PAC · DC · C00942623
The Democratic Bench Fund
A traditional political action committee. It raises limited contributions and can give directly to candidates. Joint fundraising committee.
First filed March 9, 2026. Treasurer: Steven Mele. Connected organization: None. View on FEC.gov (opens in a new tab)
- Raised (2025-26)$23,500
- Spent$23,457
- Cash on hand$43
- Outside spending$0
Raised, spent and cash on hand through reports covering Oct. 14, 2026.
Where its money went
- Given: the group’s own contributions to the campaign
- Bundled: donors’ contributions the group collected and forwarded
- For: outside spending supporting
- Against: outside spending opposing
- Nancy Lacore (D) (opens in a new tab)House · SC-01
- Cait Conley (D) (opens in a new tab)House · NY-17
- Bob Brooks (D) (opens in a new tab)House · PA-07
- Sam Forstag (D) (opens in a new tab)House · MT-01
Bundled contributions (money donors route through a PAC to specific candidates) are broken out only for groups on our issue pages.
Money to parties and other committees
| Recipient | Amount |
|---|---|
| The Bench | $3,885 |
Who funds it
Largest single contributions this cycle. Committees and organizations link to their own pages when they file with the FEC; an organization that doesn’t file won’t show its own donors here.
| Contributor | Type | From | Date | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parker, GeoffreyNot Employed, Not Employed | Person | Woodside, CA | April 1, 2026 | $14,000 (opens in a new tab) |
| Sandberg, MichellePhysician, Santa Clara Valley Med CTR | Person | Atherton, CA | April 1, 2026 | $4,000 (opens in a new tab) |
| Toben, SteveConsultant, Toben Consulting | Person | Portola Valley, CA | April 1, 2026 | $2,000 (opens in a new tab) |
| Edwards, KarenBusiness Owner, Self Employed | Person | Palo Alto, CA | April 1, 2026 | $1,000 (opens in a new tab) |
| Carlson, MargaretNot Employed, Not Employed | Person | Woodside, CA | April 1, 2026 | $1,000 (opens in a new tab) |
| Thernstrom, MelanieWriter, Self Employed | Person | Atherton, CA | March 18, 2026 | $1,000 (opens in a new tab) |
| Sandlin, DavidCommercial Real Estate, Colliers | Person | San Jose, CA | April 1, 2026 | $500 (opens in a new tab) |
See every contribution to The Democratic Bench Fund on FEC.gov (opens in a new tab). Contributions of $200 or less aren’t listed by name.