Political leanings: Democratic/liberal
2022 total spending: $51.1 million
American Bridge 21st Century is a liberal hybrid PAC that conducts opposition research and runs ads to aid Democratic candidates and organizations. Since 2019, its official name has been AB PAC.
The group was founded in November 2010 by David Brock, a conservative-turned-liberal activist. After becoming known as a self-described “right-wing hit man,” Brock reinvented himself as a liberal crusader. In 2004, Brock founded Media Matters, which monitors “conservative misinformation.”
As part super PAC, AB PAC can accept unlimited donations and has largely been funded by major Democratic donors and labor unions. Those donors must be disclosed, according to federal election rules.
Bradley Beychok, a former president of Media Matters, is the co-founder of the hybrid PAC and served as the group’s president until March 2021. Opposition research veteran Pat Dennis took over as president in December 2022, replacing Jessica Floyd, who previously had been managing director of campaigns for the progressive Hub Project.
For the 2024 election cycle, the group has set a goal of spending $200 million, including $140 million on paid advertising and direct mail targeting voters in Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania and potentially North Carolina. “These ads will feature the true stories of women voters and their families living in these key swing states and will use their voices to expose the truth about [former President Donald] Trump’s agenda,” American Bridge said in a January press release.
In that same release, the group said it had already raised and committed $85 million to its media program that is focused on defeating Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, and hitting back at third-party candidates “who seek to throw the election” to him. That is roughly the same amount the group raised during the 2020 election, and it’s significantly more than the $52 million it collected during the 2022 midterms.
As of July 31, AB PAC had officially reported receiving about $51.7 million in contributions, FEC records show. Major individual donors during the 2024 cycle include venture capitalist Michael Moritz, who has contributed $6.8 million, and Deborah Simon, daughter of the late property developer Melvin Simon, who has given $2.5 million. AB Foundation, the super PAC’s affiliated advocacy group, contributed almost $10.9 million, and $5.2 million was donated by Democracy PAC, a liberal super PAC created by billionaire George Soros.
According to OpenSecrets, which tracks campaign spending, AB PAC has spent about $33.6 million on independent expenditures that target Trump. In May, the group launched an ad campaign in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin that focused on Trump’s role in rolling back protections for abortions rights. That was followed in July by a $20 million ad campaign focusing on “Trump’s history of violence and crime,” including his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Staff Writer D’Angelo Gore contributed to this article.