Pocket Change? Analyzing the Impact of Gender, Race, Party, and Ideology on Fundraising in the 2020 Congressional Elections

Abstract

Analyzing the 2020 congressional elections, I set out to determine to what extent gender, race, party, and ideology impacted the composition and amount of funds raised. In the face of the uniquely difficult conditions of 2020, my data show that Democratic women raise more in small dollar contributions and through ActBlue, women candidates raise a higher share from women donors, ideologically extreme incumbents raise a higher share of small dollar contributions, and white women raise the most money overall. Furthermore, while my analyses do not show statistically significant disparities for women of color, the small number of women candidates of color precludes further statistical analysis.