2026 candidate · follow the money
Who funds Christopher H Smith?
What they did in office.
Sitting member of Congress · Christopher H. Smith
In the U.S. House (NJ-4) since 1981 · current term ends Jan 3, 2027
- Recorded yea or nay on 23 of the 24 key House floor votes captured in Hugin's snapshot
- 1 committee: Foreign Affairs · 2 subcommittees
- 63 committees reported contributions to them this cycle
Linked to this filing by its exact FEC candidate ID (H8NJ04014) in the congress-legislators roster of Oct 21, 2026. Votes are one key floor vote per bill on bills named in contractor lobbying reports (Oct 29, 2026); committee seats are the roster as of Oct 24, 2026; money counts are FEC reports for 2026 as of Oct 24, 2026. These are what Hugin's snapshots captured, not complete records, and none of them is a score or evidence of motive.
The money.
- Raised
- $778K
- Spent
- $608K
- Cash on hand
- $553K
- Individuals 65% $506K
- PACs & other committees 35% $269K
- Party committees 0.4% $2,725
- Other receipts <0.1% $88
Campaign totals through Oct 14, 2026. Excludes $19K moved between the candidate's own committees.
No independent expenditures for or against this filing are itemized in the bulk file.
Largest direct PAC contributions
- CARPENTERS LEGISLATIVE IMPROVEMENT COMMITTEE UNITED BROTHERHOOD OF CARPENTERS AND JOINERS $10K
- ENGINEERS POLITICAL EDUCATION COMMITTEE (EPEC)/INTERNATIONAL UNION OF OPERATING ENGINEERS $10K
- NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $10K
- D.R.I.V.E. - DEM, REP, IND VOTER ED (THE PAC OF THE INT'L BRHD OF TEAMSTERS) $10K
- AIR LINE PILOTS ASSOCIATION PAC $10K
Who gave.
Who gives $506K from individuals
22% in small-dollar gifts
$112K of $506K came unitemized: from donors whose gifts to the campaign this cycle total $200 or less, whom the campaign does not have to name.
Adding itemized gifts from donors whose itemized total is $200 or less, about 24%. Many small gifts sent through ActBlue or WinRed are itemized anyway, so the first figure runs low; this estimate groups donors by name and ZIP code as filed and counts only itemized gifts already in the FEC bulk file.
The itemized gifts below add up to $263K of the $395K 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.
65% from New Jersey · 35% from elsewhere
Of itemized gifts, by the state on each donor's mailing address; $6,500 had no usable state. Giving from other states is lawful and common.
10% of itemized dollars came earmarked through a conduit such as ActBlue or WinRed; each gift is counted once.
Top states
- New Jersey $167K
- Virginia $17K
- Pennsylvania $16K
- New York $14K
- Texas $11K
- Maryland $9,790
- Connecticut $7,250
- District of Columbia $4,000
Retired, self-employed, not employed or not given: $101K. Employers named by fewer than three donors, or filed as a person's name: $162K, not listed so no one donor is singled out.
Summary through Oct 14, 2026. Itemized gifts dated Jan 24, 2025 to Jun 30, 2026, net of refunds (437 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: $1,060 for / $0 against · $0 in the final two weeks
Source: FEC 24- and 48-hour reports. 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
- Mail, print & signs 100% $1,060
Largest late spenders for
Latest dissemination on these reports: October 5, 2026. FEC 24- and 48-hour independent-expenditure reports read November 4, 2026, with amended and re-filed reports counted once (1 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 $456K in itemized spending
These itemized payments cover $456K of the $608K 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 14% $63K
- Consultants & strategy 19% $86K
- Staff & payroll 41% $187K
- Fundraising & processing fees 1% $5,991
- Travel, meals & events 5% $21K
- Office, technology & overhead 6% $25K
- Contributions, transfers & refunds 0.1% $250
- Other or unclassified 15% $67K
Largest payees
- CHASE CARD SERVICES $67K
- PAYCHEX, INC. $56K
- MINUTEMAN PRESS $55K
- MAI & ASSOCIATES LLC $49K
- SAGE STRATEGIES LLC $40K
Paid to individuals: $131K, such as staff, contractors and reimbursements. People who were paid are not named here.
Payments dated Jan 3, 2025 to Jun 30, 2026, as itemized by the principal campaign committee in FEC reports (312 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.
- Rachel PeaceDemocrat · $101K raised · $2,000 outside
- John David BlakeDemocrat · $5,421 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.