2026 candidate · follow the money
Who funds Michael Bridgford?
The money.
- Raised
- $338K
- Spent
- $262K
- Cash on hand
- $77K
- Debts
- $150K
- Individuals 25% $84K
- PACs & other committees 1% $5,000
- Candidate's own money & loans 44% $149K
- Other receipts 30% $100K
Campaign totals through Oct 14, 2026.
No independent expenditures for or against this filing are itemized in the bulk file.
Largest direct PAC contributions
- FORWARD PARTY $5,000
Who gave.
Who gives $84K from individuals
3% in small-dollar gifts
$2,505 of $84K 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 $45K of the $82K the campaign reported itemizing through Oct 14, 2026. The FEC has not yet processed the rest into its bulk file, which runs to Oct 1, 2026 for this campaign.
4% from Iowa · 96% from elsewhere
Of itemized gifts, by the state on each donor's mailing address. Giving from other states is lawful and common.
Top states
- Kentucky $14K
- Texas $12K
- Florida $8,500
- California $4,000
- Iowa $1,800
- Arizona $1,000
- Connecticut $1,000
- New York $1,000
Retired, self-employed, not employed or not given: $20K. Employers named by fewer than three donors, or filed as a person's name: $25K, not listed so no one donor is singled out.
Summary through Oct 14, 2026. Itemized gifts dated Apr 16, 2026 to Oct 1, 2026, net of refunds (30 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: $197K for / $0 against · $39K 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
- Digital ads 15% $29K
- Ads, medium not stated 74% $145K
- Phones & texts 12% $23K
Largest late spenders for
- INDEPENDENT PAC $159K
- OUR HERITAGE MATTERS $39K
Latest dissemination on these reports: November 2, 2026. FEC 24- and 48-hour independent-expenditure reports read November 4, 2026, with amended and re-filed reports counted once (17 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 $82K in itemized spending
These itemized payments cover $82K of the $262K the campaign reported spending through Oct 14, 2026. The FEC has not yet itemized the rest in its bulk file, which runs to Oct 14, 2026.
- Advertising & outreach 12% $9,419
- Consultants & strategy 30% $24K
- Staff & payroll 26% $21K
- Fundraising & processing fees 0.3% $252
- Polling, research & data 13% $10K
- Travel, meals & events 6% $5,105
- Office, technology & overhead 0.4% $306
- Legal & compliance 12% $10K
- Other or unclassified 1% $1,050
Largest payees
- THE LAWRENCE GROUP $2,500
- JFL CONSULTING LLC $2,000
- CENTRI ANALYTICS LLC $1,152
- IMPRINT.COM $716
- CANVA $446
Paid to individuals: $74K, such as staff, contractors and reimbursements. People who were paid are not named here.
Payments dated Apr 9, 2026 to Oct 14, 2026, as itemized by the principal campaign committee in FEC reports (80 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.
- Christina BohannanDemocrat · $9.0M raised · $4.6M outside
- Mariannette Jane Miller-MeeksRepublican · $7.2M raised · $3.9M outside
- Taylor WettachDemocrat · $698K raised
- David Alfred PautschRepublican · $58K raised
- Travis TerrellDemocrat · $21K 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.