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American Bridge 21st Century
| American Bridge 21st Century | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Location: | Washington, D.C. |
| Type: | Super PAC |
| Affiliation: | Democratic |
| Founder(s): | David Brock |
| Year founded: | 2010 |
| Website: | Official website |
American Bridge 21st Century is a Democratic-aligned super PAC focused on opposition research, video tracking, and rapid response strategy.[1]
Background
As of August 2025, American Bridge's website said it is "the largest research, tracking, and rapid response operation in the Democratic Party" and that its aim is "holding Republicans accountable and helping deliver Democratic victories."[2]
American Bridge was founded by David Brock, who also started the watchdog organization Media Matters and the pro-Hillary Clinton super PAC Correct the Record.[3][4][5]
Leadership
As of July 2025, Pat Dennis was the president of American Bridge 21st Century.[6]
Work and activities
Political activity
American Bridge's website publishes opposition research on candidates and provides profiles of each tracked candidate, with background information and press releases about each person.[7]
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| Read more about super PACs and the super PACs covered on Ballotpedia. |
The group also publishes databases with their research on candidate positions and public policy issues.[8][9]
The group also airs television and digital ads about candidates.[10]
2024
American Bridge 21st Century announced in September 2024 they would spend $15 million to air television and digital ads in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin regarding Kamala Harris and Donald Trump's positions on abortion in the presidential race.[11] The group also invested in U.S. House of Representatives elections for the first time.[12]
2021
CBS News reported that American Bridge was spending about $4 million toward the January 5, 2021, U.S. Senate runoff elections in Georgia.[13]
2020
Presidential race
On March 21, 2019, NBC reported that American Bridge officials were on a national fundraising tour designed to raise an extra $50 million to target voters in the Upper Midwest during the 2020 presidential election season.[14]
American Bridge announced in June 2020 that it would spend $20 million on a 10-week ad buy in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. The initial ads showed voters who back President Donald Trump (R) in 2016 and were planning to vote for former Vice President Joe Biden (D) in 2020.[15]
In August 2020, the super PAC released an ad featuring Trump's former personal attorney, Michael Cohen.[16]
In September 2020, American Bridge launched a $4 million television and radio ad campaign in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania featuring disparaging comments that Trump allegedly made about dead American soldiers.[17]
State legislative activity
On April 4, 2019, Politico reported that American Bridge was launching a campaign to flip state legislatures ahead of the 2020 census redistricting. The initiative reportedly involved partnering with Democratic groups and creating a three-person research team.[18]
2016
Involvement in 2016 presidential election
In 2015, American Bridge 21st Century launched an offshoot initiative Correct the Record, which was founded to counter opposition from Republicans concerning Hillary Clinton's record. In May 2015, Correct the Record officially broke away from American Bridge and announced its support of then-Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.[4]
On July 11, 2016, The Washington Post reported that the group set up a pop-up Donald Trump museum near the site of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. The museum included "a collection of articles, 6,000 video clips dating back to the 1980s and about 40 Trump-branded items including bottled water, vodka, golf balls, men’s ties and a child’s onesie." The super PAC hoped the museum would convince voters that Trump's "business practices contradict his rhetoric, and draw attention to his derogatory remarks about women, immigrants and people with disabilities," according to the Post.[19]
Involvement in 2016 presidential primaries
During the Republican primary elections, American Bridge criticized some Republican candidates, including Chris Christie, Marco Rubio, and Jeb Bush, among others.[20][21][22]
2013
Steve King immigration videos
In 2013, Republican Steve King embedded one of American Bridge's YouTube videos of his immigration remarks into a fundraising email. The video was originally shot to highlight what the group saw as offensive remarks, but King used it to highlight his stance on immigration. American Bridge re-edited the video to include text saying, "Don’t listen to Steve King’s excuses. Comparing immigrants to dogs is just plain offensive," and a link to a video compilation of his previous immigration remarks.[23]
Targeted candidates
2025-2026
The following individuals are candidates and officials American Bridge 21st Century was tracking as of August 2025:
2024
The following candidates were tracked by American Bridge, as of September 2024.
2022
The following candidates were tracked by American Bridge, as of November 2022.[24]
2020
According to its website, American Bridge was monitoring the following politicians in 2020:[25][26]
2016
According to its website, American Bridge was monitoring the following politicians in 2016:[27]
2014
American Bridge PAC tracked Susana Martinez in the New Mexico gubernatorial election in 2014.[28]
2013
American Bridge PAC tracked the following candidates in 2013:
2012
According to its website, American Bridge monitored the following candidates, or those they saw as potential candidates, in 2012:[29]
Notable endorsements
This section displays endorsements this organization made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope. Know of one we missed? Click here to let us know.
Finances
The following table outlines American Bridge's annual federal receipts and disbursements according to the Federal Election Commission:[30]
| Year | Receipts | Disbursements |
|---|---|---|
| 2024[31] | $81,458,994.39 | $83,957,289.60 |
| 2023[32] | $16,196,822.96 | $13,466,522.06 |
| 2022[33] | $32,028,723.68 | $36,500,455.34 |
| 2021[34] | $19,951,502.69 | $14,606,782.56 |
| 2020[35] | $72,037,249.40 | $72,427,873.67 |
| 2019[36] | $13,426,516.64 | $12,305,150.91 |
| 2018[37] | $10,980,817.19 | $11,166,803.25 |
| 2017[38] | $9,479,580.72 | $9,708,699.91 |
| 2016[39] | $9,430,821 | $9,569,915 |
| 2015[40] | $10,464,054 | $10,154,811 |
| 2014[41] | $10,468,734 | $10,901,180 |
| 2013[42] | $5,938,421 | $6,415,355 |
| 2012[43] | $8,789,405 | $8,337,431 |
| 2011[44] | $3,729,559 | $2,890,302 |
| 2010[45] | $0 | $0 |
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'American Bridge 21st Century'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- What is an influencer?
- David Brock
- Media Matters for America
- Correct the Record
- Democratic presidential election super PACs, 2016
- John Doe investigations related to Scott Walker
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ American Bridge, "About Us," accessed September 22, 2020
- ↑ American Bridge 21st Century, "About Us," accessed August 29, 2025
- ↑ Correct the Record, "About," accessed January 25, 2016
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 The Washington Post, "How a super PAC plans to coordinate directly with Hillary Clinton’s campaign," May 12, 2015
- ↑ Politico, "Dem oppo powerhouse American Bridge sets its sights on the House," March 21, 2024
- ↑ American Bridge 21st Century, "ICYMI: American Bridge President Pat Dennis in Washington Post — Trump’s Epstein Cover-Up Is a Betrayal of His Own Base," July 17, 2025
- ↑ American Bridge, "Republicans We're Watching," accessed August 29, 2025
- ↑ MAGA Files, "Home," accessed August 29, 2025
- ↑ The Hill, "Democratic group to track state impacts of Trump agenda," March 31, 2025
- ↑ American Bridge 21st Century, "Videos," accessed August 29, 2025
- ↑ Politico, "Pro-Harris super PAC to invest heavily in ads targeting women on abortion in swing states," September 12, 2024
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedhouse - ↑ CBS News, "'Everybody is looking up to Georgia right now': Early voting kicks off in Senate runoffs," December 16, 2020
- ↑ NBC News, "Democratic super PAC launches $50 million effort to weaken Trump with core supporters," March 25, 2019
- ↑ Fox News, "Pro-Biden PAC aims to weaken Trump with seniors in key battlegrounds," June 8, 2020
- ↑ The Hill, "Dem group releases ad featuring Michael Cohen slamming Trump as GOP convention kicks off," August 24, 2020
- ↑ NBC News, "Democratic group American Bridge launches $4M Midwest ad buy hitting Trump on vets," September 4, 2020
- ↑ Politico, "Another sign Wisconsin will be a top 2020 battleground," accessed April 8, 2019
- ↑ The Washington Post, "At Cleveland convention, a twist on oppo research: a Trump pop-up museum," July 11, 2016
- ↑ NJ.com, "Democratic-leaning group attacks Christie on guns and abortion," January 25, 2016
- ↑ The Hill, "Dem super-PAC chides Rubio over missed votes," December 21, 2015
- ↑ American Bridge, "Middle East Ground War: A Bush Family Tradition (Video)," November 20, 2015
- ↑ Politico, "Liberal group pranks Steve King," July 31, 2013
- ↑ Wayback Machine, "American Bridge 21st Century," archived November 8, 2022
- ↑ Wayback Machine, "American Bridge 21st Century," archived October 28, 2020
- ↑ Wayback Machine, "American Bridge 21st Century," archived October 28, 2020
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedscout - ↑ 28.0 28.1 28.2 American Bridge, "What We're Monitoring," accessed July 9, 2013
- ↑ American Bridge, "What We're Monitoring," accessed July 6, 2012
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedFEC - ↑ Federal Election Commission, "AB Pac Year-End Report 2024, accessed August 29, 2025
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "AB Pac Year-End Report 2023," accessed August 29, 2025
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "AB Pac Year-End Report 2022," accessed August 29, 2025
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "AB Pac Year-End Report 2021," accessed August 29, 2025
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "AB Pac Year-End Report 2020," accessed August 29, 2025
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "AB Pac Year-End Report, 2019," accessed August 29, 2025
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "American Bridge 21st Century Year-End Report, 2018," accessed August 29, 2025
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "American Bridge 21st Century Year-End Report, 2017," accessed August 29, 2025
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "American Bridge 21st Century Year-End Report, 2016," June 15, 2017
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "American Bridge 21st Century Year-End Report, 2015," August 31, 2016
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "American Bridge 21st Century Year-End Report, 2014," July 31, 2015
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "American Bridge 21st Century Year-End Report, 2013," January 31, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "American Bridge 21st Century Year-End Report, 2012," January 31, 2013
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "American Bridge 21st Century Year-End Report, 2011," May 24, 2012
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "American Bridge 21st Century Year-End Report, 2010," January 28, 2011
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