NFL and NBA owners open their wallets as US midterm elections heat up; Republicans get the bigger purse

The US midterm elections are in full swing to decide how much power President Donald Trump will have for the remainder of his term. All 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 seats in the US Senate are up for grabs. There are also special elections in Ohio and Florida to fill J.D. Vance's and Marco Rubio’s vacated seats. 36 Governors are also up for re-election.

Currently, the Republicans hold a majority in both the House of Representatives and Senate. Democrats would try to wrestle back control, and they need only three in the House and four in the Senate. The results would have a major impact on how Trump governs the country.

With so much at stake, both parties are pouring money in and have turned to their trusted sources for funds. This is where the billionaire owners of the sports teams are coming in. They know their donations carry weight and influence; they are actively donating millions to their chosen political parties.


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Owners of both the NBA and NFL teams are leading contributors this midterm. So, who is getting the majority of cash this election cycle?

Majority of owners backing Republicans heavily

The biggest of them all is the owner of the NBA team, the Dallas Mavericks, Miriam Adelson. Worth a whopping $38 billion, the wife of the late Sheldon Adelson is shelling out $67.63 million. No one comes close to her donation. She previously donated $100 million to Trump’s own presidential campaign, playing a key role in getting him re-elected.

The second name on the list is Rob Walton, a mega-billionaire owner of Walmart and the NFL team, the Denver Broncos. Worth an astonishing $145 billion approximately, he promised Republicans $8.96 million. Atlanta Hawks owner Tony Ressler gave $2.71 million, followed by Charles B. Johnson, the owner of the San Francisco Giants, who is on the hook for $2.60 million.

Orlando Magic’s Richard DeVos $2.40 million donation will certainly bring him a lot of influence, alongside Jimmy and Dee Haslam, who own multiple franchises including the Cleveland Browns, Milwaukee Bucks, Columbus Crew, and NWSL Columbus. They are contributing $2.06 million this election cycle.

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The other DeVos Brother, Dan, who co-owns the Orlando Magic, isn’t staying out and is actively giving $1.85 million. One of the most famous owners in the NFL, Jerry Jones Sr., the owner of the Dallas Cowboys, worth nearly $24 billion, gave $1.56 million.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers owner Edward Glazer is shelling out a modest sum of $843,502, and Woody Johnson, the owner of the New York Jets who is dolling out $550,500. Minority owner of the Denver Broncos, Greg Penner, is throwing his weight around by handing out $349,000, alongside Arizona Cardinals’ Michael Bidwill, who is also giving $336,500.

Jerry Jones Jr., the son of Jerry Jones Sr., who also has a stake in the Cowboys, is also contributing $329,831 to the Republicans. Another multiple-franchise man, Josh Harris, who has stakes in the Washington Commanders and Philadelphia 76ers, gave $255,000. Vivek Ranadive, the famous owner of the Sacramento Kings, is doling out just over a quarter of a million, while Miami Dolphins’ Stephen Ross is staying just under a quarter of a million. Tilman Fertitta, who owns the NBA Houston Rockets, gave $200,000.

The reigning Super Bowl Champions, Seattle Seahawks, are owned by Vinod Khosla, and he wrote a cheque of $2.09 million for the Democrats, while Arthur Blank, the owner of Home Depot and the Atlanta Falcons, also gave $315,500.

The overwhelming majority of campaign donations are to the Republicans, with the top 25 donors giving 97 percent to them this election cycle.