Trump said he would spend $400 million on Republicans; Musk spent $366 million
The Guardian, citing The New York Times and other U.S. media, reported Tuesday that Michael Bloomberg would spend $80 million in total on Democratic candidates. The New York Times reported that the contributions were made in September and October, with Bloomberg placing particular emphasis on House races.
The Guardian described the Republican House majority as historically small. Bloomberg’s adviser Howard Wolfson told The New York Times that the objective was to secure a Democratic majority larger than the 218 seats needed to control the chamber.
Among the reported contributions were $24 million to Everytown for Gun Safety and $16 million to House Majority Pac. Everytown, which Bloomberg cofounded, spends on Democratic candidates in the lower chamber. House Majority Pac is connected to House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries.
Bloomberg also gave $2.5 million to a super PAC backing James Talarico, the Democratic candidate in Texas’s U.S. Senate race. Another $2.5 million went to a super PAC supporting the re-election campaign of New York governor Kathy Hochul. Additional money went to the campaigns of several Democratic gubernatorial candidates.
“The difference between 221 and 230, in terms of the House majority, really matters,” Wolfson said.
On the Republican side, Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he intended to spend a total of $400 million to help Republican candidates, with $300 million already disbursed. The Guardian reported that Trump’s ally Elon Musk had spent $366 million on conservative groups and campaigns so far.
Democrats believe they are favored to take back the House this year, though the party has acknowledged trailing Republicans in fundraising. Democrats also believe they have a chance at netting the four seats necessary to retake control of the Senate, but analysts believe that contest could go either way.
Control of either chamber would allow Democrats to block Trump’s legislative agenda and more effectively investigate his administration. A Senate majority could also allow lawmakers to reject his nominees for the Supreme Court and other federal judicial positions.
Bloomberg, 84, served three terms as mayor of New York City from 2002 to 2013. He was an independent then but later registered as a Democrat. He spent $80 million helping the party in the 2018 midterms and later made an unsuccessful bid for the party’s presidential nomination in 2020.
Asked how effective he believed the money would be, Wolfson said: “He is of the view that resources matter in campaigns.” He added that Bloomberg “expects a result.”