Gun-control protesters and NRA members shout at each other outside the group's 2022 Annual Meeting
Gun-control protesters and NRA members shout at each other outside the group's 2022 Annual Meeting / Stephen Gutowski

Analysis: Where Gun Groups are Spending Their Election Money [Member Exclusive]

Gun-control groups have consistently outraised gun-rights organizations in the lead-up to the 2024 election.

This week saw the trend continue. With less than two and a half months until election day, the latest Federal Election Commission filings showed the political arms of Everytown, Giffords, and Brady outraised the NRA and its counterparts for the fourth time in the last five months. As the groups on either side of the gun debate continue to jockey for political influence, how that money is ultimately spent will help determine who holds the White House and control of Congress after this November.

Here’s a look at what their fundraising has gone to so far in terms of 2024 election spending.

National Rifle Association

The NRA’s PAC, the Political Victory Fund, has reported $188,791 in outside spending for the 2024 cycle thus far. Nearly all of that, $184,216.47, has been in support of former President Donald Trump.

It has also spent $4,600 in support of Oklahoma Congressman Tom Cole (R.), who successfully fended off a well-funded primary challenger. It also reported $426 in spending opposing Jefferson Shreve, an Indiana Republican who endorsed a series of gun-control measures in his unsuccessful 2023 bid for mayor of Indianapolis and is now the GOP candidate for Indiana’s 6th Congressional District.

The NRA’s PAC has also reported $256,950 in campaign contributions in the 2024 cycle to date, unanimously in support of Republicans. Among the more than 160 congressional candidates the PAC contributed to, North Carolina Congressman Richard Hudson (R.) received the highest contribution of $9,900. On the Senate side, the group contributed to eleven different Senate candidates, with Republican Senators Blackburn (Tenn.), Cramer (N.D.), Cruz (Texas), and Ricketts (Neb.) being the leading recipients at $4,950 each.

It also contributed $140,100 to various GOP PACs and party organizations, including $45,000 to the National Republican Senatorial Committee and $30,000 to the National Republican Congressional Committee.

The NRA has yet to truly activate its super PAC, the NRA Victory Fund. It has posted anemic fundraising numbers throughout the year, and its largest expenditure for the 2024 cycle has been a $20,535 disbursement to the NRA’s lobbying arm, according to OpenSecrets. That’s despite it having $191,967.32 in cash on hand.

Other Pro-Gun Groups

The PAC for the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the firearms industry’s trade group, has reported $546,492 in candidate contributions thus far and zero in outside spending, according to OpenSecrets. The group donated $531,492 to Republican candidates and $15,000 to Democratic candidates. Representatives Mike Johnson (R., La.), Mary Peltola (D., Alaska), Elise Stefanik (R., N.Y.), and Bruce Westerman (R., Ark.) each received the largest individual candidate contributions, at $10,000 each. Maine Congressman Jared Golden received $5,000 and is the only other Democrat the PAC has contributed to this cycle.

The NSSF PAC contributed an additional $284,638 to leadership funds and party organizations. All of that money went toward Republican groups as well, according to OpenSecrets.

The group’s Protect Liberty super PAC has yet to report any outside campaign spending. The same is true of the United States Concealed Carry Association for Saving Lives, a recently formed super PAC from the United States Concealed Carry Association.

GOA Victory Fund, the super PAC for Gun Owners of America, has reported spending $181,562 throughout the 2024 election cycle, according to OpenSecrets. The bulk of the group’s spending took place in Republican primaries across the country, mostly across three particular races. The group spent $57,383 in support of Alex Mooney (R.), who unsuccessfully challenged West Virginia Governor Jim Justice (R.) to become the GOP nominee to replace the outgoing Joe Manchin (D.) in the US Senate. The GOA Victory Fund also spent $47,682 in support of guntuber Brandon Herrera’s unsuccessful attempt to unseat incumbent Texas Congressman Tony Gonzales (R.). It spent $32,571 in support of House Freedom Caucus chairman Bob Good’s (R.) eventual primary loss to Virginia state senator John McGuire (R.).

The group’s PAC also reported $30,000 in campaign contributions to various Republican candidates, again mainly to unsuccessful primary challengers. It also donated $500 to the Republican Party of Michigan.

Everytown for Gun Safety

The country’s largest and most prominent gun-control group, Everytown, has pledged to spend $45 million in the 2024 election without providing the specifics of how that money would be sourced and spent.

To date, however, the group has not yet come close to that total. Its super PAC, the Everytown for Gun Safety Victory Fund, has reported $1,090,701 in outside campaign spending during the 2024 cycle, almost entirely to boost Democrats. $990,535 of that total was spent in support of President Joe Biden prior to his decision to drop out of the race. The group spent an additional $100,000 in support of Lucy McBath (D.), an incumbent Congresswoman representing Georgia.

The group has also reported an additional roughly $976,000 in spending on contributions to both federal and local party organizations, political committees, and candidates between its PAC and super PAC. The group also registered a new super PAC, the Everytown-Demand a Seat PAC, that has yet to begin spending. It has reported just under $8 million in available funds, nearly all of which came from Michael Bloomberg in a single donation last quarter, according to the most recently available FEC filing.

Giffords

Like Everytown, Giffords made a splashy pledge to spend big in the 2024 election, committing $15 million to help boost Kamala Harris (D.) and other pro-gun-control candidates. Similarly, it has yet to identify the source and specific plans for those funds.

Giffords PAC has yet to report any independent expenditures this cycle and has only reported approximately $153,000 in contributions to various candidates and political organizations thus far. It has reported spending $706,852 on “media,” primarily in the form of web ads.

Brady

The smallest of the big three gun-control groups, Brady is typically less active in federal elections than its counterparts. Thus far in the 2024 cycle, Brady PAC has yet to report any independent expenditures and has disclosed just $25,029 in contributions. The group donated $2,000 to Georgia Representative Lucy McBath (D.), as well as $1,000 to Pennsylvania Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R.), the group’s only Republican recipient.

Overall, while groups on either side of the gun issue have clearly been involved in helping to shape the political races currently taking place, neither has yet ramped up to their full potential. Both the NRA and the gun-control groups are currently sitting on eight-figure war chests while continuously fundraising to grow them. With the stakes of the election clear for gun voters, expect to see all of the groups bolster their political spending in the weeks to come.

UPDATE 8-30-2024 12:43 PM EASTERN: This piece has been updated to include donations to leadership and party committees.

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Created by potrace 1.16, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2019

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Created by potrace 1.16, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2019

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