by Karl Evers-Hillstrom at The Hill
Rich Americans spent big this midterm season to impact down-ballot races for their candidates of choice.
The 2022 midterm election cycle has seen a boom in spending in the lead-up to Election Day. Research group OpenSecrets estimates that federal election spending increased by nearly $2 billion compared to 2018.
Even more eye-popping, 10 wealthy individuals poured $540 million combined into this year’s elections, according to campaign finance data from OpenSecrets.
These mega-donors are giving most of their money to outside groups such as super PACs that can raise and spend unlimited sums on election ads.
Roughly 62 percent of their donations boosted Republicans, who have received far more support than Democrats from big money groups leading up to November, a reversal from recent elections where wealthy donors favored Democrats.
Here are the 10 largest donors in the midterms, according to the most recent Federal Election Commission filings compiled by OpenSecrets: