Scott Banister, a major Big Tech investor who leans libertarian, has pledged $40 million to Make Liberty Win, a right-leaning PAC dedicated to opposing Democratic candidates at the state level. According to his LinkedIn profile, Banister identifies as first and foremost a “capitalist” and was an early investor in companies including PayPal, Uber, and SpaceX.
State filings confirm that Banister, through Make Liberty Win and First Amendment LLC, has spent over $6.7 million to oppose state House and Senate Democrats in Michigan alone. The PAC allocated $625,000 specifically for Senate District 35, a blue-collar district represented by state Sen. Chedrick Greene, who won a special election in May.
“The paid third-party advertising efforts are shining a spotlight on Michigan Democrats’ record of failure,” said Greg Manz, senior communications adviser for the Michigan GOP.
Banister’s funding has also been distributed across Arizona, Georgia, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The Republican State Leadership Committee reported that Banister’s contributions are part of a broader effort to counter Democratic investments in state legislatures, noting that major Democratic groups have already committed over $200 million to take control of state legislative races.
The RSLC stated: “Democrats are making clear that no amount of money is too much when it comes to taking control of state legislatures. With more than $200 million already committed by the largest Democratic state legislative groups, and wealthy outside donors pouring even more money into the fight, it’s clear that state legislatures are the next frontier in expanding political power.”
Make Liberty Work did not respond to requests for comment.
