Aguilar, Jeffries Top House Democrats in Corporate PAC Money
Records show two House Democratic leaders ranked first and second among their party in corporate PAC fundraising this election cycle.
Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Political Parties
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Pete Aguilar's campaign reported $1.42 million in corporate PAC contributions from January 2025 through October 14, 2026, ranking first among House Democrats, with Hakeem Jeffries second at $1.32 million. The figures come from Federal Election Commission filings analyzed in a review of congressional fundraising.
Why it matters
The totals spotlight tension within the Democratic caucus as at least 100 members of the incoming 120th Congress have pledged to reject corporate PAC money, a record for the No Corporate PAC pledge launched by End Citizens United in 2017. House Democrats are scheduled to hold leadership elections on November 18, 2026.
Corporate PACs accounted for 57% of the $2.5 million Aguilar raised from PACs, while nearly half of Jeffries' $2.8 million in PAC receipts came from corporate committees. Rep. Richard Neal reported $1.27 million and Katherine Clark $1.11 million in corporate PAC contributions over the same period.
The players
Pete Aguilar
Aguilar is a Democratic congressman from California who serves in House Democratic leadership and ranked first among House Democrats in corporate PAC contributions this cycle.
Hakeem Jeffries
Jeffries is the Democratic congressman from New York who leads the House Democratic caucus and ranked second in corporate PAC contributions this cycle.
End Citizens United
End Citizens United is a political advocacy group that launched the No Corporate PAC pledge in 2017 to discourage lawmakers from accepting corporate political action committee money.
The details
The review found that Jason Smith and Brett Guthrie, both Republicans, are the only House members to report more corporate PAC money than Clark. The analysis relied on campaign filings with the Federal Election Commission covering the current cycle.
Timeline
January 2025 through October 14, 2026: reporting period for Aguilar's corporate PAC contributions.
2017: End Citizens United launches the No Corporate PAC pledge.
Wednesday, November 18, 2026: House Democrats scheduled to hold leadership elections.
Political Context
The pledge's growth from its 2017 launch to 100 incoming members in the 120th Congress, above the 73 signers of the 118th Congress, signals rising resistance among Democrats to corporate PAC money. Its expansion contrasts with the continued reliance of leadership figures on corporate committees to fund their campaigns.
The findings show how campaign dollars from corporate committees are distributed among House Democrats, which affects which candidates have the resources to compete in future elections. Voters can check their own representatives' PAC receipts in Federal Election Commission filings.
The takeaway
Corporate PAC money remains a significant source of campaign funding for top House Democrats even as a growing number of incoming members refuse it. Tracking those choices through public filings lets voters judge where their representatives stand.
What happens next
House Democrats will hold leadership elections on Wednesday, November 18, 2026, when the caucus chooses its leaders for the 120th Congress.
Further reading
For more on how party leaders raise money, see Political Parties coverage across the United States.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Sludge.
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