PaidForPolitics

Education and school choice

School choice groups and teachers unions are among the biggest single-issue spenders in education politics, from primaries to general elections.

  • 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

Groups tracked · raised $25.6M this cycle

School choice

Totals

  • Given to campaigns
    $0
  • Bundled to campaigns
    $0
  • Spent for
    $75K
  • Spent against
    $831K

Groups

  • AFC Victory FundSuper PAC of the American Federation for Children (AFC), a school choice group founded by Betsy DeVos. FEC type: Super PAC.$25K
  • School Freedom FundSuper PAC affiliated with the Club for Growth, an anti-tax group, that backs school choice candidates. FEC type: Super PAC.$881K

Where the money went

  1. Joseph Michael Barrett (R)House · TN-07
    • Against$811K
    via AFC Victory Fund, School Freedom Fund
  2. Matt Van Epps (R)House · TN-07
    • For$75K
    via School Freedom Fund
  3. William Todd Warner (R)House · TN-09
    • Against$20K
    via School Freedom Fund

Groups tracked · raised $32.9M this cycle

Teachers unions

Totals

  • Given to campaigns
    $3.4M
  • Bundled to campaigns
    $0
  • Spent for
    $385K
  • Spent against
    $170K

Groups

  • NEA Advocacy FundSuper PAC of the National Education Association (NEA), the largest U.S. teachers union. FEC type: Super PAC.$205K
  • NEA FundPAC of the National Education Association (NEA). Gives directly to candidates. FEC type: PAC.$1.6M
  • AFT COPECommittee on Political Education (COPE) of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), a teachers union. FEC type: PAC.$1.8M
  • AFT SolidarityPolitical fund of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). Reports its independent ads to the FEC. FEC type: Outside spender (not a PAC).$350K

Where the money went

  1. Cait Conley (D)House · NY-17
    • Given$20K
    • For$200K
    via NEA Fund, AFT COPE, AFT Solidarity
  2. David Valadao (R)House · CA-22
    • Against$170K
    via NEA Advocacy Fund
  3. Adriano Espaillat (D)House · NY-13
    • Given$12K
    • For$150K
    via NEA Fund, AFT COPE, AFT Solidarity
  4. Chris Coons (D)Senate · DE
    • Given$40K
    via NEA Fund, AFT COPE
  5. Mark DeSaulnier (D)House · CA-10
    • Given$30K
    via NEA Fund, AFT COPE
  6. Adam Gray (D)House · CA-13
    • Given$30K
    via NEA Fund, AFT COPE
  7. Hakeem S. Jeffries (D)House · NY-08
    • Given$30K
    via NEA Fund, AFT COPE
  8. Jake Johnson (D)House · MN-01
    • Given$30K
    via NEA Fund, AFT COPE
  9. Greg Landsman (D)House · OH-01
    • Given$30K
    via NEA Fund, AFT COPE
  10. Kristen McDonald Rivet (D)House · MI-08
    • Given$30K
    via NEA Fund, AFT COPE
  11. Analilia Mejia (D)House · NJ-11
    • Given$30K
    via NEA Fund, AFT COPE
  12. Jeff Merkley (D)Senate · OR
    • Given$30K
    via NEA Fund, AFT COPE

Showing the top 12 of 330 candidates.

What this page doesn’t show

  • State legislative and school board races, where most education money goes
  • Donors to the nonprofits behind these PACs
  • Money given to party committees and other PACs, which is listed on each group’s own page

Totals cover the 2025-26 cycle, from FEC data as of Oct. 31, 2026. Each group’s total counts its contributions to candidates’ campaigns, the bundled contributions it forwarded for its donors, and its outside spending for and against candidates. Bundled money belongs to the individual donors, so it’s shown separately from the group’s own giving and never counted twice. Outside spending is from FEC filings through Oct. 30, 2026, the same figures as our race pages, and includes $220K from 24- and 48-hour reports, as filed. How this works.