2026 candidate · follow the money
Who funds Stephen Friess?
The money.
- Raised
- $3.4M
- Spent
- $3.5M
- Cash on hand
- $44K
- Debts
- $3.2M
- Individuals 4% $127K
- PACs & other committees 1% $36K
- Candidate's own money & loans 95% $3.2M
- Other receipts <0.1% $1,522
Campaign totals through Sep 30, 2026. Excludes $218K moved between the candidate's own committees.
Outside groups: $1.2M supporting · $30K opposing
Biggest spenders supporting
- WYOMING WAY ACTION PAC $838K
- OUTRIDER PAC $406K
Biggest spenders opposing
Largest direct PAC contributions
Who gave.
Who gives $127K from individuals
1% in small-dollar gifts
$1,698 of $127K 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 $94K of the $125K the campaign reported itemizing through Sep 30, 2026. The FEC has not yet processed the rest into its bulk file, which runs to Jul 27, 2026 for this campaign.
43% from Wyoming · 57% from elsewhere
Of itemized gifts, by the state on each donor's mailing address; $11K had no usable state. Giving from other states is lawful and common.
57% of itemized dollars came earmarked through a conduit such as ActBlue or WinRed; each gift is counted once.
Top states
- Wyoming $36K
- Texas $8,286
- Nebraska $7,000
- Virginia $5,582
- Arizona $5,500
- Louisiana $5,000
- Maryland $3,643
- Florida $2,811
Retired, self-employed, not employed or not given: $38K. Employers named by fewer than three donors, or filed as a person's name: $56K, not listed so no one donor is singled out.
Summary through Sep 30, 2026. Itemized gifts dated Apr 2, 2026 to Jul 27, 2026, net of refunds (62 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: $1.2M for / $1.1M against · $0 in the final two weeks
That is $1.1M more than the $1.3M in regular reports alone. Source: FEC regular reports plus 24- and 48-hour reports they do not yet cover. 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
- TV, radio & streaming TV 31% $738K
- Digital ads 32% $756K
- Ads, medium not stated 2% $50K
- Mail, print & signs 30% $720K
- Phones & texts 5% $118K
Largest late spenders for
- WYOMING WAY ACTION PAC $838K
- OUTRIDER PAC $406K
Largest late spenders against
Latest dissemination on these reports: August 14, 2026. FEC 24- and 48-hour independent-expenditure reports read November 4, 2026, with amended and re-filed reports counted once (30 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 $2.5M in itemized spending
These itemized payments cover $2.5M of the $3.5M the campaign reported spending through Sep 30, 2026. The FEC has not yet itemized the rest in its bulk file, which runs to Jul 29, 2026.
- Advertising & outreach 84% $2.1M
- Consultants & strategy 4% $107K
- Staff & payroll 5% $132K
- Fundraising & processing fees 0.2% $5,835
- Polling, research & data 2% $39K
- Travel, meals & events 2% $41K
- Office, technology & overhead 2% $37K
- Legal & compliance 0.9% $22K
- Other or unclassified 0.8% $19K
Largest payees
- MEDIUM BUYING $1.2M
- TARGETED CREATIVE COMMUNICATIONS, INC. $722K
- GUSTO $126K
- S2R, LLC $51K
- CANYON CREATIVE $45K
Paid to individuals: $53K, such as staff, contractors and reimbursements. People who were paid are not named here.
Payments dated Apr 13, 2026 to Jul 29, 2026, as itemized by the principal campaign committee in FEC reports (353 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.
- Harriet HagemanRepublican · $2.2M raised
- Chuck GrayRepublican · $2.0M raised · $2.3M outside
- Frank ChapmanRepublican · $1.2M raised · $2.4M outside
- David GiraltRepublican · $287K raised · $50K outside
- Jillian BalowRepublican · $184K raised
- Dennis Bo Dean Biteman IIRepublican · $122K raised
- Lisa KinneyDemocrat · $99K raised
- Kevin ChristensenRepublican · $43K raised
- Keith Brian GoodenoughRepublican · $2,035 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.