Foreign policy PACs have raised $2 million from big Chicago donors. Where does the money go

As the 2024 election draws to a close, foreign policy and international conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East are in the headlines and on voters' minds. But do they spur people to action? A new ChicagoGlobal analysis of select political giving suggests that they may not - at least in Chicagoland.

To understand how foreign policy might be driving large-dollar donations in the Chicago area, ChicagoGlobal analyzed political giving data from the campaign finance watchdog OpenSecrets. We reviewed more than 8,000 individual donations over $2,000 given to political action committees (PACs) in the first eight months of the year from residents in Cook, Lake, and DuPage counties.

We found that donations to foreign-policy-focused PACs account for only 1.3% of the $162 million given by individuals who contributed more than $2,000. Similarly, while these donors gave to nearly 900 different action groups and campaign committees, only 14 of the PACs were focused specifically on foreign or defense policy.

Contributions to these PACs may be a small slice of the political-giving pie, but they can still help shape policy, according to Steve Gates, who chairs the Automotive Free International Trade PAC (AFIT). For his PAC, every dollar counts in the effort to meet members of Congress and lobby them against tariffs and trade barriers that could affect his constituents' highly globalized industry.