The Center for Responsive Politics recently published a story analyzing dining and event spending by political campaigns in the 2018 cycle. So where did the capital’s kingmakers drop the most dough in the DMV? Though some establishments are clearly favored by one party—Republicans love The Four Seasons while Dems favor the Jefferson—there are spots frequented by both, like Acqua Al 2 and Charlie Palmer Steak. Combined, the two parties spent over $12 million in 2018, with Republicans spending about two and a half times as much as Democrats. Here’s who spent how much and where.
Democrats
Marriott International
Location: Multiple in DC, Maryland, and Virginia
Total amount spent: $921,886
Biggest Spender: DNC Services Corp spent $534,385
National Democratic Club
Location: Capitol Hill
Total amount spent: $687,442
Biggest Spender: Democratic National Campaign Committee spent $86,556
Bistro Bis
Location: Capitol Hill
Total amount spent: $419,121
Biggest Spender: Stabenow for US Senate spent $25,863
Acqua Al 2
Location: Eastern Market
Total Amount Spent: $361,062
Top Spender: Garamendi for Congress spent $16,280
Charlie Palmer Steak
Location: Capitol Hill
Total Amount Spent: $277,513
Biggest Spender: Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spent $32,628
Hyatt Hotels
Location: Multiple in DC, Maryland, and Virginia
Total Amount Spent: $263,149
Biggest Spender: Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spent $197,109
Westin Hotels and Resorts
Location: Multiple in DC, Maryland, and Virginia
Total Amount Spent: $135,860
Biggest Spender: Arlington Democratic Joint Fed Campaign spent $57,680
Jefferson Hotel
Location: Downtown
Total Amount Spent: $112,386
Biggest Spender: Common Ground PAC spent $51,728
Renaissance Hotels
Location: Downtown
Total Amount Spent: $108,818
Biggest Spender: Democratic Party of Arizona spent $107,507
Casa Luca (Now Sfoglina)
Location: Downtown
Total Amount Spent: $98,700
Biggest Spender: Common Ground PAC spent $21,698
Republicans
Capitol Hill Club
Location: Capitol Hill
Total Amount Spent: $3,561,364
Biggest Spender: National Republican Congressional Committee spent $275,841
Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts
Location: Georgetown and Baltimore
Total Amount Spent: $1,092,883
Biggest Spender: Republican National Committee spent $1,090,521
Trump Old Post Office LLC
Location: Downtown
Total Amount Spent: $1,044,957
Biggest Spender: Republican National Committee spent $355,669
Hilton Hotels
Location: Multiple in DC, Maryland, and Virginia
Total Amount Spent: $761,842
Biggest Spender: Republican National Committee spent $536,724
Marriott International
Location: Multiple in DC, Maryland, and Virginia
Total Amount Spent: $534,005
Biggest Spender: Republican National Committee spent $494,238
Capital Grille
Location: Penn Quarter
Total Amount Spent: $447,581
Biggest Spender: Volunteers for Shimkus spent $131,160
Acqua Al 2
Location: Eastern Market
Total Amount Spent: $405,377
Top Spender: Mike Rogers for Congress spent $21,347
Charlie Palmer Steak
Location: Capitol Hill
Total Amount Spent: $398,536
Biggest Spender: Wicker for Senate spent $60,535
Willard Intercontinental
Location: Downtown
Total Amount Spent: $328,842
Biggest Spender: National Republican Congressional Committee spent $324,678
Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab
Location: Downtown
Total Amount Spent: $208,159
Biggest Spender: Scalise for Congress spent $38,374
Jane is a Chicago transplant who now calls Cleveland Park her home. Before joining Washingtonian, she wrote for Smithsonian Magazine and the Chicago Sun-Times. She is a graduate of Northwestern University, where she studied journalism and opera.
