2026 candidate · follow the money
Who funds Jeffrey Alan Merkley?
What they did in office.
Sitting member of Congress · Jeff Merkley
In the U.S. Senate (OR) since 2009 · current term ends Jan 3, 2027
- Recorded yea or nay on 16 of the 16 key Senate floor votes captured in Hugin's snapshot
- 5 committees: Appropriations, Budget (Ranking Member), Environment and Public Works, Foreign Relations, Rules and Administration · 12 subcommittees
- 91 committees reported contributions to them this cycle · 1 committee reported outside spending for or against them
Linked to this filing by its exact FEC candidate ID (S8OR00207) 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
- $5.1M
- Spent
- $3.0M
- Cash on hand
- $6.6M
- Individuals 80% $4.1M
- PACs & other committees 11% $578K
- Other receipts 8% $433K
Campaign totals through Oct 14, 2026. Excludes $239K moved between the candidate's own committees.
Outside groups: $120 supporting · $0 opposing
Biggest spenders supporting
Largest direct PAC contributions
- NEA FUND FOR CHILDREN AND PUBLIC EDUCATION $10K
- SEIU COPE (SERVICE EMPLOYEES INTERNATIONAL UNION COMMITTEE ON POLITICAL EDUCATION) $10K
- AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR JUSTICE POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (AAJ PAC) $10K
- AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS, AFL-CIO COMMITTEE ON POLITICAL EDUCATION $10K
- ENGINEERS POLITICAL EDUCATION COMMITTEE (EPEC)/INTERNATIONAL UNION OF OPERATING ENGINEERS $10K
Who gave.
Who gives $4.1M from individuals
30% in small-dollar gifts
$1.2M of $4.1M 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 36%. 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 $2.4M of the $2.9M 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.
69% from Oregon · 31% from elsewhere
Of itemized gifts, by the state on each donor's mailing address. Giving from other states is lawful and common.
66% of itemized dollars came earmarked through a conduit such as ActBlue or WinRed; each gift is counted once.
Top states
- Oregon $1.6M
- California $177K
- New York $85K
- Illinois $79K
- District of Columbia $73K
- Washington $64K
- Virginia $39K
- Maryland $33K
Top employers named by donors
- OHSU $6,957
- ASANTE $6,849
- INTEL $6,608
- INVARIANT $6,500
- K&L GATES $6,000
- UNIVERSITY OF OREGON $5,765
- THORN RUN PARTNERS $4,250
- OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY $3,643
- PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY $3,128
- OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY $2,175
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: $1.6M. Employers named by fewer than three donors, or filed as a person's name: $746K, not listed so no one donor is singled out.
Summary through Oct 14, 2026. Itemized gifts dated Jan 1, 2025 to Jun 30, 2026, net of refunds (25,855 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.
No 24- or 48-hour report in the FEC file read November 4, 2026 names Jeffrey Alan Merkley. The outside spending shown from regular reports is the latest available.
Where it went.
Where the money went $1.9M in itemized spending
These itemized payments cover $1.9M of the $3.0M 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 33% $620K
- Consultants & strategy 16% $305K
- Staff & payroll 7% $134K
- Fundraising & processing fees 21% $396K
- Polling, research & data 0.6% $12K
- Travel, meals & events 3% $52K
- Office, technology & overhead 7% $133K
- Legal & compliance 7% $129K
- Contributions, transfers & refunds 2% $30K
- Other or unclassified 4% $74K
Largest payees
- RWT PRODUCTION, LLC $423K
- MANDATE MEDIA, INC. $298K
- THE KAUFFMAN GROUP $248K
- ADP, INC. $137K
- CAPITOL COMPLIANCE ASSOCIATES, INC. $125K
Paid to individuals: $83K, 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 (884 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.
- David Brock SmithRepublican · $311K raised · $25K outside
- Jo Rae PerkinsRepublican · $11K 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.