What a PAC is and how much it can give

A PAC, or political action committee, collects money and gives it to candidates. A typical PAC can give a candidate up to $5,000 per election. Current members of Congress have received $403M from PACs for the 2026 elections, out of $1.9B raised in total.

PAC to candidate: $5,000 per election
Person to candidate: $3,500 per election
Super PAC spending: No limit
PAC money to current members: $403M

Types of PACs

Company or union PACRaises money from employees or members and gives it to candidates.
Leadership PACRun by a member of Congress to give to other candidates.
Super PACSpends unlimited amounts on ads, but cannot give to candidates.
Party committeeThe national and state parties, with their own limits.

How to see who funds a member

Every member’s page lists their top PACs and the industries their donors work in. You can also open a PAC’s page to see which members it gives to, and the outside spending list for super PACs. Of current members, Rep. Brett Guthrie R-KY-2 has taken the most PAC money for 2026, $3.3M.

Members with the most PAC money

Rep. Brett Guthrie R-KY-2$3.3M
Rep. Jason Smith R-MO-8$3.3M
Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks R-IA-1$2.8M
Rep. Hakeem S. Jeffries D-NY-8$2.7M
Sen. Jon Husted R-OH$2.7M
Rep. Brian K. Fitzpatrick R-PA-1$2.6M
Rep. Ashley Hinson R-IA-2$2.6M
Rep. Pete Aguilar D-CA-33$2.5M
Rep. Tom Emmer R-MN-6$2.5M
Rep. Michael Lawler R-NY-17$2.4M

Common questions

What is a PAC?

A political action committee is a group that raises money and spends it on elections. Companies, unions, trade groups and members of Congress themselves run PACs.

How much can a PAC give a candidate?

A multicandidate PAC, which covers most PACs, can give up to $5,000 per election to a candidate. The primary and general election count separately, so that is up to $10,000 per cycle.

How much can a person give a candidate?

For the 2025–2026 elections, an individual can give up to $3,500 per election to a candidate.

What is a super PAC?

A super PAC can raise and spend unlimited amounts, but it cannot give money directly to candidates or coordinate with them. It spends on its own ads and outreach.

Can a company give directly to a candidate?

No. Corporations and unions cannot give directly from their treasuries. They set up a PAC, and the PAC raises money from employees or members.

More guides

Numbers on this page come from House and Senate trade reports and FEC filings and update daily.