Industries & Lobbying Power
Which industries spend the most to influence policy — and how many former officials they employ.
Industries Tracked
18
Total Lobbying
$1.6B
Political Spending
$1.6B
Lobbyists
8.0K
18 industries
Pharmaceuticals & Health Products
Pharma lobbying has hit records every year since 2019. The industry is now boosting spending on Trump-connected lobbying firms as it adapts to the new administration. The IRA's drug pricing provisions are modest — only 10 drugs initially — and the industry is already working to weaken implementation. PhRMA's Billy Tauzin pipeline (congressman → lobby president) set the template for the revolving door. With 400+ former officials, pharma has the most extensive revolving door of any industry.Lobbying
$387.0M
Political Spending
$150.0M
1.8K lobbyists · 400 revolving door
Finance & Banking
Finance lobbying remains steady at historic highs. The industry is focused on weakening Basel III capital requirements, which would require banks to hold more reserves. Tim Scott chairing the Banking Committee while being the industry's top recipient is the current power alignment. Crypto regulation creates both threat and opportunity — TradFi firms want frameworks that benefit them over pure-play crypto companies. The carried interest loophole survives every reform cycle because PE firms fund the reformers.Lobbying
$220.0M
Political Spending
$120.0M
1.2K lobbyists · 350 revolving door
Insurance
Insurance lobbying remains high at $165M. The Brian Thompson assassination was a watershed moment — public hatred of the industry reached new heights. Medicare Advantage is the profit center (UnitedHealth gets $150B+/year from it) and the industry's top lobbying priority is preventing audits that would reveal overbilling. Climate change is creating a new crisis — insurers are withdrawing from Florida, California, and other disaster-prone states.Lobbying
$165.0M
Political Spending
$65.0M
800 lobbyists · 150 revolving door
Defense & Aerospace
Defense lobbying increased 9.4% as Ukraine/Israel conflicts drive weapons demand. The industry is experiencing a historic boom — Lockheed and RTX backlogs hit record highs. New defense tech startups (Anduril, Shield AI) are challenging incumbents while the Thiel network gains government influence through DOGE and the VP's office. The 500-strong revolving door ensures that the people making procurement decisions often end up working for the companies they previously oversaw.Lobbying
$140.0M
Political Spending
$45.0M
950 lobbyists · 500 revolving door
Oil & Gas
Oil and gas lobbying increased 8.7% as the industry capitalizes on the Trump administration. The Biden LNG export pause was immediately reversed. EPA methane rules are being rolled back. Chris Wright as Energy Secretary ensures industry-friendly policy. The Koch network's $548M in spending makes them the industry's political backbone. Despite declining public support for fossil fuels, the industry's political infrastructure has never been stronger.Lobbying
$125.0M
Political Spending
$80.0M
700 lobbyists · 200 revolving door
Telecom & Internet
Telecom lobbying increased 5.6% as broadband subsidies flow and spectrum auctions approach. The industry won its net neutrality fight (court vacated FCC rules) and is now focused on receiving $42.5B in BEAD broadband grants. John Thune as Senate Majority Leader — the telecom industry's favorite senator — ensures a friendly regulatory environment. The industry's fundamental business model of regional monopolies ensures high prices and customer dissatisfaction.Lobbying
$95.0M
Political Spending
$35.0M
500 lobbyists · 120 revolving door
Real Estate
Real estate lobbying increased 6.3% as the housing affordability crisis intensifies. Ironically, the industry lobbies against many solutions to affordability (zoning reform, investor restrictions) while claiming to support housing. Blackstone becoming America's largest residential landlord has drawn scrutiny to institutional investors in housing. Trump's presidency means the first real estate developer in the White House since... there's never been one before.Lobbying
$85.0M
Political Spending
$95.0M
400 lobbyists · 80 revolving door
Agriculture & Food
Agriculture lobbying increased 8.3% as Farm Bill reauthorization stalled. The industry faces a fundamental tension: it depends on immigrant labor while its political allies crack down on immigration. Climate change is creating real agricultural risks, but the industry lobbies against environmental regulation. The consolidation of farming (4 companies control 80%+ of meat processing) means lobbying increasingly represents corporate interests rather than family farmers.Lobbying
$65.0M
Political Spending
$30.0M
300 lobbyists · 60 revolving door
Technology
Tech lobbying is surging as AI regulation becomes the defining policy battle. The industry is in an unprecedented moment: Google faces potential breakup, Meta shifted rightward, and AI companies are building DC presence from scratch. The 2024 election marked the first time tech billionaires were the dominant donor class — Musk ($250M), Andreessen ($70M), and Thiel's network reshaping the political landscape. AI policy will define the next decade of tech lobbying.Lobbying
$61.5M
Political Spending
$85.0M
350 lobbyists · 150 revolving door
Labor Unions
Labor is in a paradox: public popularity is at 60-year highs, major strike victories showed power, but political spending can't match corporate opponents. The $300M in 2024 spending sounds massive but is dwarfed by corporate interests ($387M from pharma alone). Under Trump, the NLRB General Counsel was fired, union-friendly regulations are being reversed, and the PRO Act has zero chance of passage. The movement's strength is in organizing and public support, not political spending.Lobbying
$55.0M
Political Spending
$300.0M
200 lobbyists · 50 revolving door
Automotive
Auto lobbying increased 10% as tariff threats and EV policy uncertainty intensified. The industry is in an unprecedented transition — investing hundreds of billions in EVs while lobbying to slow EV mandates. Trump's tariff proposals could add $3,000-$10,000 to vehicle prices. Tesla's unique position (CEO runs DOGE, benefits from EV credits) creates an uneven playing field. The UAW's new confrontational posture adds labor cost pressure.Lobbying
$55.0M
Political Spending
$25.0M
200 lobbyists · 40 revolving door
Private Equity
PE lobbying surged 16.7% — the second-fastest growth after crypto. The industry is in a golden age: record AUM, favorable tax treatment, and a regulatory environment that's getting friendlier. The Sinema story is the industry's masterpiece — fund a key senator, she kills the reform, then she leaves office to likely join the industry. SEC private fund rules were vacated by courts, removing the last major regulatory threat. With $56B in personal wealth among top PE chiefs, they can outspend any opposition.Lobbying
$35.0M
Political Spending
$50.0M
100 lobbyists · 45 revolving door
Education
Education lobbying surged 20% as the Department of Education faces abolition threats. The school choice battle is the defining fight — Jeff Yass has spent $100M+ on voucher campaigns while teachers unions spend similar amounts in opposition. Student loan policy whiplash (Biden forgiveness → SCOTUS block → limited relief) keeps servicers and borrowers lobbying furiously. Education is where the culture war meets the money war.Lobbying
$30.0M
Political Spending
$40.0M
150 lobbyists · 30 revolving door
Crypto & Blockchain
Crypto political spending increased 38.9% year-over-year — the fastest growth of any industry. The 2024 election proved the model works: spend massively in primaries, elect friendly legislators, then write favorable legislation. David Sacks as AI/Crypto Czar gives the industry a direct pipeline to the White House. Fairshake's $116M war chest for 2026 ensures continued dominance. But the Illinois loss suggests voters may be turning against corporate PAC spending in primaries.Lobbying
$25.0M
Political Spending
$193.0M
80 lobbyists · 25 revolving door
Gambling & Casinos
Gambling lobbying increased 13.6% as online betting expands and sports betting matures. The industry's political influence is dominated by the Adelson fortune — without Miriam Adelson's $120M, the industry's spending would be modest. Sports betting's rapid legalization (38 states in 6 years) is the fastest policy change driven by industry lobbying in recent memory. The next frontier is online gambling (iGaming), with industry pushing state-by-state legalization.Lobbying
$25.0M
Political Spending
$130.0M
100 lobbyists · 20 revolving door
Gun Rights / Gun Control
The NRA's collapse has reshaped gun politics. Bloomberg's money ($30M to Everytown Victory Fund) now dominates, and gun control groups outspend gun rights groups for the first time in history. The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (2022) was the first major gun law in 30 years. But with Trump in office, federal gun control legislation is dead. The battlefield has shifted to states, where red flag laws and magazine bans are expanding in blue states while red states eliminate permit requirements.Lobbying
$15.0M
Political Spending
$50.0M
60 lobbyists · 10 revolving door
Cannabis
Cannabis lobbying surged 60% — the fastest growth of any industry. DEA rescheduling to Schedule III would be transformative, opening banking access and eliminating the punitive 280E tax. The industry is professionalizing rapidly, hiring former government officials and building DC infrastructure. But the fundamental contradiction — legal in half the states, federally illegal — creates lobbying challenges that no other industry faces.Lobbying
$8.0M
Political Spending
$5.0M
40 lobbyists · 10 revolving door
Pro-Israel
Pro-Israel spending surged 25% as the Israel-Gaza conflict intensified political divisions. AIPAC's strategy of massive primary spending is facing growing backlash from progressive Democrats and civil liberties groups. The pop-up PAC tactic in the 2026 Illinois primaries suggests new levels of spending opacity. However, the strategy remains effective — no other lobby can credibly threaten to primary sitting members of Congress with $10M+ in spending.Lobbying
$5.0M
Political Spending
$105.0M
50 lobbyists · 15 revolving door