2026 candidate · follow the money
Who funds James R Baird?
What they did in office.
Sitting member of Congress · James R. Baird
In the U.S. House (IN-4) since 2019 · current term ends Jan 3, 2027
- Recorded yea or nay on 22 of the 24 key House floor votes captured in Hugin's snapshot
- 3 committees: Agriculture, Foreign Affairs, Science, Space, and Technology · 8 subcommittees
- 88 committees reported contributions to them this cycle · 4 committees reported outside spending for or against them
Linked to this filing by its exact FEC candidate ID (H8IN04199) 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
- $605K
- Spent
- $709K
- Cash on hand
- $110K
- Debts
- $504K
- Individuals 30% $183K
- PACs & other committees 50% $300K
- Candidate's own money & loans 20% $120K
- Other receipts 0.4% $2,126
Campaign totals through Oct 14, 2026.
Outside groups: $537K supporting · $200K opposing
Biggest spenders supporting
Biggest spenders opposing
- HOMELAND PAC INC $200K
Largest direct PAC contributions
- AMERICAN COUNCIL OF ENGINEERING COMPANIES (ACEC/PAC) $11K
- NATIONAL CATTLEMEN'S BEEF ASSOCIATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (NCBA-PAC) $10K
- SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP. PAC $10K
- AMERICAN ISRAEL PUBLIC AFFAIRS COMMITTEE POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $9,994
- ASSOCIATED BUILDERS AND CONTRACTORS, INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (ABC PAC) $7,500
Who gave.
Who gives $183K from individuals
44% in small-dollar gifts
$80K of $183K 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 45%. 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 $86K of the $103K the campaign reported itemizing through Oct 14, 2026. The FEC has not yet processed the rest into its bulk file, which runs to Jun 26, 2026 for this campaign.
73% from Indiana · 27% from elsewhere
Of itemized gifts, by the state on each donor's mailing address. Giving from other states is lawful and common.
36% of itemized dollars came earmarked through a conduit such as ActBlue or WinRed; each gift is counted once.
Top states
- Indiana $63K
- North Carolina $5,500
- New Hampshire $3,300
- Ohio $3,300
- Minnesota $2,225
- Florida $1,532
- Delaware $1,500
- Virginia $1,250
Retired, self-employed, not employed or not given: $43K. Employers named by fewer than three donors, or filed as a person's name: $44K, not listed so no one donor is singled out.
Summary through Oct 14, 2026. Itemized gifts dated Jan 17, 2025 to Jun 26, 2026, net of refunds (118 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: $537K for / $200K against · $0 in the final two weeks
Source: FEC regular 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
- Digital ads 29% $211K
- Ads, medium not stated 69% $504K
- Phones & texts 0.8% $6,098
- Ad production 1% $10K
- Other or unclassified 0.1% $600
Largest late spenders for
Largest late spenders against
- HOMELAND PAC INC $200K
Latest dissemination on these reports: May 4, 2026. FEC 24- and 48-hour independent-expenditure reports read November 4, 2026, with amended and re-filed reports counted once (6 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 $472K in itemized spending
These itemized payments cover $472K of the $709K 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 20% $93K
- Consultants & strategy 24% $111K
- Fundraising & processing fees 24% $113K
- Polling, research & data 0.5% $2,372
- Travel, meals & events 11% $52K
- Office, technology & overhead 10% $48K
- Legal & compliance 8% $39K
- Contributions, transfers & refunds 0.8% $4,000
- Other or unclassified 2% $9,181
Largest payees
- FUNDRAISING, INC. $59K
- RED CURVE SOLUTIONS $48K
- ASCENT STRATEGIC INC $43K
- CAMPAIGN ENGINE $32K
- ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES, INC $32K
Paid to individuals: $3,282, such as staff, contractors and reimbursements. People who were paid are not named here.
Payments dated Jan 2, 2025 to Jun 30, 2026, as itemized by the principal campaign committee in FEC reports (907 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.
- Craig HaggardRepublican · $198K raised
- Drew CoxDemocrat · $61K raised
- Joseph William MackeyDemocrat · $11K raised
- Paul Bryant McPhersonDemocrat · $7,969 raised
- Anthony D Hustedt-MaiRepublican · $5,605 raised
- Chad ElwartowskiRepublican · $0 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.