America’s Credit Unions is putting additional money behind five congressional candidates as the credit union industry steps up its political spending ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.
The trade group and its political action committee announced new advertising campaigns supporting five incumbent House members: Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-1), Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX-34), Rep. Steven Horsford (D-NV-4), Rep. Young Kim (R-CA-40) and Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV-1).
The advertisements are expected to begin running over the next two weeks and will include a combination of independent expenditures and coordinated communications aimed at registered voters in credit union member households.
The latest spending is part of a much larger political effort by America’s Credit Unions during the 2026 election cycle.
Earlier this month, the organization announced a record $10 million bipartisan investment supporting more than 340 candidates appearing on the general election ballot. The spending includes candidate contributions, independent expenditures, member communications and other voter outreach.
America’s Credit Unions says its political strategy is based on support for lawmakers from both parties who have backed issues important to the credit union industry.
“America’s Credit Unions’ political engagement is rooted in a balanced, bipartisan approach,” Trey Hawkins, the organization’s head of political affairs, said in announcing the latest campaigns. Hawkins said the organization is supporting lawmakers it believes have consistently backed credit union priorities.
Credit Union Political Spending Ramps Up
The $10 million commitment represents an increase from the approximately $8 million America’s Credit Unions and its PAC said in April that they planned to spend during the 2026 election cycle.
At the time, the organization identified several major policy fights driving its political activity, including preservation of the federal income tax exemption for credit unions, opposition to interchange legislation opposed by the industry and efforts to address financial fraud.
America’s Credit Unions represents more than 4,000 credit unions serving roughly 146 million members.
Its PAC is one of the larger trade association political action committees in Washington. The organization has described its giving as nearly evenly divided between Republican and Democratic candidates.
That bipartisan approach is evident in the latest round of advertising. Three of the five House members receiving support are Democrats and two are Republicans.
The organization had already announced general-election advertising and political support involving a number of other congressional races, including Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, Rep. Chris Pappas of New Hampshire in his Senate campaign, and House candidates including Reps. Juan Ciscomani, Susie Lee, Tom Suozzi and David Valadao, along with North Carolina state Rep. Jennifer Balkcom.
Young Kim was also the subject of an earlier independent expenditure campaign during the primary election, with America’s Credit Unions funding direct mail and digital advertising in her California district.
More Than 300 Candidates Backed
America’s Credit Unions says its PAC supported 303 candidates during the primary season through a mix of direct contributions, independent expenditures, member communications and canvassing.
According to the organization, 96% of the candidates it backed during the primaries advanced to the general election. Its election hub currently lists 340 PAC-supported candidates on the November 3 ballot.
The scale of the spending shows how aggressively the credit union industry is working to maintain relationships on Capitol Hill as Congress continues to debate issues that could directly affect the credit union business model.
Beyond campaign spending, America’s Credit Unions has continued lobbying and advertising around broader industry priorities. In September, the group brought nearly 500 credit union advocates to Washington and ran a full-page advertisement in The Hill promoting the role of credit unions in consumer financial services.
With just over a month remaining before Election Day, the five new House campaigns represent another stage of what has become the organization’s largest political investment of the 2026 election cycle.
