Malcolm Rivera
Teachers' unions have increasingly become more politically involved, with donations growing from $4.3 million in 2004 to more than $32 million in 2016. The two largest contributors are the National Education Association (NEA) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). In the 2020 election cycle, the NEA Advocacy Fund spent $13.6 million of its $21.5 million war chest, while the AFT raised almost $10.7 million. Teachers' unions are the largest donor to Democratic campaigns in the United States, with $55.3 million donated to Democratic primary and congressional candidates in 2022, and $66.5 million in 2020.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Amount donated by teachers' unions to political campaigns from 2004 to 2016 | $4.3 million to more than $32 million |
| Percentage of funds given to Democrats since 1990 | At least 94% |
| Amount donated by National Education Association in 2016 | About $20 million |
| Amount donated by American Federation of Teachers in 2016 | Almost $12 million |
| Amount donated by Indiana State Teachers Association to Republican state legislative primaries in Indiana since 2018 | $230,100 |
| Amount received by Edward Clere, R-New Albany, from the Indiana Political Action Committee for Education | $30,000 |
| Amount received by State Sen. Ron Alting, R-Lafayette, from the Indiana State Teachers Association since 2018 | $42,500 |
| Amount spent by NEA Advocacy Fund as of September 30, 2020 | $13.6 million out of $21.5 million |
| Amount raised by American Federation of Teachers for the 2020 election cycle | Almost $10.7 million |
| Amount donated by teachers' unions to Democratic primary and general congressional and presidential candidates in 2020 | $66.5 million |
| Amount donated by teachers' unions to Democratic primary and general candidates in congressional elections in 2022 | $55.3 million |
| Amount donated by teachers' unions to Republican primary and general congressional candidates in 2022 | $26,050 |
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What You'll Learn
- Teacher unions' political involvement has increased over time
- The National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers are the two largest contributors
- Teacher unions primarily support Democrats
- Teachers' unions spent millions on GOP primaries in 32 states
- Teachers' unions are influential donors to PACs
Teacher unions' political involvement has increased over time
The AFT, one of the nation's largest teacher unions with 1.8 million members, has been very vocal about its opposition to certain political decisions. For example, the union denounced the Trump administration's Education Department layoffs as "an attack on opportunity that will gut the agency." The NEA Advocacy Fund, on the other hand, had spent $13.6 million of its $21.5 million war chest as of September 30, 2020, with the money going to ad buys, donations to other super PACs, and independent expenditures on behalf of congressional candidates in several states.
While teacher unions have traditionally favored Democratic candidates, their political involvement has evolved to include more support for Republicans, especially in state legislative races. For example, the Indiana State Teachers Association has contributed $230,100 to Republican state legislative primaries in Indiana since 2018. Additionally, the Texas Federation of Teachers has endorsed 77 candidates in 2024 but has not openly endorsed any Republican candidates, instead contributing to GOP campaigns through PACs.
In the 2020 election cycle, the AFT raised almost $10.7 million and designated 98.6% of its money to benefit Democrats. The NEA and AFT's spending on the 2020 campaign and their priorities are worth examining, especially as education and labor policies become more prominent issues in elections.
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The National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers are the two largest contributors
Teachers' unions have increased their political involvement over the years, with donations growing from $4.3 million in 2004 to over $32 million in 2016. Two organisations account for almost all of the contributions made by teachers' unions: The National Education Association (NEA) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).
The NEA contributed about $20 million in 2016, while the AFT contributed almost $12 million. The NEA and AFT compete for members but also collaborate through the NEA-AFT Partnership. Both groups are consistently among the largest organisations contributing money to candidates and political groups.
The AFT, led by Randi Weingarten, is one of the nation's largest teachers' unions with 1.8 million members. In the 2020 election cycle, the AFT raised almost $10.7 million, with 98.6% of its money designated to benefit Democrats. The NEA Advocacy Fund, meanwhile, spent $13.6 million of its $21.5 million war chest as of September 30, 2020.
While teachers' unions generally favour Democrats, they have been known to contribute to Republican candidates in certain states and districts. For example, in 2018, the Indiana State Teachers Association contributed $230,100 to Republican state legislative primaries in Indiana. In Texas, the state's two largest teachers' unions, the Texas State Teachers Association and the Texas Federation of Teachers, spent $343,239 on Republican primaries.
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Teacher unions primarily support Democrats
Teacher unions have long been associated with political involvement and have steadily increased their participation over the years. Data suggests that they overwhelmingly support the Democrats, with minimal financial contributions going to the Republicans.
Since 1990, teacher unions have consistently given at least 94% of their funds to Democratic candidates and parties. This strong preference for the Democratic Party is further highlighted by the substantial financial contributions made by two prominent teacher union organizations: the National Education Association (NEA) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). In 2016, the NEA contributed approximately $20 million, while the AFT donated nearly $12 million. These two groups are consistently among the top organizations contributing the most significant amounts of money to candidates and political groups.
The AFT, led by Randi Weingarten, has been particularly vocal in its opposition to certain Republican policies. For instance, Weingarten denounced the Trump administration's Education Department layoffs as "an attack on opportunity that will gut the agency." The AFT's financial contributions reflect this stance, with 98.6% of its funds designated to benefit Democrats. In 2020, the AFT contributed only $121 to Trump, while spending almost $9.8 million on the AFT Solidarity Fund, which supports federal campaigns and ballot initiatives in various states.
While teacher unions primarily support Democrats, it is worth noting that their political involvement has evolved over time. From 2004 to 2016, the financial contributions from teacher unions to political campaigns increased significantly, growing from $4.3 million to more than $32 million. This trend continued, with teacher unions and their affiliated political action committees (PACs) donating substantial amounts to Democratic candidates in recent years: $66.5 million in 2020 and $55.3 million in 2022.
In summary, teacher unions in the United States have a strong history of supporting Democratic candidates and parties, with only a small fraction of their funds going to Republicans. This financial support for the Democrats has significant implications for education policies and public education funding, indicating that teacher unions play a crucial role in shaping the political landscape in the country.
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Teachers' unions spent millions on GOP primaries in 32 states
Teachers' unions in the US have historically donated large sums of money to Democratic candidates. However, a 2024 report revealed that the largest teachers' unions in 32 states have been quietly spending millions of dollars to support Republican state legislature primaries.
The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the National Education Association (NEA) are the two largest teachers' unions in the US. Since 2018, these unions have been increasing their donations to Republican state-level legislative candidates. According to Open Secrets and Follow the Money, the largest teachers' unions in 32 states donated up to $117,700 to individual candidates in Republican primaries.
In some states, teachers' unions have outspent all other Republican donors. For example, in Alabama, the Alabama Education Association spent a total of $3,270,938 on Republican campaigns between 2018 and 2023, making it the largest contributor to Republican state legislative candidates in the 2022-23 election cycle. Similarly, in Texas, the two largest teachers' unions in the state, the Texas State Teachers Association and the Texas Federation of Teachers, spent a combined total of $343,239 on Republican primaries between 2018 and 2024.
The shift in donation patterns by teachers' unions can be attributed to their preferred candidates in Republican primaries. In particular, they have supported candidates who have voted against school choice measures, such as school vouchers. This is despite the fact that Republican lawmakers and the Trump administration have generally supported school choice policies.
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Teachers' unions are influential donors to PACs
Teachers' unions have become increasingly politically involved, with donations growing from $4.3 million in 2004 to over $32 million in 2016. They are influential donors to PACs, with two organizations accounting for most of the contributions: The National Education Association (NEA) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).
The NEA contributed about $20 million in 2016, while the AFT raised almost $12 million. The AFT is one of the nation's largest teacher unions, with 1.8 million members. In the 2020 election cycle, the AFT raised almost $10.7 million, with 98.6% of its money designated to benefit Democrats. The NEA Advocacy Fund, meanwhile, spent $13.6 million out of its $21.5 million war chest on ad buys, donations to super PACs, and independent expenditures for congressional candidates.
Teachers' unions are the largest donors to Democratic campaigns in the United States, contributing $55.3 million to Democratic primary and congressional candidates in 2022 and $66.5 million in 2020. They have also donated to Republican primary candidates, particularly in state legislative races, with some Republicans receiving increased support from teachers' unions since 2018.
While teachers' unions generally favor Democrats, their support is not always publicly documented or endorsed due to potential backlash from members or the public. For example, the Texas affiliate of the AFT publicly endorsed House Republicans in 2022, but did not do so in 2024, despite contributing to GOP campaigns through PACs.
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Frequently asked questions
Teachers' unions donated $66.5 million to Democratic primary and general congressional and presidential candidates in the 2020 election.
The NEA Advocacy Fund spent $13.6 million of its $21.5 million war chest on the 2020 campaign. The AFT raised almost $10.7 million for the same election cycle.
Teachers' unions have given at least 94% of their funds to Democrats since 1990.
Teachers' unions donated $26,050 to Republican primary and general congressional candidates in 2022.
