San Francisco Giants owner Charles Johnson spent more money on this year’s midterms than all other MLB owners combined, with a majority going to Republican candidates and organizations.
Front Office Sports published a series on Wednesday highlighting the amount of money the sports world has spent on the upcoming 2026 elections. Johnson was among the highest spenders not just in the baseball world but among sports owners as a whole. with an estimated $2.6 million in donations this cycle. As FOS notes in its report, MLB owners as a whole donated a little more than $4 million, making Johnson’s money a majority of political spending throughout the league.
Advertisement
Johnson is also fourth in federal donations among all majority owners of NFL, NBA, WNBA, NHL, MLB, NWSL and MLS teams. The only three ahead of him are Hawks owner Tony Ressler ($2.71 million spent), Broncos owner Rob Walton ($8.96 million) and Mavericks owner Miriam Adelson ($67.63 million).
Johnson’s Federal Election Commission filings reveal that the owner’s money solely went to Republican causes. He gave $1 million (via two $500,000 donations) to the Congressional Leadership Fund, a “super PAC dedicated to electing Republicans to the House of Representatives,” per its website, and made six additional six-figure donations, including two to the National Republican Senatorial Committee and two to the National Republican Congressional Committee.
Perhaps his most notable donation was $500,000 to a joint action committee launched by Rep. Mike Johnson, as well as two $3,500 donations to the Louisiana-born Speaker of the House’s reelection campaign. Rep. Johnson was among the most prominent critics of the reported talking-to that the four Giants pitchers received after they protested Pride Night with Bible verses on their caps. Vice President J.D. Vance, both a Republican and a member of President Donald Trump’s administration, was another vocal critic Johnson ostensibly donated to – by way of a $44,300 check to the Republican National Committee.
It was nearly six years ago that Johnson last made a big show about being more selective with his political donations in the wake of criticism that he donated to far-right conspiracy theorists who eventually made their way to Congress. But since then, the public relations machine has gone off – which included defenses from his son – while the donation machine has gone to full power. In 2024, he donated approximately $2.86 million to Republican causes, setting a new personal high for a single year. Many of the politicians he donated to who prompted his last mea culpa either are further entrenched in power than ever before or at least saw their careers in Republican politics flourish in the ensuing years.
Advertisement
While recent polls show a potential incoming “blue wave” of victories for the Democrats, Johnson’s wallet is certainly hoping for the opposite.
More SF Giants
– A deeply serious look at the Giants’ growing chicken tender problem
– Another day, another unprecedented SF Giants controversy
– The SF Giants aren’t even trying to hide their shameless money grabs now
– The tribute Mike Krukow didn’t see coming, right across from McCovey Cove
For all of our Bay Area sports coverage, sign up for The Catch newsletter.
This article originally published at SF Giants owner Charles B. Johnson outspending rest of MLB combined in midterm donations this cycle.
