Q1 2026: Record $568 Million Raised, Up 50% From 2022
ActBlue announced on April 14, 2026 that small-dollar donors raised $568 million for Democratic candidates, causes, and nonpolitical organizations in the first quarter of the year — the strongest first quarter in the organization's history.
The total represents a 50% increase over the same period in the 2022 midterm cycle, signaling a surge in Democratic donor momentum ahead of the November elections.
Breaking down the numbers
The Q1 2026 haul was distributed across federal, state, and local campaigns, as well as charitable organizations:
| Category | Amount Raised | Change vs. Q1 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| Federal campaigns | $391 million | +65% |
| State and local candidates | $119 million | +17% |
| Charities and civic organizations | $58 million | +43% |
| Total | $568 million | +50% |
The platform processed 15 million total contributions from grassroots supporters, with an average donation of just $38. Q1 also brought 686,000 new donors to the platform.
A blue wave building
In a blog post accompanying the announcement, ActBlue framed the results as evidence that frustration with the political status quo is being channeled into action.
"Americans are feeling the pain and they have had enough. Small-dollar donors have channeled their frustration into action in Q1 2026, raising $568 million for Democratic campaigns and causes. This is the strongest first quarter in ActBlue history, and proof that a blue wave is building."
The organization pointed to state legislatures as the "last line of defense" against federal policy rollbacks on reproductive rights, public education, and utility costs. Donors invested $119 million in state and local candidates — a 17% increase over 2022 — because, as ActBlue noted, "they understand that democracy is won at every level of the ballot."
Federal campaigns see biggest surge
While state and local fundraising grew significantly, the largest increase came in federal campaigns. Contributions to federal campaigns surged 65% compared to Q1 2022, defying the typical midterm pattern where presidential cycles see more robust fundraising.
This surge coincided with heightened political tension, including the Trump administration's investigation of ActBlue and congressional Republicans' probes into the platform's donor verification practices.
Product expansion driving candidate growth
Q1 2026 also saw a record number of down-ballot candidates adopting ActBlue's growing product suite. The platform now offers:
- ActBlue Fundraising — the core donation processing platform
- Raise by ActBlue — streamlined fundraising for state and local campaigns raising less than $25,000
- Impactive by ActBlue — organizing tools including peer-to-peer texting and phone banking
- Hey Victor by ActBlue — a new tool for down-ballot campaigns
With more than 19,000 campaigns, organizations, and committees now on the platform — 33% more than in Q1 2022 — the product expansion strategy appears to be working. As ActBlue stated: "Everyday people can compete without a major budget behind them."
Context: the investigation backdrop
The record fundraising comes amid ongoing scrutiny. Congressional Republicans and the Justice Department have been investigating whether ActBlue is doing enough to prevent foreign donors from illegally contributing to U.S. campaigns. ActBlue has defended its security measures, with CTO Jason Wong stating that "ActBlue's engineering team has built robust safeguards into every layer of the platform."
Despite the political headwinds, the Q1 numbers demonstrate that Democratic grassroots donors remain energized and engaged as the midterm elections approach.
