Analysis: Where Gun Groups are Spending Their Election Money [Member Exclusive]

Gun-control teams have persistently outraised gun-rights organizations within the lead-up to the 2024 election.

This week noticed the pattern proceed. With lower than two and a half months till election day, the most recent Federal Election Fee filings confirmed the political arms of Everytown, Giffords, and Brady outraised the NRA and its counterparts for the fourth time within the final 5 months. Because the teams on both facet of the gun debate proceed to jockey for political affect, how that cash is finally spent will assist decide who holds the White Home and management of Congress after this November.

Right here’s a take a look at what their fundraising has gone to thus far when it comes to 2024 election spending.

Nationwide Rifle Affiliation

The NRA’s PAC, the Political Victory Fund, has reported $188,791 in exterior spending for the 2024 cycle up to now. Practically all of that, $184,216.47, has been in assist of former President Donald Trump.

It has additionally spent $4,600 in assist of Oklahoma Congressman Tom Cole (R.), who efficiently fended off a well-funded main challenger. It additionally reported $426 in spending opposing Jefferson Shreve, an Indiana Republican who endorsed a collection of gun-control measures in his unsuccessful 2023 bid for mayor of Indianapolis and is now the GOP candidate for Indiana’s sixth Congressional District.

The NRA’s PAC has additionally reported $256,950 in marketing campaign contributions within the 2024 cycle up to now, unanimously in assist of Republicans. Among the many greater than 160 congressional candidates the PAC contributed to, North Carolina Congressman Richard Hudson (R.) obtained the very best contribution of $9,900. On the Senate facet, the group contributed to eleven completely different Senate candidates, with Republican Senators Blackburn (Tenn.), Cramer (N.D.), Cruz (Texas), and Ricketts (Neb.) being the main recipients at $4,950 every.

It additionally contributed $140,100 to varied GOP PACs and occasion organizations, together with $45,000 to the Nationwide Republican Senatorial Committee and $30,000 to the Nationwide Republican Congressional Committee.

The NRA has but to really activate its tremendous PAC, the NRA Victory Fund. It has posted anemic fundraising numbers all year long, and its largest expenditure for the 2024 cycle has been a $20,535 disbursement to the NRA’s lobbying arm, in line with OpenSecrets. That’s regardless of it having $191,967.32 in money readily available.

Different Professional-Gun Teams

The PAC for the Nationwide Capturing Sports activities Basis (NSSF), the firearms business’s commerce group, has reported $546,492 in candidate contributions up to now and nil in exterior spending, in line with OpenSecrets. The group donated $531,492 to Republican candidates and $15,000 to Democratic candidates. Representatives Mike Johnson (R., La.), Mary Peltola (D., Alaska), Elise Stefanik (R., N.Y.), and Bruce Westerman (R., Ark.) every obtained the most important particular person candidate contributions, at $10,000 every. Maine Congressman Jared Golden obtained $5,000 and is the one different Democrat the PAC has contributed to this cycle.

The NSSF PAC contributed a further $284,638 to management funds and occasion organizations. All of that cash went towards Republican teams as properly, in line with OpenSecrets.

The group’s Shield Liberty tremendous PAC has but to report any exterior marketing campaign spending. The identical is true of the US Hid Carry Affiliation for Saving Lives, a just lately fashioned tremendous PAC from the US Hid Carry Affiliation.

GOA Victory Fund, the tremendous PAC for Gun House owners of America, has reported spending $181,562 all through the 2024 election cycle, in line with OpenSecrets. The majority of the group’s spending befell in Republican primaries throughout the nation, largely throughout three specific races. The group spent $57,383 in assist of Alex Mooney (R.), who unsuccessfully challenged West Virginia Governor Jim Justice (R.) to develop into the GOP nominee to switch the outgoing Joe Manchin (D.) within the US Senate. The GOA Victory Fund additionally spent $47,682 in assist of guntuber Brandon Herrera’s unsuccessful try to unseat incumbent Texas Congressman Tony Gonzales (R.). It spent $32,571 in assist of Home Freedom Caucus chairman Bob Good’s (R.) eventual main loss to Virginia state senator John McGuire (R.).

The group’s PAC additionally reported $30,000 in marketing campaign contributions to varied Republican candidates, once more primarily to unsuccessful main challengers. It additionally donated $500 to the Republican Occasion of Michigan.

Everytown for Gun Security

The nation’s largest and most distinguished gun-control group, Everytown, has pledged to spend $45 million within the 2024 election with out offering the specifics of how that cash can be sourced and spent.

To this point, nonetheless, the group has not but come near that complete. Its tremendous PAC, the Everytown for Gun Security Victory Fund, has reported $1,090,701 in exterior marketing campaign spending through the 2024 cycle, nearly solely to spice up Democrats. $990,535 of that complete was spent in assist of President Joe Biden previous to his determination to drop out of the race. The group spent a further $100,000 in assist of Lucy McBath (D.), an incumbent Congresswoman representing Georgia.

The group has additionally reported a further roughly $976,000 in spending on contributions to each federal and native occasion organizations, political committees, and candidates between its PAC and tremendous PAC. The group additionally registered a brand new tremendous PAC, the Everytown-Demand a Seat PAC, that has but to start spending. It has reported slightly below $8 million in out there funds, almost all of which got here from Michael Bloomberg in a single donation final quarter, in line with probably the most just lately out there FEC submitting.

Giffords

Like Everytown, Giffords made a splashy pledge to spend large within the 2024 election, committing $15 million to assist increase Kamala Harris (D.) and different pro-gun-control candidates. Equally, it has but to determine the supply and particular plans for these funds.

Giffords PAC has but to report any impartial expenditures this cycle and has solely reported roughly $153,000 in contributions to varied candidates and political organizations up to now. It has reported spending $706,852 on “media,” primarily within the type of internet advertisements.

Brady

The smallest of the massive three gun-control teams, Brady is usually much less lively in federal elections than its counterparts. To this point within the 2024 cycle, Brady PAC has but to report any impartial expenditures and has disclosed simply $25,029 in contributions. The group donated $2,000 to Georgia Consultant Lucy McBath (D.), in addition to $1,000 to Pennsylvania Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R.), the group’s solely Republican recipient.

Total, whereas teams on both facet of the gun challenge have clearly been concerned in serving to to form the political races at the moment going down, neither has but ramped as much as their full potential. Each the NRA and the gun-control teams are at the moment sitting on eight-figure battle chests whereas constantly fundraising to develop them. With the stakes of the election clear for gun voters, count on to see all the teams bolster their political spending within the weeks to return.

UPDATE 8-30-2024 12:43 PM EASTERN: This piece has been up to date to incorporate donations to management and occasion committees.