Jan 3 2009
Most of us associate PACs -- political action committees -- with business, labor or ideology. However, federal politicians -- senators and representatives -- often form what is called a Leadership PAC to, among other things, raise money to help fund other candidate campaigns. Politicians often do this because they have their eye on a leadership position in Congress or a higher office.
The following list of Senators with Leadership PACs is based on data from SourceWatch and OpenSecrets. Failure to have a link to a PAC means only that a PAC has not been found, not that the Senator has no Leadership PAC.
Democrats and Independents
- Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI)
- Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) - Glacier PAC, OpenSecrets
- Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN) - All America PAC, OpenSecrets ; Americans for Responsible Leadership, OpenSecrets
- Sen. Joseph Biden, Jr. (D-DE) - Unite Our States, OpenSecrets
- Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM)
- Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) - PAC for a Change, OpenSecrets
- Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) - America Works, OpenSecrets
- Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV)
- Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA)
- Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD)
- Sen. Thomas R. Carper (D-DE) - First State PAC, OpenSecrets
- Sen. Robert P. Casey, Jr. (D-PA)
- Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) - HILLPAC, OpenSecrets
- Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND) - DAKPAC, OpenSecrets
- Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) - CHRIS PAC, OpenSecrets
- Sen. Byron L. Dorgan (D-ND) - Great Plains Leadership FundOpenSecrets
- Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-IL) - Prairie PAC, OpenSecrets
- Sen. Russell D. Feingold (D-WI) - Progressive Patriots Fund, OpenSecrets
- Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
- Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) - Independent Action and To Organize a Majority PAC, OpenSecrets
- Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-HI) - DANPAC, OpenSecrets
- Sen. Tim Johnson (D-SD) - South Dakota First PAC, OpenSecrets
- Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) - Committee for a Democratic Majority, OpenSecrets
- Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) - Keeping America's Promise, OpenSecrets
- Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) - Follow the North Star Fund, OpenSecrets
- Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI)
- Sen. Mary L. Landrieu (D-LA) - Jazz PAC, OpenSecrets
- Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ)
- Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) - Green Mountain PAC, OpenSecrets
- Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI)
- Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (I-CT) - Responsibility/Opportunity/Community PAC, OpenSecrets
- Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) - Leadership in the New Century, OpenSecrets
- Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) - Missourians for Accountability & Change OpenSecrets
- Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) - New Millennium PAC, OpenSecrets
- Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) - Building A Majority PAC, OpenSecrets
- Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) - M-PAC, OpenSecrets
- Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) - Nebraska Leadership PAC, OpenSecrets
- Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) - Moving America Forward, OpenSecrets
- Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) - Hope Fund, OpenSecrets
- Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AR) - Priority PAC, OpenSecrets
- Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) - Narragansett Bay PAC, OpenSecrets
- Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) - Searchlight Leadership Fund, OpenSecrets
- Sen. John D. Rockefeller, IV (D-WV)
- Sen. Ken Salazar (D-CO) - Rocky Mountain PAC, OpenSecrets
- Sen. Bernard Sanders (I-VT)
- Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-NY)
- Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) - America's Leadership PAC, OpenSecrets
- Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT)
- Sen. James Webb (D-VA) - Born Fighting PAC, OpenSecrets
- Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) - Rhode Island Hope PAC, OpenSecrets
- Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) - Holding Onto Oregon's Priorities, OpenSecrets