Campaign Contribution Limits for 2025–2026: How Much Can You Give?

By Dr. AtlasPublished Sep 17, 2026

An individual may give a federal candidate’s campaign $3,500 per election in the 2025–2026 cycle. That is the figure on the Federal Election Commission (FEC) chart headed “Contribution limits for 2025-2026 federal elections” as of September 17, 2026. ^[1]

The limit applies election by election: “A primary, general, runoff and special election are each considered a separate election with a separate limit,” the FEC says. ^[1] A person may therefore give a candidate who runs in both up to $3,500 for the primary and up to $3,500 for the general election; once a primary is over, a gift for it must pass the debt test below. ^[1] The per-election limits cover the cycle of “November 6, 2024 - November 3, 2026.” ^[2]

FEC contribution limits for 2025–2026: what an individual may give

Congress wrote a base of $2,000 per election into the statute and ordered it adjusted for inflation, with increases made only “in odd-numbered years” and rounded “to the nearest multiple of $100.” ^[3] In a notice dated January 30, 2025, the FEC said the candidate limit had “increased to $3,500 per election, per candidate.” ^[2]

A limit covers more than checks. “Goods or services offered free or at less than the usual charge result in an in-kind contribution,” the FEC says. ^[8] Unpaid volunteer time is not a contribution, “as long as the individual is not compensated by anyone for the services.” ^[22] See the Ledger’s guide to volunteering on a campaign.

What “per election” means for November 3

A candidate gets an election’s limit only by running in it: “a candidate who loses the primary (or otherwise does not participate in the general election) does not have a separate limit for the general.” ^[1] Labels matter too: “Undesignated contributions count against the donor's contribution limits for the candidate's next election.” ^[1] For a candidate whose next election is the November 3, 2026 general election, an unlabeled contribution made now counts against the general-election limit. ^[1]

So do dates: the FEC says a contribution “designated for—but made after—the primary is acceptable only to the extent the campaign has net debts outstanding for the primary on the date of receipt.” ^[1]

Who can’t give to a federal campaign

• Corporations, unions, national banks: “Campaigns may not accept contributions from the treasury funds of corporations, labor organizations or national banks.” ^[4]
• Federal contractors: “Campaigns may not accept or solicit contributions from federal government contractors.” ^[4]
• Foreign nationals, in “any federal, state or local election.” ^[4]
• Gifts in another person’s name: “A contribution made by one person in the name of another is prohibited.” ^[4]
• Large cash or anonymous gifts: the chart lists a “$100 limit on cash contributions” and a “$50 limit on anonymous contributions.” ^[1]

Can green card holders donate to political campaigns?

Yes. Federal law makes it unlawful for a foreign national to make “a contribution or donation of money or other thing of value” in connection with “a Federal, State, or local election,” and for any person “to solicit, accept, or receive” one. ^[5] For individuals, though, the statute defines a foreign national as someone who is not a U.S. citizen or national “and who is not lawfully admitted for permanent residence.” ^[5] A lawful permanent resident is outside the ban.

“An individual who is not a citizen of the United States is eligible to make a contribution if he or she has a ‘green card’ indicating that he or she is lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States.”

Federal Election Commission, “Foreign nationals” ^[6]

Any other individual who is not a U.S. citizen or national is a foreign national under that definition and may not give in a federal, state or local election. ^[5] Such a person may still take part without money: the FEC says a foreign national “may participate in campaign activities as an uncompensated volunteer,” but “must be careful not to participate in the decision-making process of the campaign.” ^[22]

What is WinRed? What is ActBlue?

Both are online fundraising platforms registered with the FEC as political committees. FEC records list WINRED (committee ID C00694323), registered January 18, 2019, as a “Quarterly Hybrid PAC (with Non-Contribution Account) - Nonqualified,” and ACTBLUE (ID C00401224), registered May 17, 2004, as a “Monthly Hybrid PAC (with Non-Contribution Account) - Nonqualified.” ^[9][10]

The two serve different parties. When WinRed launched in June 2019, The Washington Post called it “the new fundraising platform for GOP committees and campaigns” and described ActBlue as “central to the Democratic Party's small-dollar fundraising operation.” ^[12] In an August 2025 court filing, the FEC, citing the complaint in that case, wrote: “Two such conduit committees, WinRed and ActBlue, serve as conduits for candidates from different parties.” ^[11]

By statute, contributions “earmarked or otherwise directed through an intermediary or conduit” to a candidate “shall be treated as contributions from such person to such candidate.” ^[3] A gift made through either platform therefore counts against the giver’s own $3,500 per-election limit for that candidate. ^[1][3] The platform’s own limit is touched only if it steers the choice, by exercising “any direction or control over the contributor's choice of recipient candidate.” ^[7]

The money may not sit: whoever receives a contribution for a candidate’s committee “must forward that contribution to the recipient campaign committee within 10 calendar days of receiving the contribution.” ^[7]

As of September 17, 2026, FEC pages showed 2025–2026 total receipts of $748,758,386.31 for WinRed (reports through June 30, 2026) and $2,074,564,660.18 for ActBlue (reports through July 31, 2026). ^[9][10] The periods differ, so the totals are not like-for-like.

State campaign contribution limits: the Arizona and Oklahoma governor races

The FEC chart covers “federal elections.” ^[1] A campaign for governor raises money under state law, and both the numbers and the counting rules differ.

Arizona

In Arizona, the Secretary of State’s Office is “the filing officer for political committees influencing state elections.” ^[19] As of September 17, 2026, its chart for the “2025-2026 Election Cycle” shows $5,500 from an individual to a statewide candidate, a category a footnote defines to include “the office of Governor.” ^[17] Arizona counts by the cycle, not the election: the statute caps what an individual may give “per election cycle.” ^[18] The statute’s own figure is $6,250; chart footnotes say base limits “are reduced by 20% pursuant to A.R.S. § 16-941(B)” and that the Secretary of State must raise the limits by $100 in January of “each odd-numbered year.” ^[17][18] Contributions to candidates from corporations, LLCs and unions are marked “Prohibited.” ^[17] Publicly funded candidates are a separate case: such a candidate “must comply with the provisions of the Citizens Clean Elections Act,” the office says. ^[19] These rules govern giving in Arizona’s race for governor.

Oklahoma

In Oklahoma, the Ethics Commission’s “2026 State Elections: Contribution Chart” showed, as of September 17, 2026, a limit of $3,500 per election from an individual to a state candidate committee. ^[15] Limits reset “after each election only if the candidate's name will appear on another ballot during the election cycle,” and “No more than $200 of a contributor's contribution may be in cash or from an anonymous source.” ^[15] The row for corporations reads “Nothing” under state candidate committees. ^[15] These rules govern giving in Oklahoma’s race for governor.

Political donations lookup: how to see who gave

For federal races, the FEC “maintains a database of individuals who have made contributions to federally registered political committees.” ^[13] It can be searched by a contributor’s name, employer or occupation, location, date, amount or receiving committee. ^[13]

Not every gift appears. The reporting statute, as the FEC summarized it in the 2025 filing, requires committees to identify each person whose contributions add up to an amount “in excess of $200.” ^[11] The conduit rule has no such floor: the conduit “shall report the original source and the intended recipient,” and the FEC told the court the provision “does not limit disclosures to contributions above $200.” ^[3][11]

Reuse is restricted. Contributor information taken from FEC reports “cannot be sold or used for soliciting contributions (including any political or charitable contribution) or for any commercial purpose.” ^[14]

For state races, the records sit with the state. Arizona’s Secretary of State and Citizens Clean Elections Commission “made a campaign finance database available to the public.” ^[19] Oklahoma candidate committees file their reports “electronically in The Guardian System.” ^[16]

If a contribution goes over the limit

The campaign has to fix it: within 60 days of receipt, “either the contributor must provide the committee with a redesignation or reattribution, or the committee must refund the excessive portion of the contribution.” ^[20]

Taxes and related rules

IRS Publication 529 says: “You can't deduct contributions made to a political candidate, a campaign committee, or a newsletter fund.” ^[21] The Ledger covers that rule in Are political donations tax deductible?, and the hybrid and Super PAC categories in PAC vs. Super PAC.

Questions and answers