2026 candidate · follow the money
Who funds Trina Swanson?
The money.
- Raised
- $727K
- Spent
- $551K
- Cash on hand
- $177K
- Individuals 94% $687K
- PACs & other committees 4% $30K
- Party committees 1% $10K
- Other receipts <0.1% $70
Campaign totals through Oct 14, 2026.
No independent expenditures for or against this filing are itemized in the bulk file.
Largest direct PAC contributions
Who gave.
Who gives $687K from individuals
37% in small-dollar gifts
$255K of $687K 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 $181K of the $431K the campaign reported itemizing through Oct 14, 2026. The FEC has not yet processed the rest into its bulk file, which runs to Jul 22, 2026 for this campaign.
80% from Minnesota · 20% from elsewhere
Of itemized gifts, by the state on each donor's mailing address. Giving from other states is lawful and common.
58% of itemized dollars came earmarked through a conduit such as ActBlue or WinRed; each gift is counted once.
Top states
- Minnesota $144K
- Ohio $6,700
- Missouri $6,000
- Wisconsin $5,000
- District of Columbia $4,850
- Virginia $4,751
- Maryland $2,325
- Illinois $2,250
Top employers named by donors
- ESSENTIA $2,250
- UMD $850
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: $128K. Employers named by fewer than three donors, or filed as a person's name: $49K, not listed so no one donor is singled out.
Summary through Oct 14, 2026. Itemized gifts dated Jan 8, 2026 to Jul 22, 2026, net of refunds (464 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 Trina Swanson.
Where it went.
Where the money went $218K in itemized spending
These itemized payments cover $218K of the $551K the campaign reported spending through Oct 14, 2026. The FEC has not yet itemized the rest in its bulk file, which runs to Jul 22, 2026.
- Advertising & outreach 25% $54K
- Consultants & strategy 25% $55K
- Staff & payroll 4% $8,835
- Fundraising & processing fees 23% $51K
- Travel, meals & events 10% $21K
- Office, technology & overhead 4% $9,297
- Legal & compliance 4% $8,300
- Other or unclassified 5% $10K
Largest payees
- NEON STRATEGIES $27K
- BREAK BLUE $18K
- NGP VAN $11K
- ADVANTAGE EMBLEM & SCREEN PRINTING $9,983
- JS PRINT GROUP $9,146
Paid to individuals: $53K, such as staff, contractors and reimbursements. People who were paid are not named here.
Payments dated Jan 11, 2026 to Jul 22, 2026, as itemized by the principal campaign committee in FEC reports (215 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.
- Peter Allen StauberRepublican · $2.4M raised · $839 outside
- Luke GulbransonDemocrat · $219K raised
- Chad McKennaDemocratic-Farmer-Labor · $28K raised
- Emanuel AnastosDemocratic-Farmer-Labor · $5,915 raised
- Cyle CramerDemocratic-Farmer-Labor · $4,515 raised
- Wendell Robert SmithDemocratic-Farmer-Labor · $3,415 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.