2026 candidate · follow the money
Who funds Ryan Dotson?
The money.
- Raised
- $567K
- Spent
- $566K
- Cash on hand
- $1,796
- Debts
- $163K
- Individuals 52% $293K
- PACs & other committees 2% $13K
- Candidate's own money & loans 46% $261K
- Other receipts <0.1% $38
Campaign totals through Sep 30, 2026.
No independent expenditures for or against this filing are itemized in the bulk file.
Largest direct PAC contributions
Who gave.
Who gives $293K from individuals
48% in small-dollar gifts
$140K of $293K 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 49%. 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.
84% from Kentucky · 16% from elsewhere
Of itemized gifts, by the state on each donor's mailing address. Giving from other states is lawful and common.
21% of itemized dollars came earmarked through a conduit such as ActBlue or WinRed; each gift is counted once.
Top states
- Kentucky $127K
- Texas $6,235
- Florida $3,146
- Washington $1,975
- Alabama $1,760
- Tennessee $1,586
- North Dakota $1,412
- California $1,020
Retired, self-employed, not employed or not given: $68K. Employers named by fewer than three donors, or filed as a person's name: $82K, not listed so no one donor is singled out.
Summary through Sep 30, 2026. Itemized gifts dated Jun 3, 2025 to May 21, 2026, net of refunds (449 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 Ryan Dotson.
Where it went.
Where the money went $460K in itemized spending
These itemized payments cover $460K of the $566K the campaign reported spending through Sep 30, 2026. The FEC has not yet itemized the rest in its bulk file, which runs to Jun 30, 2026.
- Advertising & outreach 33% $152K
- Consultants & strategy 57% $264K
- Fundraising & processing fees 2% $8,000
- Polling, research & data 0.4% $1,800
- Travel, meals & events 1% $5,719
- Office, technology & overhead 0.3% $1,242
- Legal & compliance 6% $27K
- Other or unclassified 0.2% $1,000
Largest payees
- STRATEGY MANAGEMENT $99K
- FRONTLINE STRATEGIES AGENCY $66K
- IONIZING STRATEGIES LLC $65K
- FRONTLINE STRATEGIES LLC $64K
- PROFESSIONAL DATA SERVICES, INC $27K
Paid to individuals: $109K, such as staff, contractors and reimbursements. People who were paid are not named here.
Payments dated Jun 20, 2025 to Jun 30, 2026, as itemized by the principal campaign committee in FEC reports (244 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 · $7.3M outside
- Adam Perez ArquetteRepublican · $5.0M raised
- Zach DemboDemocrat · $3.2M raised · $315K outside
- Ralph A AlvaradoRepublican · $2.2M raised · $343K outside
- Greg PlucinskiRepublican · $746K raised
- Cherlynn StevensonDemocrat · $661K raised · $148K outside
- Deanna GordonRepublican · $372K raised
- Erin PetreyDemocrat · $268K raised
- David KloiberDemocrat · $211K raised
- Bowman J JayNo party · $19K 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.