggie Hassan, who was assumed to be Ayotte's challenger at the time. Ultimately, Hassan did challenge and defeat Ayotte.[9][10]
Political activity
2020-21 elections
In November 2020, Senate Majority PAC formed two super PACS, Georgia Honor and The Georgia Way, focused on the January 5, 2021, U.S. Senate runoff elections in Georgia.
Click the links below for more on Georgia's Senate runoff races:
- United States Senate runoff elections in Georgia (January 5, 2021)
- United States Senate election in Georgia, 2020 (Perdue vs. Ossoff runoff)
- United States Senate special election in Georgia, 2020 (Loeffler vs. Warnock runoff)
2018 elections
In April 2017, the Senate Majority PAC began running radio ads in support of Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.). The ads stated, in part, "Today, hospitals in rural Missouri are in crisis. Nearly half are at risk of shutting down. That’s why Sen. Claire McCaskill is fighting back. ... A daughter of rural Missouri, Claire McCaskill’s determined to protect rural health care." According to Politico, the $500,000 ad buy was in response to ads by the Senate Leadership Fund—a Republican super PAC for Senate candidates—which criticized McCaskill for her vote against confirming President Donald Trump's (R) U.S. Supreme Court nominee, Neil Gorsuch.[11]
2016 elections
The following table details the top 10 independent expenditures made by the Senate Majority PAC during the 2016 election cycle, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. The data was current as of July 26, 2016.[12]
| Top 10 largest Senate Majority PAC expenditures in 2016 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Party | State | Office | Total | For | Against |
| Rob Portman |  |
Ohio | U.S. Senate | $8,394,744 | $0 | $8,394,744 |
| Kelly Ayotte | |
N.H. | U.S. Senate | $2,753,952 | $0 | $2,753,952 |
| Pat Toomey | |
Pa. | U.S. Senate | $2,745,943 | $0 | $2,745,943 |
| Maggie Hassan |  |
N.H. | U.S. Senate | $2,362,181 | $2,362,181 | $0 |
| Joe Heck | |
Nev. | U.S. Senate | $2,016,738 | $0 | $2,016,738 |
| Ted Strickland | |
Ohio | U.S. Senate | $1,816,080 | $1,816,080 | $0 |
| Patrick Murphy | |
Fla. | U.S. Senate | $1,013,760 | $1,013,760 | $0 |
| Kathleen McGinty | |
Pa. | U.S. Senate | $819,449 | $819,449 | $0 |
| Joni Ernst | |
Iowa | U.S. Senate | $6,745 | $0 | $6,745 |
| Roy Blunt | |
Mo. | U.S. Senate | $765 | $0 | $765 |
2014 elections
The following table details the top 10 independent expenditures made by the Senate Majority PAC during the 2014 election cycle, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
| Top 10 largest Senate Majority PAC expenditures in 2014 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Party | State | Office | Total | For | Against |
| Thom Tillis | |
N.C. | U.S. Senate | $11,800,393 | $0 | $11,800,393 |
| Mitch McConnell | |
Ky. | U.S. Senate | $5,590,110 | $0 | $5,590,110 |
| Tom Cotton | |
Ark. | U.S. Senate | $5,186,927 | $0 | $5,186,927 |
| Cory Gardner | |
Colo. | U.S. Senate | $5,073,733 | $0 | $5,073,733 |
| Joni Ernst | |
Iowa | U.S. Senate | $4,535,982 | $0 | $4,535,982 |
| Terri Lynn Land | |
Mich. | U.S. Senate | $3,538,733 | $0 | $3,538,733 |
| Scott Brown | |
N.H. | U.S. Senate | $3,403,625 | $0 | $3,403,625 |
| Bill Cassidy | |
La. | U.S. Senate | $2,444,050 | $0 | $2,444,050 |
| Kay Hagan | |
N.C. | U.S. Senate | $1,408,652 | $1,408,652 | $0 |
| Gabriel Gomez | |
Mass. | U.S. Senate | $1,364,380 | $0 | $1,364,380 |
2012 elections
Expenditures
During the 2012 election cycle, the Senate Majority PAC spent a total of $37,498,257, $3,651,229 for Democrats and $33,847,028 against Republicans. The following table details the top 10 independent expenditures made by Senate Majority PAC in the 2012 election cycle, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.[13]
| Top 10 largest Majority PAC expenditures in 2012[13] | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Party | State | Office | Total | For | Against | Desired Result |
| George Allen | |
Va. | Senate | $5,048,835 | $0 | $5,048,835 |  |
| Tommy Thompson | |
Wis. | Senate | $4,682,491 | $0 | $4,682,491 | |
| Richard Mourdock | |
Ind. | Senate | $4,274,805 | $0 | $4,274,805 | |
| Rick Berg | |
N.D. | Senate | $3,252,808 | $0 | $3,252,808 | |
| Josh Mandel | |
Ohio | Senate | $3,228,003 | $0 | $3,228,003 | |
| Denny Rehberg | |
Mont. | Senate | $2,996,159 | $0 | $2,996,159 | |
| Linda McMahon | |
Conn. | Senate | $2,535,957 | $0 | $2,535,957 | |
| Jeff Flake | |
Ariz. | Senate | $2,065,097 | $0 | $2,065,097 |  |
| Todd Akin | |
Mo. | Senate | $1,713,536 | $0 | $1,713,536 | |
| Dean Heller | |
Nev. | Senate | $1,147,384 | $0 | $1,147,384 | |
Leadership
In March 2017, the Senate Majority PAC announced that J.B. Poersch, former director of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee had been hired as the organization's president.[14]
Finances
In January 2018, the Senate Majority PAC announced that it had raised $21.7 million in 2017.[15]
The following is a breakdown of SMPAC's contributions and disbursements, as reported to the FEC.
| SMPAC's contributions and disbursements | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Contributions | Disbursements | |
| 2019[16] | $60,554,774.89 | $13,630,285.88 | |
| 2018[17] | $142,450,859.57 | $155,758,541.84 | |
| 2017[18] | $21,759,311.23 | $9,844,494.28 | |
| 2016[19] | $85,080,692 | $88,754,643 | |
| 2015[20] | $7,740,388 | $2,449,773 | |
| 2014[21] | $58,274,346 | $61,301,000 | |
| 2013[22] | $8,640,114 | $5,613,066 | |
| 2012[23] | $39,597,115 | $40,726,094 | |
| 2011[24] | $2,524,425 | $1,390,956 | |
| 2010[25] | $4,263,304 | $4,088,816 | |
Donors
The following is a breakdown of SMPAC's top donors.
| SMPAC's top donors 2018[26] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Contribution amount | ||
| Bloomberg LP | $20,100,050 (from individuals) | ||
| Carpenters & Joiners Union | $6,500,000 (from organizations) | ||
| Newsweb Corporation | $6,000,000 (from individuals) | ||
| LiUNA Building America | $5,500,000 (from organizations) | ||
| Paloma Partners | $5,250,000 (from individuals) | ||
| SMPAC's top donors 2016[27] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Contribution amount | ||
| Euclidean Capital | $1,600,000 (from individuals) | ||
| American Federation of Teachers | $1,250,000 (from organizations) | ||
| Marcus & Millichap | $1,000,000 (from individuals) | ||
| Newsweb Corp | $1,000,000 (from individuals) | ||
| Working for Working Americans | $1,000,000 (from organizations) | ||
| SMPAC's top donors 2014[28] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Contribution amount | ||
| Euclidean Capital | $5,000,000 (from individuals) | ||
| Fahr LLC/Tom Steyer | $5,000,000 (from individuals) | ||
| Newsweb Corp | $5,000,000 (from individuals) | ||
| Bloomberg LP | $2,500,000 (from individuals) | ||
| American Federation of Teachers | $1,950,000 (from organizations) | ||
| SMPAC's top donors 2012[29] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Contribution amount | ||
| Newsweb Corp | $4,300,000 (from individuals) | ||
| Euclidean Capital | $3,000,000 (from individuals) | ||
| Carpenters & Joiners Union | $2,450,000 (from organizations) | ||
| American Federation of Teachers | $2,000,000 (from organizations) | ||
| American Fedn of St/Cnty/Munic Employees | $1,000,000 (from organizations) | ||
Media
Recent news
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ FEC, "Statement of Organization, Senate Majority PAC," March 8, 2013"
- ↑ FEC, "Commonsense Ten, Statement of Organization," June 11, 2010
- ↑ FEC, "Statement of Organization, Majority PAC," March 9, 2011
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Senate Majority PAC, "Our Mission," accessed January 5, 2016
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Politico, "Senate Dems Launch 'Super PAC'," February 23, 2011
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Politico, "Dems give big to Senate Majority PAC," June 2, 2014
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Time, "This Super PAC Was Behind 1 Out of Every 20 Senate Ads," November 3, 2014
- ↑ Roll Call, "Senate Majority PAC Releases Second Ad Attacking Ayotte at Home," September 2, 2015
- ↑ The Hill, "Senate Dem PAC’s first 2016 ad targets Ayotte," August 12, 2015
- ↑ Politico, "Senate Democratic outside group launches radio ads defending McCaskill," April 18, 2017
- ↑ Center for Responsive Politics, "Outside Spending: Independent Expenditures, Electioneering Communication & Communication Costs by Targeted Candidate as of July 26, 2016," accessed July 26, 2016
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Center for Responsive Politics, "Senate Majority PAC Independent Expenditures 2012 cycle," accessed July 15, 2013
- ↑ The Hill, "Senate Majority PAC names Schumer ally as new leader," March 6, 2017
- ↑ Senate Majority PAC, "Senate Majority PAC and Majority Forward Post Record Fundraising Numbers in 2017," January 30, 2018
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "FEC Form 3X, Senate Majority PAC (Year End 2019)," accessed July 29, 2020
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "FEC Form 3X, Senate Majority PAC (Year End 2018)," accessed July 29, 2020
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "FEC Form 3X, Senate Majority PAC (Year End 2017)," accessed July 29, 2020
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "FEC Form 3X, Senate Majority PAC (Year End 2016)," accessed April 20, 2017
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "FEC Form 3X, Senate Majority PAC (Year End 2015)," accessed June 1, 2016
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "FEC Form 3X, Senate Majority PAC (Year End 2014)," accessed January 5, 2015
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "FEC Form 3X, Senate Majority PAC (Year End 2013)," accessed January 5, 2015
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "FEC Form 3X, Senate Majority PAC (Year End 2012)," accessed January 5, 2015
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "FEC Form 3X, Majority PAC (Year End 2011, Amended)," accessed January 5, 2015
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "FEC Form 3X, Commonsense Ten PAC (Year End 2010)," accessed January 5, 2015
- ↑ OpenSecrets, "Senate Majority PAC - Top Donors, 2018 cycle," accessed July 29, 2020
- ↑ Open Secrets, "Top Donors, 2016 Cycle, Senate Majority PAC," accessed June 1, 2016
- ↑ Open Secrets, "Top Donors, 2014 Cycle, Senate Majority PAC," accessed June 1, 2016
- ↑ Open Secrets, "Top Donors, 2012 Cycle, Senate Majority PAC," accessed June 1, 2016
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