2026 candidate · follow the money
Who funds Charles Booker?
The money.
- Raised
- $1.9M
- Spent
- $1.6M
- Cash on hand
- $304K
- Debts
- $131K
- Individuals 98% $1.9M
- PACs & other committees 2% $40K
- Other receipts <0.1% $202
Campaign totals through Oct 14, 2026.
Outside groups: $28K supporting · $0 opposing
Biggest spenders supporting
- MARCH ON PAC $25K
- NEW POWER PAC $3,425
Largest direct PAC contributions
Who gave.
Who gives $1.9M from individuals
58% in small-dollar gifts
$1.1M of $1.9M came unitemized: from donors whose gifts to the campaign this cycle total $200 or less, whom the campaign does not have to name.
The itemized gifts below add up to $417K of the $802K the campaign reported itemizing through Oct 14, 2026. The FEC has not yet processed the rest into its bulk file, which runs to Jun 30, 2026 for this campaign.
63% from Kentucky · 37% from elsewhere
Of itemized gifts, by the state on each donor's mailing address. Giving from other states is lawful and common.
76% of itemized dollars came earmarked through a conduit such as ActBlue or WinRed; each gift is counted once.
Top states
- Kentucky $261K
- California $47K
- New York $16K
- Massachusetts $15K
- District of Columbia $12K
- Virginia $10K
- Texas $8,415
- Georgia $6,420
Top employers named by donors
- UPS $1,875
- UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE $1,050
- UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY $594
Employers as donors wrote them on the form. A company listed here did not give this money; people who work there did.
Retired, self-employed, not employed or not given: $213K. Employers named by fewer than three donors, or filed as a person's name: $200K, not listed so no one donor is singled out.
Summary through Oct 14, 2026. Itemized gifts dated Feb 28, 2025 to Jun 30, 2026, net of refunds (1,010 entries). Every itemized contribution on FEC.gov ↗
From the principal campaign committee's FEC reports; joint-fundraising transfers and later reports are not included, and no donor is named here. A contribution is not evidence of a vote, favor or wrongdoing.
Outside money in the final weeks.
Outside spending including late reports: $32K for / $250K against · $252K in the final two weeks
That is $253K more than the $28K in regular reports alone. Source: FEC regular reports plus 24- and 48-hour reports they do not yet cover. The final two weeks run Oct 21, 2026 to Nov 3, 2026, by the date each ad or mailing went out.
What it bought, per the late reports
- Digital ads 99% $276K
- Mail, print & signs 0.1% $193
- Phones & texts 0.6% $1,609
- Other or unclassified <0.1% $42
Largest late spenders for
- MARCH ON PAC $25K
- NEW POWER PAC $3,285
Largest late spenders against
Latest dissemination on these reports: November 1, 2026. FEC 24- and 48-hour independent-expenditure reports read November 4, 2026, with amended and re-filed reports counted once (18 entries). These reports on FEC.gov ↗
Outside spending is, by law, made without coordinating with the candidate and is not the candidate's money. Purposes are grouped from each spender's own description, so the groups are approximate. A dollar figure is not evidence of a vote, favor or wrongdoing.
Where it went.
Where the money went $783K in itemized spending
These itemized payments cover $783K of the $1.6M the campaign reported spending through Oct 14, 2026. The FEC has not yet itemized the rest in its bulk file, which runs to Jun 30, 2026.
- Advertising & outreach 43% $338K
- Consultants & strategy 32% $249K
- Fundraising & processing fees 12% $91K
- Polling, research & data 3% $20K
- Travel, meals & events 2% $12K
- Office, technology & overhead 3% $27K
- Legal & compliance 5% $41K
- Contributions, transfers & refunds 0.1% $400
- Other or unclassified 0.8% $5,964
Largest payees
- TRUE BLUE DIGITAL $179K
- BLUE STATE $63K
- ACTBLUE TECHNICAL SERVICES $41K
- THE CENTER OF MASS, LLC $36K
- RIPPLE EFFECT STRATEGIES, LLC $30K
Paid to individuals: $117K, such as staff, contractors and reimbursements. People who were paid are not named here.
Payments dated Dec 7, 2025 to Jun 30, 2026, as itemized by the principal campaign committee in FEC reports (259 entries). Every payment on FEC.gov ↗
Grouped by each campaign's own description of the payment, so the groups are approximate. Payments of $200 or less to one payee need not be itemized, detail filed only as memo entries counts under other or unclassified, and spending by the candidate's other committees or by outside groups is not included. A payment is not evidence of a favor or wrongdoing.
Others who filed for this seat.
- Garland Andy BarrRepublican · $9.7M raised · $15M outside
- Nate MorrisRepublican · $8.8M raised · $19M outside
- Amy McGrathDemocrat · $2.4M raised · $154K outside
- Daniel CameronRepublican · $2.3M raised · $4.3M outside
- Dale RomansDemocrat · $838K raised · $11K outside
- Joel WillettDemocrat · $350K raised
- Pamela StevensonDemocrat · $311K raised
- Mitch McConnellRepublican · $268K raised
- Michael FarisRepublican · $62K raised
- Michael James FarisRepublican · $62K raised
- Logan ForsytheDemocrat · $47K raised
- Donald Ray WenzelRepublican · $2,531 raised
Questions worth asking.
Money shows who backed a campaign, not how a person will act. Compare it with what they did and said: their votes or official actions if they have held office, their own statements, and their answers to a finding. Use the same questions for every candidate.
FEC bulk data read November 4, 2026. Campaign totals come from each filing's own FEC summary through its latest processed report. Outside spending is independent expenditures itemized in committee reports in the FEC bulk files, primaries included; late 24- and 48-hour reports, party coordinated spending, communication costs and groups that do not report to the FEC are not included. Outside spending is, by law, made without coordinating with the candidate, and it is not the candidate's money. A contribution or expenditure is not evidence of a vote, favor or wrongdoing. This page identifies the filing by its FEC candidate ID; a person can hold more than one filing.