Largest Kansas ActBlue Donors in Last Three Election Cycles
Some ActBlue donors make a large number of small contributions, while others give large amounts fewer times
A recent Watchdog Lab article listed ActBlue donors from Kansas and nationally who gave a large number of contributions to ActBlue, sometimes as many as 36,000 contributions in an election cycle.
This article focuses on Kansas and National ActBlue donors who contributed large amounts, but in many fewer contributions.
Donations listed in the tables below can be verified through the FEC data site. Enter a name and download a file with all the contributions. Be sure to filter by state since other people with the same name can exist in other parts of the country.
Kansas ActBlue “Top Amount” Lists
The previous article limited Kansas donors to those in the national “top 1000” based on number of contributions. (A Kansas donor had rank #1 in 2020.)
Based on total amount contributed few Kansas donors are in the top 1000 nationally, so we show the top 10 in tables below regardless of national rank with the top 100 in separate Excel files.
2022 Election Cycle
AMC’s CEO, Adam Aron, ranked #1 in Kansas (and #1626 nationally) in ActBlue contributions in 2022. He made four contributions that totaled $55,500. The smallest was $2,000 and the largest was $26,500. Aron’s contributions were earmarked to be given to four recipients.
Dorlan Bales was the #4 total amount Kansas donor, but he was ranked #1 in Kansas for his 6370 contributions. Bales is the Development Director at Sunflower Community Action according to FEC records. Sunflower Community Action is a progressive organization.
Dianne Shumaker is a long-time Democratic donor. In the past she contributed to NARAL and Dr. George Tiller’s ProKanDo PAC.
Download an Excel file with the top 100 ActBlue donors in Kansas in the 2022 election cycle (2021-2022):
2020 Election Cycle
Based on number of contributions, Paula Bandt was nationally ranked #1 and #40 at slightly different addresses in 2020. Based on total contributions Bandt ranked #1 in Kansas in 2020, but that is rank #668 nationally.
Jennifer and Chuck Laue are the #4 and #5 Kansas ActBlue contributors in 2020. Chuck Laue is vice chairman of Asurion, responsible for global underwriting and insurance operations as well as key client executive relationships. Chuck is on the Board of Directors of the Humane Society of the US: Laue and his wife, Jennifer, founded Stray Dog Capital in 2013 to fund more humane, sustainable food systems through venture capital. Laue also co-founded three private foundations—The Quinn Foundation, Stray Dog Institute and Ringo’s Fund—that focus on collaboration and charitable giving for animal and human welfare causes.
Download an Excel file with the top 100 ActBlue donors in Kansas in the 2020 election cycle (2019-2020):
2018 Election Cycle
Download an Excel file with the top 1000 ActBlue donors nationally in the 2018 election cycle (2017-2018):
National ActBlue “Top Amount” Lists
The Top 10 ActBlue donors nationally based on total amount in each of three election cycles are shown below. Excel files show the Top 1000 for each cycle.
2022 Election Cycle
Karla Jurvetson, a psychiatrist and philanthropist, gave ActBlue 457 contributions that averaged $5115 that ranged from $20 to $100,000. The money was earmarked for 320 recipients.
Note “SEIU COPE” is not a person, but rather the Service Employees International Union Committee on Political Education. SEIU rankings in these three cycles: #2 in 2022, #1 in 2020, and #7 in 2018.
#3 donor Gloria Page is married to Carl Page, Alphabet CEO (Google’s parent company).
Note: a “Kevin Rowe” is both the #5 and #6 rank contributor with the same employer and occupation. Is this the same person giving from two different addresses?
Why would Lieu for Congress use ActBlue to distribute $755,000 to 215 causes?
Download an Excel file with the top 1000 ActBlue donors nationally in the 2022 election cycle (2021-2022):
2020 Election Cycle
#2 donor, Alan Shepoiser, was one of three large Democratic donors mentioned in a Medium article from May 2019: Mr. Shepoiser, from Porter Ranch, CA, has mostly maxed-out only to candidates’ primary campaigns, and has done so for about 40 candidates across the country.
Download an Excel file with the top 1000 ActBlue donors nationally in the 2020 election cycle (2019-2020):
2018 Election Cycle
S. Donald Sussman was the #1 ActBlue donor in 2018, but was also the #9 donor in 2020. From the Paloma Partners web site: Sussman is a Trustee/Board member of Emily’s List and Center for American Progress.
Ian Simmons was the #2 ActBlue donor in 2018, but was also the #10 donor in 2020. Harvard University gives his background: Ian Simmons is Co-Founder and Principal of Blue Haven Initiative, where he oversees a portfolio focused on investments that generate competitive financial returns and address social and environmental challenges. This portfolio spans asset classes, including private and public equity, fixed income, direct investments, alternative investments and philanthropic programs.
#8 contributor, Laurene Powell Jobs, is a billionaire executive. She is the widow of Steve Jobs, the co-founder and former CEO of Apple.
Download an Excel file with the top 1000 ActBlue donors nationally in the 2018 election cycle (2017-2018):
Related
Democratic fundraiser ActBlue lays off portion of staff, The Hill, Max Greenwood, April 3, 2023.
