Libertarian tech investor Scott Banister has committed $40 million to Make Liberty Win, a right-of-center political organization, to counter the growing influence of Democratic Socialists of America-aligned candidates in state legislative races, Fox News Digital reported.
Banister, an early investor in PayPal, Uber and SpaceX, has already directed part of the funding into nine states: Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Arizona, New Hampshire, West Virginia and Montana. Make Liberty Win plans to expand the effort to at least a dozen states.
A press release obtained by Fox News Digital cited the recent election of self-described socialist Zohran Mamdani as mayor of New York City as an example of the trend the group aims to counter.
“Self-described socialists are running for office and winning in the Democratic Party, like recently elected New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Make Liberty Win’s campaign will stem the tide of the far-left by mobilizing student and youth activists to knock on the doors of more than two million voters in key states.”
Make Liberty Win is a Republican-aligned organization with a libertarian bent, favoring smaller federal government and greater authority for state legislatures. Rather than donating directly to candidates, it focuses on door-knocking and phone-banking operations.
A Fundraising Gap in State Races
The Republican State Leadership Committee, the GOP’s official body for state-level races, projected in late August that Democrats are on pace to outspend Republicans in state races by a three-to-one margin. Democrats have disputed the claim that their state-level operations are better funded than the GOP’s.
Banister’s contribution could help close that gap. For comparison, the average U.S. House candidate spent $1.8 million on their 2024 campaign, and federal races typically cost far more than state-level contests, making the $40 million commitment unusually large for down-ballot politics.
The figure represents a floor rather than a ceiling — Banister or other donors inspired by the initiative could contribute additional funds.
Make Liberty Win CEO Jeff Frazee said the group intends to focus its resources where political movements begin.
“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.”
The initiative arrives as both parties ramp up organizing efforts ahead of upcoming state legislative contests, with donors on both sides signaling they view state-level power as increasingly consequential terrain.
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