Libertarian investor pledges $40 million to curb socialist candidates in state races

Scott Banister, an early backer of PayPal, Uber and SpaceX, has committed $40 million to Make Liberty Win, a libertarian-oriented political group aligned with the Republican Party. The money will fund grassroots operations—door knocking and phone banking—targeting Democratic Socialists of America candidates in state legislative races across Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Arizona, New Hampshire, West Virginia and Montana, with intentions to add more states.

The group argues that socialist-identified candidates, exemplified by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, are gaining traction within the Democratic Party. Republicans, who currently hold a national advantage, face a projected three-to-one spending disparity favoring Democrats in state contests, according to the Republican State Leadership Committee. Make Liberty Win’s strategy focuses on mobilizing student and youth activists to reach over two million voters, rather than providing direct cash to candidates. CEO Jeff Frazee described the plan as a comprehensive effort to halt the “far-left” surge at the state level, where political movements are built.