Libertarian tech investor Scott Banister is dropping a staggering $40 million into state-level races as Republicans prepare to battle the Democratic Socialists of America across the country. The early backer of PayPal, Uber, and SpaceX committed the money to Make Liberty Win, a Republican-aligned organization focused on electing candidates who favor smaller government. The group has already begun deploying the money in nine states and plans to expand into at least a dozen. Its campaign will target more than two million voters with an army of student and youth activists.
The massive investment comes as socialist candidates continue gaining ground inside the Democratic Party, including candidates who have defeated more established Democrats in primary elections. Make Liberty Win specifically pointed to recently elected New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani as evidence that self-described socialists are no longer operating on the political fringes. The organization plans to challenge that movement where it has been building strength: state legislatures. Those races typically receive less national attention, but they can determine the direction of taxes, spending, education, election law, and other major policies.
Banister’s money is initially being deployed in Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Arizona, New Hampshire, West Virginia, and Montana. Several of those states are expected to become major battlegrounds during the upcoming election, while others contain legislative districts where relatively modest spending can substantially increase a campaign’s reach. Make Liberty Win intends to bring the operation into at least three more states before the effort is complete. The $40 million commitment is also being described as the minimum the organization may spend if Banister or additional donors contribute more money.
“Self-described socialists are running for office and winning in the Democratic Party, like recently elected New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani,” a press release quoted by Fox 17 reported. The release said Make Liberty Win intends to “stem the tide of the far-left” by putting young activists directly in contact with voters. Rather than concentrating solely on television commercials and online advertising, the campaign will organize volunteers to knock on doors and make phone calls. Its stated goal is to reach more than two million voters across the targeted states.
The cash arrives as Republican organizations warn that Democrats could hold a major financial advantage in state contests. The Republican State Leadership Committee projected in August that Democratic groups were on track to outspend Republicans in state races by a factor of three to one. Democrats have previously disputed Republican claims that their state-level political operation is better funded. Banister’s contribution gives Make Liberty Win the resources to counter that advantage without pulling money away from Republican efforts in congressional and statewide races.
Make Liberty Win describes itself as a right-of-center organization with a distinctly libertarian approach to government. It supports reducing the size of the federal government and returning more authority to state legislatures, placing its emphasis on the local contests where those policies can be advanced. The group generally doesn’t hand money directly to candidates. Instead, it builds field operations around door-knocking, phone banking, volunteer recruitment, and direct voter outreach on their behalf.
The size of Banister’s commitment is particularly significant because state legislative campaigns are usually far less expensive than federal contests. The average candidate for the U.S. House spent approximately $1.8 million during the 2024 election cycle, according to figures cited in the report. A $40 million operation spread across carefully selected state districts could therefore finance a substantial number of field campaigns. It also gives the group room to respond as additional races become competitive before Election Day.
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Make Liberty Win CEO Jeff Frazee said the organization intends to confront socialist candidates before their movement gains further control of state governments. The group’s work will center on mobilizing voters and building a campaign structure capable of operating across several battlegrounds at once. “Make Liberty Win will execute a comprehensive strategy to counter socialist Democrats and win at the state level, where political movements are built and every American can make a difference,” Frazee said.
Watcha former Democrat donor switch to supporting Republicans:
Featured image credit: David Shankbone, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons