United We Can
| United We Can | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Location: | Washington, D.C. |
| Type: | Super PAC |
| Year founded: | 2012 |
| Website: | Official website |
United We Can, formerly known as Our Communities and the Service Employees International Union Pea-Federal, is a super PAC affiliated with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), a labor union that represents 2 million workers across roughly 100 occupations in the United States and Canada. The group is headquartered in Washington, D.C.[1][2]
Background
The Service Employees International Union Pea-Federal was established in 2012 as the super PAC affiliate of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), a labor union that represents 2 million healthcare, government, and property services workers in the United States and Canada. The super PAC primarily supports Democratic candidates.[1][2]
The super PAC changed its name to Our Communities in November 2015 and United We Can in June 2016.[1]
Work
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| Read more about super PACs and the super PACs covered on Ballotpedia. |
2016 elections
According to the Center for Responsive Politics, United We Can spent a total of $13,734,163 through independent expenditures during the 2016 election cycle. Of the total expenditures, $5,097,855 was spent in support of Democrats, $0 was spent in support of Republicans, and $8,413,762 opposed Republicans.[3]
The following table identifies the super PAC's 10 largest 2016 independent expenditures:
| United We Can's 10 largest 2016 expenditures | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Party | State | Office | Total | Support | Oppose | |
| Donald Trump |  |
President | $7,970,849 | $0 | $7,970,849 | ||
| Hillary Clinton |  |
President | $4,105,909 | $4,105,909 | $0 | ||
| Katie McGinty | |
Pa. | U.S. Senate | $378,397 | $230,851 | $147,546 | |
| Kelly Ayotte | |
N.H. | U.S. Senate | $270,916 | $0 | $270,916 | |
| Maggie Hassan | |
N.H. | U.S. Senate | $270,031 | $270,031 | $0 | |
| Patrick Murphy | |
Fla. | U.S. Senate | $242,106 | $242,106 | $0 | |
| Pat Toomey | |
Pa. | U.S. Senate | $157,638 | $0 | $157,638 | |
| Michael Bennet | |
Colo. | U.S. Senate | $148,699 | $148,699 | $0 | |
| Darren Soto | |
Fla. | U.S. House | $75,000 | $0 | $75,000 | |
| Ted Strickland | |
Ohio | U.S. Senate | $45,313 | $45,313 | $0 | |
2014 elections
United We Can spent a total of $1,727,059 through independent expenditures during the 2014 election cycle. Of the total expenditures, $1,623,377 was spent in support of Democrats, $22,363 was spent in support of Republicans, and $81,319 opposed Republicans.[4]
The following table identifies the super PAC's 10 largest 2014 independent expenditures:
| United We Can's 10 largest 2014 expenditures[4] | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Party | State | Office | Total | Support | Oppose | |
| Barack Obama | |
N/A | President | $794,069 | $794,069 | $0 | |
| Sherrod Brown | |
Ohio | Senate | $241,828 | $241,828 | $0 | |
| Tim Kaine | |
Virginia | Senate | $187,304 | $187,304 | $0 | |
| Steven Horsford | |
Nevada | House | $111,537 | $111,537 | $0 | |
| Shelley Berkley | |
Nevada | Senate | $111,537 | $111,537 | $0 | |
| Mitt Romney | |
N/A | President | $82,628 | $22,363 | $60,265 | |
| Paul Hirschbiel | |
Virginia | House | $56,660 | $56,660 | $0 | |
| Tammy Baldwin | |
Wisconsin | Senate | $55,874 | $55,874 | $0 | |
| Joe Miklosi | |
Colorado | House | $21,054 | $21,054 | $0 | |
| Mike Coffman | |
Colorado | House | $21,054 | $0 | $21,054 | |
2012 elections
United We Can spent a total of $5,310,732 through independent expenditures during the 2012 election cycle. Of the total expenditures, $3,927,554 was spent in support of Democrats, $5,679 was spent in support of Republicans, and $1,377,499 opposed Republicans.[5]
The following table identifies the super PAC's 10 largest 2012 independent expenditures:
| United We Can's 10 largest 2012 expenditures[5] | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Party | State | Office | Total | Support | Oppose | |
| Barack Obama | |
N/A | President | $2,039,117.30 | $2,039,117.30 | $0 | |
| Mitt Romney | |
N/A | President | $1,047,235.00 | $0 | $1,047,235.00 | |
| Tammy Baldwin | |
Wisconsin | Senate | $331,081.51 | $331,081.51 | $0 | |
| Tim Kaine | |
Virginia | Senate | $325,920.00 | $325,920.00 | $0 | |
| Sherrod Brown | |
Ohio | Senate | $307,996.68 | $307,996.68 | $0 | |
| Cheri Bustos | |
Illinois | House | $213,714.32 | $213,714.32 | $0 | |
| Mark Critz | |
Pennsylvania | House | $191,328.67 | $0 | $191,328.67 | |
| Shelley Berkley | |
Nevada | Senate | $105,619.69 | $105,619.69 | $0 | |
| Bill Johnson | |
Ohio | House | $261,226.55 | $261,226,55 | $0 | |
| Paul Hirschbiel | |
Virginia | House | $255,674.73 | $255,674.73 | $0 | |
Finances
The following table identifies United We Can's total annual federal receipts and disbursements according to the Federal Election Commission:[1]
| Annual federal receipts and disbursements for United We Can, 2012-2015 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Total receipts | Total disbursements |
| 2016[6] | $24,206,958 | $23,418,311 |
| 2015[7] | $28.00 | $2.93 |
| 2014[8] | $395,294 | $395,914 |
| 2013[9] | $2,203,861 | $3,114,598 |
| 2012[10] | $16,264,036 | $13,457,739 |
Legal status
United We Can is a super PAC. A super PAC is a political committee that can solicit and spend unlimited sums of money. A super PAC cannot contribute directly to a politician or political party, but it can spend independently to campaign for or against political figures. These committees are also called independent expenditure-only committees. A super PAC is not legally considered a political action committee (PAC) and as such is regulated under separate rules.[11][12]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'United We Can' super PAC. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Federal Election Commission, "Reports Image Index for Committee ID: C00523621," accessed August 2, 2016
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Service Employees International Union, "How is SEIU structured?" accessed August 2, 2016
- ↑ Open Secrets, "Service Employees International Union, Independent Expenditures 2016," accessed August 2, 2016
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Open Secrets, "Service Employees International Union, Independent Expenditures 2014," accessed August 2, 2016
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Open Secrets, "Service Employees International Union, Independent Expenditures 2012," accessed August 2, 2016
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "United We Can Year-End Report, 2016," May 1, 2017
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "United We Can Year-End Report, 2015," January 31, 2016
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "United We Can Year-End Report, 2014," January 31, 2015
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "United We Can Year-End Report, 2013," January 31, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "United We Can Year-End Report, 2012," April 8, 2013
- ↑ The Atlantic, "The New York Times' Disingenuous Campaign Against Citizens United," February 24, 2012
- ↑ The New York Times, "Who's Financing the 'Super PACs?" May 7, 2012
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