Food

The Top DC-Area Restaurants and Hotels Where Democrats and Republicans Spent Campaign Money

Where 2018 campaign politicos wined and dined in Washington.

Photo of the Trump International Hotel by Jeff Elkins

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 Recker
Assistant Editor

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.