Stanford-affiliate donations lean further left than previous election cycles

Oct. 30, 2024, 8:17 p.m.

Political donations from Stanford-affiliated individuals total over $4.8 million in the 2024 election cycle, more than any other private American university, according to nonprofit OpenSecrets. These donations overwhelmingly go to Democrats and have skewed further left over time.

Although Stanford itself does not make financial contributions to political candidates, trends in the data of individual political donors associated with Stanford offer insights into the University community’s political role and influence. OpenSecrets tracks these contributions using data from sources such as the Federal Election Commission. The nonprofit defines affiliated donors as an organization’s “individual members, employees or owners” and “those individuals’ immediate families.”

Stanford’s political contributions

Along partisan lines, over 96% of Stanford-affiliated donations have been made out to Democrats in the 2024 election cycle. In particular, Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris has received nearly $800,000 from Stanford affiliates, the largest sum for any individual candidate. In comparison, Stanford-affiliated donors have contributed only $18,280 to Republican candidate former President Donald Trump.

Beyond Stanford, Democrats have highlighted Harris’s significant fundraising lead over Trump. In September, the current Vice President’s campaign had raised nearly $222 million, more than three times as much money as the roughly $63 million the former President’s campaign raised.

Institutions of higher education tend to lean liberal, and Stanford-affiliated donations fall in line with this trend. Still, this year’s stark partisan divide stands out even compared to recent general elections.

No more than 75% of Stanford-affiliated donations were received by Democrats in the 2016 election cycle. This statistic increased sharply to 90.3% for the 2020 election and rose again this year.

Key races and issues

The OpenSecrets data also reveals key down-ballot races that have drawn the attention of the Stanford community. The election for California’s 16th congressional district, where Stanford is located, is one clear point of focus. Stanford donors have donated over $64,000 to elect Democrat Sam Liccardo to the House of Representatives. In contrast, Evan Low, Liccardo’s opponent and fellow Democrat, has received nearly $13,000. 

High-profile elections outside of California have also attracted Stanford affiliates’ interest. Senators Jon Tester and Sherrod Brown, from Montana and Ohio respectively, both received substantial financial contributions. Both men are Democrats and both face competitive reelection battles. In this year’s tight Senate election, both races will be pivotal in determining if Democrats will maintain Senate control.

Stanford’s political influence extends beyond individual candidates to include support for Political Action Committees (PACs) and hybrid PACs, organizations that raise money from supporters to fund campaigns for or against candidates. VoteVets.org and the Democratic Majority for Israel stand out as having strong financial backing from Stanford-affiliated sources, having received $50,000 and $62,000 respectively.

Contact Kevin at tech 'at' stanforddaily.com.

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