HARRISBURG — Big money is flowing into Pennsylvania’s legislative races as control of both chambers is up for grabs this Tuesday.
It’s impossible to paint a complete picture of how much was spent on these races until after the election, when final campaign finance reports are filed.
Still, Spotlight PA identified some notable findings from available information that illustrate the high stakes, as Pennsylvania Democrats mount a serious challenge to Republicans' long-running state Senate majority and defend their slim advantage in the House.
Yass-connected donations
Jeff Yass, a former professional gambler and co-founder of Wall Street investment firm Susquehanna International Group, often speaks about the importance of charter and private schools in his public remarks. He also has financial interests in prediction markets and social media.
The billionaire libertarian has used some of his fortune over the past decade and a half to boost candidates from both major parties who align with his vision. And this year isn’t any different.
Students First, a PAC funded by Yass, has spent $23.5 million this year, per campaign finance reports.
Some of that money went directly to elected officials. For example, Students First contributed $2.5 million to the individual campaign account of state Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward (Westmoreland) and her leadership PAC this year.
But the bulk of that cash was contributed to PACs that aren’t affiliated with a specific candidate.
The single biggest recipient is a newly formed PAC, PA Education Choice Fund, which received $13.5 million this year. Its sole donor is Students First.
PA Education Choice Fund donated a combined $7.2 million to the campaigns of three vulnerable Republican state senators from August to mid-October: Frank Farry (Bucks), Tracy Pennycuick (Montgomery), and Rosemary Brown (Monroe). Those funds account for between 50% and 80% of their respective fundraising in that period.
The second biggest recipient was Commonwealth Children’s Choice Fund, run by conservative operative Matt Brouillette, which received $5.5 million. The PAC funneled $1.45 million to Lancaster County Republican Tom Jones’ bid for state Senate; $1.3 million to Commonwealth Leaders Fund, another Yass-affiliated committee; and hundreds of thousands to other GOP committees.
The final total of Yass-connected spending will likely be higher as reports for the final two weeks of the election come in. A spokesperson for Yass did not respond to a request for comment.
National money
Pennsylvania Democrats got a big boost this year from a national group that supports state-level candidates.
Since registering in Pennsylvania in 2020, the PAC for America’s Future has raised $58.5 million from a mix of mid- to big-dollar donors, particularly from wealthy individuals in blue states like New York and California, and funneled those dollars to swing state legislative races across the country.
The group both raised and contributed money in Pennsylvania this year through two PACs, one labelled “PA” and the other “federal.”
Those PACs raised $20.1 million this year (at least $220,000 of which came from Pennsylvania-based donors). Its most notable funders include Jonathan Soros, son of Democratic megadonor George Soros, and Oklahoma philanthropist Lynn Schusterman.
The PACs have contributed nearly $7.8 million in 2026 to support legislative candidates in Pennsylvania, making the commonwealth a top recipient of cash from the group.
Most of the money went to Democrats’ legislative campaign committees. More than a dozen individual Democratic candidates in close races also benefited, including Hadley Haas in Allegheny County, Sara Agerton in Cumberland County, and Elizabeth Moro in Chester County.
But the candidate who received the most money is an independent facing a Republican state senator (keep reading to learn more).
Support from the PAC for America’s Future “helps to ensure candidates can spend more of their time talking to voters instead of dialing for dollars,” Christina Polizzi, a spokesperson for the group, said in a statement.
Democrat-aligned dollars for an independent candidate
Several PACs that traditionally support Democrats are bankrolling an independent candidate’s attempt to oust longtime Republican Sen. Camera Bartolotta in Western Pennsylvania.
Jodi Borello, a former environmental organizer who was previously a registered Republican, received at least $420,000 between Sept. 11 and Oct. 15 from:
The PAC for America’s Future, the national group highlighted above;
PA United PAC, a grassroots organization based in Western Pennsylvania that worked to “defeat Trump” in 2020 and help Gov. Josh Shapiro and House Democrats in 2022, per its website;
And Rural People Rising, a newly formed PAC primarily funded by left-aligned groups like PA United PAC and the progressive Working Families Party PAC.
She also received $10,000 from state Sen. Katie Muth (D., Chester).
Democrats are trying to flip the state Senate for the first time in decades. With so few races on the ballot this year considered competitive, Borello’s campaign offers another opportunity to oust a sitting Republican.
Borello told Spotlight PA in August that she would not caucus with either party if elected.
Bartolotta has the spending advantage. Her campaign spent $1.2 million between June 9 and Oct. 19. Borello’s campaign spent $628,000 from May 22 to Oct. 19.
The candidates have likely spent more since then, but the complete tallies won’t be available until after the election.
Independent spending galore
Groups have made at least $10 million worth of independent expenditures to influence the outcome of several races on the ballot as of Monday, Pennsylvania Department of State records show.
Independent expenditures are often made by groups that can’t legally give to candidates, including dark money nonprofits that don’t have to disclose their donors. The groups are also not allowed to coordinate with candidates or campaigns.
The group that has reported spending the most money so far is First Amendment LLC. It spent $4 million on direct mail, phone calls, and digital ads to oppose the Democratic candidates in 20 state House and six Senate races. It paid Make Liberty Win, which is registered with the state as a super PAC, to furnish the ads.
First Amendment LLC has not filed any documentation with the state, but appears to be connected to Make Liberty Win. The groups share a suburban Virginia address, and First Amendment LLC lists an email address for Make Liberty Win in its expenditures.
Make Liberty Win announced plans to “Defeat Socialist Democrats at State-Level in Midterms” in September and target 200 races in 12 states, including Pennsylvania. Tech venture capitalist Scott Banister, who made his money from early bets on PayPal and Uber, funded the effort with $40 million.
Make Liberty Win did not reply to a request for comment.
The second largest spender is Pennsylvania Fund for Change, a Democratic-aligned super PAC largely funded by dark money groups. It has reported spending almost $2 million on mail, TV, and digital ad buys in 11 state House and five Senate races.
It disclosed raising $8 million this year, almost half of it from PA Alliance Action, a Philadelphia dark money nonprofit that does not disclose its donors. Another $1.2 million came from a federal dark money group called American Leadership Committee.
The rest of Pennsylvania Fund For Change’s cash came from a variety of sources, including unions, nursing home operators, and prediction market firm Kalshi.
A third group, the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, spent just over $1 million on independent expenditures.
More money will likely be reported in the next 24 hours and in the week after the election.
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