Political leanings: Conservative
2020 total spending: $71.2 million
Club for Growth Action, the super PAC of the conservative Club for Growth, was launched in August 2010. On its website, the organization declares its mission is to “take on any Member of Congress on policy who fails to uphold basic economic conservative principles … regardless of party.”
The super PAC targets some Republican incumbents in primary elections in order to replace them with “pro-growth, limited government conservatives.” Club for Growth Action states on its website that it has been “instrumental” in helping to elect conservatives such as Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas, Marco Rubio of Florida and Tim Scott of South Carolina.
As of Jan. 31, the group had raised $32 million for the 2022 election cycle.
Its independent expenditures — spending for or against named candidates, without coordination with candidates or parties — totaled $11 million, as of Jan. 31. Club for Growth Action has spent most of that on Senate races, including nearly $3.7 million in support of Rep. Ted Budd of North Carolina, a Republican seeking the Senate seat currently held by Republican Sen. Richard Burr, who is not seeking reelection in 2022. Budd also has the endorsement of former President Donald Trump. The super PAC also has spent nearly $1 million against Budd’s top primary opponent, former Gov. Pat McCrory.
In addition, the super PAC has spent more than $1.5 million to oppose J.D. Vance and almost $900,000 against Jane Timken, who are both running in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate in Ohio. Club for Growth Action has endorsed former Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel for that seat.
Club for Growth Action has spent more than $1.7 million in support of Rep. Mo Brooks of Alabama, who is running in the GOP primary for the Senate seat currently held by retiring Republican Sen. Richard Shelby. The super PAC also spent more than $775,000 in an unsuccessful effort to help elect Republican Susan Wright, who lost a July 2021 special election for Texas’ 6th Congressional District seat.
As for its contributions, nearly three-quarters of the Club for Growth Action’s money thus far in the 2022 cycle has come from three donors: Richard Uihlein, Virginia James and Jeff Yass. Uihlein, the chief executive officer of Uline, a shipping, packaging and industrial supplies company, has donated nearly $17 million to the super PAC. James, an investor and chair of the Club for Growth’s board of directors, has contributed $4 million. Yass, co-founder of the financial firm Susquehanna International Group, has donated $2.5 million to the committee.
In the 2020 cycle, Club for Growth Action spent $71.2 million, including $65.5 million on independent expenditures. The super PAC spent almost $43.2 million of that on House races and nearly $10.2 million on Senate races. It also spent $10.6 million against Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
The super PAC was involved in the U.S. Senate runoff elections in Georgia, as well, spending $10 million on media, mail and get-out-the-vote initiatives to support then-Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, the Republican incumbents who lost their reelection contests.
In addition, the super PAC and its parent committee funded advertisements promoting the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett, who was then-President Donald Trump’s nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court. In September 2020, the Club for Growth announced that it would spend at least $5 million in support of Barrett’s nomination.
Uihlein and Yass also contributed a large chunk of the super PAC’s money for the 2020 elections. Uihlein, who has donated to the Club for Growth Action since 2010, gave $27 million. Yass donated $21.7 million.
FactCheck.org Undergraduate Fellow Lucía Osses contributed to this article.
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