Donald Trump has seen an influx in billionaire backers, including from Silicon Valley.
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As the 2024 race heats up, Trump has gained support from billionaires and wealthy business leaders.
Elon Musk and a handful of Silicon Valley elite are among those rallying around the former president.
Here are some of Trump's richest donors and how much they've contributed to the 2024 campaign.
As former President Donald Trump seeks a second term in the White House, he's increasingly turning to billionaires to power his campaign.
Some of them are longtime associates and supporters — true believers who know the former president from his days in the business world — while others are relative newcomers, such as longtime GOP megadonors who backed his 2024 rivals or even previously supported Democrats.
The backers represent diverse industries, from traditional red-state oil titans like Harold Hamm to formerly left-leaning Silicon Valley elite like Elon Musk and Marc Andreessen.
Each lists different reasons for their choice: Some take issue with Kamala Harris' tax plans, while others prefer Trump's tough stance on immigration.
"I share the concern of most Americans that our economic, immigration and foreign policies are taking the country in the wrong direction. For these reasons, I am planning to vote for change and support Donald Trump for President," Blackstone CEO Steve Schwarzman said in a statement to Axios.
In 2022, the finance billionaire had said he would not support Trump in the primary and called on "the Republican Party to turn to a new generation of leaders."
Here are some of the richest and most notable billionaires contributing to Trump's 2024 campaign, including to his "Trump 47" joint fundraising committee, which splits proceeds between the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee, and the MAGA Inc. super PAC.
America PAC has garnered support from others in Silicon Valley and captured the public's attention — in the final stretch of the election, Musk is offering $1 million to registered swing state voters who sign a petition affiliated with the PAC. Senators have called on the Department of Justice to investigate the legality of the move.
Musk has never been a major political donor before, though he has ramped up his rhetoric in recent years. He's appeared with Trump at rallies and town halls, making himself a fixture of the campaign in a way few private sector giants have before.
Steve Schwarzman
Steve Schwarzman is one of the richest billionaries to back former president Donald Trump.
But in May, he said he will vote for the former president in November. Axios, which first published the news, reported that he will donate to Trump. In 2020, Schwarzman, who is worth $50.1 billion, per Forbes, contributed millions to his reelection campaign.
"The dramatic rise of antisemitism has led me to focus on the consequences of upcoming elections with greater urgency," he said in his statement.
A long-term Republican donor and powerful influence on Wall Street, Schwarzman has thus far donated $419,600 to the Trump 47 Committee and millions to PACS focused on electing Republicans to Congress.
Miriam Adelson
Miriam Adelson — who, with her husband Sheldon, was Donald Trump's biggest donor in 2020 — will be backing him again in 2024.
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Miriam Adelson — the widow of casino mogul Sheldon Adelson who received a Presidential Medal of Freedom from Trump — has officially announced she would once again back the former president — a coup for his campaign finances.
Her endorsement comes with quite a bit of cash: Adelson, whose net worth stands at $35.4 billion, according to Forbes, is bringing back her Preserve America super PAC and is reportedly planning to donate at least $90 million to reelect Trump. In May, she donated $5 million to Preserve America.
In 2020, she and Sheldon were Trump's biggest donors, contributing more than $120 million to his campaign, as well as to other Republican causes and candidates.
Diane Hendricks
Diane Hendricks, the cofounder of roofing company ABC Supplies, has donated at least $15 million to the MAGA Inc. super Pac and $844,600 to the Trump 47 Committee.
Worth $21.9 billion, per Forbes, she is a regular Republican donor. In 2016, she served as the vice chair of one of Trump's fundraising committees and has given six figures to various Republican state parties and the Republican National Committee. She has donated $15 million to the MAGA Inc. super PAC this cycle and $844,600 to the Trump 47 Committee.
Harold Hamm
Harold Hamm's endorsement comes down to one thing: oil.
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Harold Hamm, an oil and gas magnate worth $18.5 billion, per Forbes, has contributed $614,000 to the Trump 47 Committee and $200,000 to the Trump-aligned MAGA Inc. super PAC.
Like several other billionaire donors, Hamm wasn't always convinced Trump was the right man for 2024. He contributed thousands to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former Ambassador Nikki Haley in the primaries.
Hamm's support may give some insight into how Trump is doing with oil and gas money, which he has been courting for months.
"Republican, Democrat… I'm an oilocrat," he told the Financial Times in 2022.
Andrew Beal
The Texas-based banker Andrew Beal is worth $12 billion, according to Forbes. He's spent at least $1.8 million on Trump-aligned groups in 2024, but his support is years old. The two men are reportedly friends, despite previous business disagreements.
In 2016, Beal formed a PAC, Save American From Its Government, supporting Trump's initial run for the White House. The group spent money on newspaper advertisements in swing states. He funded the PAC with an initial $2 million.
"I have a lot of money and would spent it to make it a better country," Beal told Forbes at the time. "My goal is to make this a better country by electing Donald Trump."
In 2020, Beal donated upwards of $4 million to Trump committees and other GOP efforts in 2020.
Bernard Marcus
Marcus, left, is at political odds with the other Home Depot co-founder.
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Home Depot cofounder Bernie Marcus has donated millions to the GOP, putting him at odds with his fellow cofounder and Democratic donor, Arthur Blank.
Marcus, who is worth $11 billion per Forbes, was an early MAGA supporter. He donated more than $5 million to Trump-related super PACS in 2016 and $10 million in 2020.
Marcus and his wife have given at least $1 million to MAGA Inc. and $844,600 to the Trump 47 Committee.
Marcus lives in Atlanta and has also spent significant sums on key senate races in Georgia. The 94-year-old and his wife were the seventh-biggest individual Republican donors in 2020, Reuters reported. He has described Trump as a "fixer" who would help the economy.
Tilman Fertitta
The Houston Rockets owner donated to Trump in 2020 as well.
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In May, Trump attended a fundraiser at the Post Oak Hotel, which Tilman Fertitta owns. Worth $10 billion, per Forbes, Fertitta also owns the Houston Rockets and is the CEO of Fertitta Entertainment.
He has given at least than $407,000 to the Trump 47 Committee, $306,500 to the Republican National Committee, $4,950 to Donald J. Trump for President 2024, and $2,500 to the Save America PAC.
Fertitta's support this election isn't new, as he donated to Trump's campaign during the 2020 election cycle as well. FEC records show that he donated $35,000 to the former president and another $35,000 to the Republican National Committee in February of that year.
Bill Ackman
Bill Ackman endorsed Trump after the assassination attempt.
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Valued at $9 billion, per Forbes, Bill Ackman is a vocal supporter of Trump on X. The founder and CEO of Pershing Square endorsed the former president after the assassination attempt in July, but hasn't yet donated to his campaign. His support marks a shift from 2021, when he said that Trump should "resign" after the events of Jan. 6.
In his post endorsing Trump this summer, Ackman said that he has had "the benefit of spending a few hours recently with President Trump." He regularly retweets political commentary and polling data.
Douglas Leone
Doug Leone, who led Sequoia for years, said he was voting for Donald Trump, despite previously saying the former president had lost his support.
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Venture capitalist Doug Leone, a partner at and former head of Sequoia, who Forbes estimates is worth $8 billion, announced in June that he'd once again be backing Trump — despite saying in 2021 that the former president had lost his support after the January 6 attack on the capital. That month, he donated $2 million to the Right for America super PAC. He's also donated $1 million to the America PAC and hundreds of thousands to the Republican National Committee.
In 2020, Leone donated about $700,000 to Trump's reelection campaign.
"I have become increasingly concerned about the general direction of our country, the state of our broken immigration system, the ballooning deficit, and the foreign policy missteps, among other issues," he wrote on X. "Therefore, I am supporting former President Trump in this coming election."
Leone represents a growing Silicon Valley sect that has turned to the former president. Venture capitalists David Sacks and Chamath Palihapitiya, as well as Leone's fellow Sequoia partner Shaun Maguire, have endorsed Trump for the first time this election cycle.
Jeffery Hildebrand
Jeffery Hildebrand, the founder and CEO of oil and gas company Hilcorp, is worth $8 billion, according to Forbes. Hildebrand donated $3,300 to Donald J. Trump for President 2024, Inc., $5,000 to Save America, and at least $413,000 to the Republican National Committee.
The oil titan gave money to other Republicans during the primary, including Doug Burgum, Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis, Mike Pence, and Tim Scott. Since becoming the nominee, Trump has made direct appeals to oil and gas industry leaders, promising a pro-fossil fuel and anti-regulation presidency.
Kelcy Warren
Kelcy Warren cohosted an event for Donald Trump in Texas.
Karen Warren/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images
Kelcy Warren, the chairman and former CEO of the pipeline company Energy Transfer Partners with a net worth of $7 billion, according to Forbes, has given $814,600 to the Trump 47 Committee, $5 million to the MAGA Inc. super PAC, and at least $413,000 to the Republican National Committee. In 2020, he contributed $10 million to a pro-Trump super PAC.
Warren's company is the owner of the Dakota Access Pipeline, the construction of which spurred major protests by environmental activists and the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in 2016.
Though he was a major Trump donor in 2020, he donated $26,400 to a pro-DeSantis super PAC in June 2023. By May, Trump had his full backing. He co-hosted a fundraiser for Trump in Houston that month that, along with another event in Dallas, brought in $15. million for Trump, the campaign told Reuters.
Paul Singer
Paul Singer has given more than $40 million to GOP causes.
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Hedge fund titan Paul Singer, worth $6 billion, per Forbes, donated $5 million to the MAGA Inc. super PAC.
The Wall Street activist investor, who backed Nikki Haley in the primary and gave $5 million to the Haley-aligned SFA Fund Inc. in December of 2023, has given more than $40 million to political groups this cycle. That includes $10 million each to the Congressional Leadership Fund and Senate Leadership Fund super PACs.
Jan Koum
The billionaire co-founder of WhatsApp donated $5 million to a pro-Trump PAC.
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The billionaireco-founder of WhatsApphas joined the ranks of Silicon Valley bigwigs supporting Trump, as he parked $5 million of Meta stock into MAGA Inc. a pro-Trump PAC, theNew York Times reported. Koum was a vocal, generous Nikki Haley supporter during the Republican primaries and donated at least $10 million to her campaign. With a net worth of $16.3 billion, the 48-year-old has also given tens of thousands to state Republican parties, including in swing states like Michigan and Georgia.
Political activism is new to Koum — friends remember that he used to be fairly apolitical,Puck News reported last year.
Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein
Elizabeth Uihlein, pictured at the White House in 2019, has donated regularly to conservative causes.
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Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein — who are worth a combined $12 billion, per Forbes, thanks to their packing and shipping company Uline — have long been reliable donors to a variety of conservative causes and candidates, including bankrolling an effort to make it harder to amend the Ohio constitution in 2023.
The Uihleins started this cycle supporting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis's presidential bid, and each gave $1.5 million to DeSantis's super PAC, Never Back Down.
Once Trump was determined to be the nominee, they each gave $5 million to the Trump-aligned MAGA Inc. super PAC and have since given thousands to Donald J. Trump for President 2024, Inc.
In March, Elizabeth bemoaned the fact that she and her husband had to spend money on the presidential race at all.
"These two guys are very well-defined. I don't understand why everybody has to give all this money," she told the Financial Times, referring to Trump and Biden. "Neither of them have to spend a penny. We all know who they are. It's ridiculous."
Ike Perlmutter
Ike Perlmutter has long been a friend and informal advisor to Donald Trump.
The Mar-a-Lago member, who has a net worth of $5 billion, per Forbes, and his wife have given more than $20 million to Right for America, a pro-Trump super PAC.
Nelson Peltz — Perlmutter's fellow billionaire and partner in a failed Disney takeover — told the Financial Times he would also vote for Trump, despite apologizing for backing the candidate in 2020 following January 6.
Joe Ricketts
Former TD Ameritrade CEO Joe Ricketts is one of the GOP's biggest backers.
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Joe Ricketts, the founder and former CEO of TD Ameritrade, is worth $4 billion, according to Forbes. He has given $824,600 to the Trump 47 Committee, and his wife, Marlene, gave $814,600. They are historic big-money donors, giving more than $20 million to GOP causes in 2020, Forbes reported.
In 2019, Ricketts — whose family owns the Chicago Cubs — was found to have sent racist and Islamophobic emails during the 2012 election, for which he later apologized.
"Christians and Jews can have a mutual respect for each other to create a civil society. As you know, Islam cannot do that," Ricketts wrote in one 2012 email. "Therefore we cannot ever let Islam become a large part of our society. Muslims are naturally my (our) enemy due to their deep antagonism and bias against non-Muslims."
Last year, one of Ricketts' sons — former Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts — was appointed to the US Senate after former Sen. Ben Sasse opted to retire. The younger Ricketts will likely be elected to the remainder of Sasse's term in November.
John Paulson
Hedge fund manager John Paulson is a longtime fan of Donald Trump.
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John Paulson, a hedge fund manager with a $4 billion net worth, per Forbes, has contributed $806,300 to the Trump 47 Committee, $11,600 to the Trump Save American Joint Fundraising Committee, and at least $289,100 to the Republican National Committee.
He's long been an associate of the former president and has advised him on economic matters. Bloomberg recently reported that he could serve as Treasury Secretary under a second Trump administration.
In April, Paulson hosted Trump and his wife, Melania, for a fundraiser at his Palm Beach home. That event, attended by several other billionaires on this list, raised more than $50 million, according to the campaign.
Steve Wynn
Steve Wynn served on Donald Trump's inaugural committee in 2017.
Clint Spaulding/Penske Media via Getty Images
Casino mogul and real estate developer Steve Wynn has given $806,300 to the Trump 47 Committee this year.
Wynn, a longtime GOP megadonor with a $4 billion net worth, according to Forbes, served as the vice-chairman of Trump's inaugural committee in 2017. In 2020, he donated at least $12 million to various Republican races and causes.
Woody Johnson and his wife Suzanne have already donated $1 million to Donald Trump's super PAC.
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Woody Johnson, an heir to the Johnson and Johnson pharmaceutical fortune and a co-owner of the New York Jets with his brother, has used his $3 billion fortune, per Forbes, to become one of Trump's biggest backers.
He's given $1 million to the Trump-aligned MAGA Inc. super PAC, and both he and his wife Suzanne contributed $806,300 apiece to the Trump 47 Committee.
Warren Stephens (right) has donated to MAGA Inc. super PAC and $250,000 to Trump 47 Committee this cycle.
(AP Photo/Danny Johnston)
Investment banker Warren Stephens, worth $3 billion, according to Forbes, has donated $2 million to the MAGA Inc. super PAC and $250,000 to Trump 47 Committee this cycle.
He initially supported and donated more than $2 million to Nikki Haley during the primary, but supported Trump in 2020, giving more than $3 billion to groups backing the former president.
Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss
Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss donated $2 million to Trump.
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The Winklevoss twins donated just over $1 million each to the Trump 47 Committee, $250,000 each to the America PAC, and about $350,000 each to the MAGA Inc. super PAC. The twins, who run the cryptocurrency exchange Gemini, are each worth $2.7 billion, per Forbes.
In June, when they endorsed Trump, Tyler called him "pro-Bitcoin, pro-crypto, and pro-business," adding that Biden had "openly declared war on crypto."
Linda McMahon
Linda McMahon has given tens of millions to Trump over the past decade.
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Linda McMahon, who founded World Wrestling Entertainment with her husband Vince — whose net worth is $2.5 billion, according to Forbes — has given more than $15 million to the Trump-aligned MAGA Inc. super PAC, along with $814,600 to the Trump 47 Committee.
She gave millions to Trump in 2016 and more than $15 million to his 2020 reelection super PAC.
Her generosity served her well: Under Trump, McMahon was appointed head of the Small Business Administration from 2017 to 2019. She's also the chair of the board of the America First Policy Institute, a Trump-aligned think tank.
Jimmy John Liautaud
The restaurateur behind the Jimmy John sandwich chain is worth $2.4 billion, according to Forbes, and has given over $3 million to Trump groups thus far. His donations include $1 million to the MAGA Inc. super PAC, $1 million to the America super PAC, and $844,600 to the Trump 47 Committee.
Liautaud was involved in the first Trump administration, serving on the Great American Economic Revival Industry Group for Food and Beverage. The billionaire supported Trump's 2020 bid for the White House — together with his wife, Leslie, he donated $100,000 during that election cycle.
In 2016, however, Leslie Liautaud made multiple donations to Hillary Clinton.
Timothy Dunn
Oil magnate and pastor Timothy Dunn, worth $2.2 billion, according to Forbes, donated $5 million to the MAGA Inc. super PAC last year.
In 2022, he donated over $1.8 million to Republican causes and also gave to Trump in 2020. He's an active donor in Texas politics, giving nearly $10 million to the conservative Defend Texas Liberty PAC, according to Texas Monthly, which reported on his involvement in the Christian nationalism movement.
Geoffrey Palmer
Geoffrey Palmer has hosted fundraisers for Donald Trump in Los Angeles.
Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images for LACMA
Geoffrey Palmer, a Los Angeles-based real estate developer worth $2 billion, according to Forbes, has given $2 million to Trump's MAGA Inc. super PAC and $814,600 to the Trump 47 Committee.
Palmer has rallied his rich Los Angeles friends to donate to the former president, hosting multiple fundraisers, including one in September 2023.
Phil Ruffin
Phil Ruffin is a longtime associate of Donald Trump.
Denise Truscello/WireImage
Phil Ruffin, a casino magnate worth $2.6 billion, per Forbes, has contributed $2 million to Trump's MAGA Inc. super PAC, $814,600 to the Trump 47 Committee, and at least $413,000 to the Republican National Committee.
Ruffin is a longtime associate and business partner of Trump's — he co-owns the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas alongside the Trump Organization.
Ruffin also accompanied Trump to Moscow in 2013 for the Miss Universe Pageant.
That trip figured prominently in the largely unverified Steele Dossier, which alleged that the Russians may have blackmailed Trump by filming him being urinated on by Russian prostitutes.
Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz
Marc Andreessen and his VC cofounder Ben Horowitz announced to employees they'd be donating to Trump-aligned groups.
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Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, the cofounder of venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, announced to their employees that they'd be donating to Trump-aligned PACs, The Information reported in July. Both men donated $2.5 million to the Right for America PAC, which wants "to ensure President Donald J. Trump is victorious in the 2024 presidential election," according to its website.
Horowitz changed his tune by early October, telling employees in an email that he and his wife plan to make a"significant donation" to support Harris. In the email, he said that he has known Harris for more than a decade and considers her "a great friend." He refrained from offering an endorsement, though, and a source told Axios that Horowitz hopes to maintain a working relationship with both candidates.
Andreessen is worth $1.8 billion, according to Forbes. It's a shift for the Silicon Valley titan, who in 2016 said he'd be voting for Hillary Clinton.
Timothy Mellon
Timothy Mellon, who is worth at least $1 billion, according to Forbes, is Trump's biggest donor yet this campaign cycle.
The secretive billionaire, who is heir to the Mellon banking fortune, has donated at least $125 million to Trump, including $50 million the day after his felony conviction and another $50 million in July. A former liberal, he has also been a major backer of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., donating $25 million to his campaign.
Mellon has contributed to other GOP causes, including donating $53 million to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas' effort to build a wall along the US-Mexico border, $20 million to a pro-Trump super PAC in 2020, $45 million to a super PAC for GOP House leadership, and $30 million to a super PAC tied to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
Kelly Loeffler and Jeff Sprecher
Then-Sen. Kelly Loeffler and her husband Jeff Sprecher, who donated $1 million to Trump in 2020.
Alex Wong/Getty Images
Former Sen. Kelly Loeffler and her husband, Jeff Sprecher, who was worth $1 billion in 2022, according to Forbes, have each contributed $834,600 and $844,600, respectively, to the Trump 47 Committee. Together, they've given more than $2.7 million to the MAGA Inc. super PAC
In 2020, he wrote a $1 million check to Trump's super PAC.
Loeffler was appointed to the Senate by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp at the end of 2019 after Sen. Johnny Isakson's death. She later lost in a runoff election in January 2021 to Democrat Raphael Warnock, who won a full term in 2022.
Sprecher, meanwhile, is the CEO of Intercontinental Exchange and previously served as the chairman of the New York Stock Exchange.
Robert and Rebekah Mercer
Robert and Rebekah Mercer have reemerged as Donald Trump supporters this election cycle.
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Robert Mercer, a former hedge fund CEO who, according to The New York Times, is a billionaire, has given $814,399 to the Trump 47 Committee.
Both Robert and his daughter Rebekah have been major contributors to pro-Trump and influential anti-establishment conservative causes, including funneling money to the right-wing Breitbart website and the conservative social media app Parler. In 2016, they helped connect Trump to his campaign team, and while they were not vocal supporters of the former president in 2020, they have reemerged as fundraising hosts in this cycle.
Robert Bigelow
Robert Bigelow supported Ron DeSantis before backing Donald Trump.
"I will give him more money and go without food," Bigelow told Time after pouring more than $20 million into the Florida governor's "Never Back Down" super PAC in March 2023.
The billionaire, per the Las Vegas Sun, has since pivoted, donating about $15 million to Trump-aligned groups since February 2024. He told Reuters in January that he would also contribute $1 million to pay Trump's mounting legal fees.
"I was just sympathetic. They didn't solicit anything from me," Bigelow told the outlet.
While Fanjul has long been a GOP megadonor, his brother Alfonso has a history as a major Democratic megadonor.
Edward Roski
As the president and chairman of Majestic Realty, Roski owns more than 91 million square feet of industrial real estate and is worth $7.8 billion, according to Forbes. He's donated $200,000 to Trump-aligned groups and the Republican National Committee, FEC filings indicate.
In addition to his job as a Los Angeles-based developer, Roski is co-owner of the LA Lakers, LA Kings, and Staples Center.
Ron Cameron
In June of 2023, poultry magnate Ron Cameron gave $500,000 to a super PAC supporting former Vice President Mike Pence. Later that same year, he donated to PACs affiliated with former UN ambassador Nikki Haley's presidential bid. As Republican presidential hopefuls dropped away, though, Cameron redirected his funds toward Trump.
Cameron is based in Arkansas and the CEO of Mountaire Farms, the country's fourth-largest chicken company according to its website. In July, 2024, he donated $1 million to a Trump-aligned PAC, Make America Great Again. Though Cameron keeps a relatively low public profile, he consistently donates to Republicans and spent heavily during the 2022 midterms.
This cycle, Cameron has given at least $3 million to Americans for Prosperity Action, the political wing of the Koch networks' organization, Americans for Prosperity. During the primaries, the conservative organization swerved its party and endorsed Haley's presidential campaign. The group eventually ditched its support for Haley in February and redirected its energy to congressional races.
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