Political Contributions and Policy Alliances: An Analysis of Major Teachers' Unions' Spending

Data compiled by OpenSecrets reveals a stark partisan divide in the political spending of the United States' two largest teachers' unions, the National Education Association (NEA) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). Critics frequently point to these figures as evidence of a highly lopsided funding strategy, arguing that directing nearly all contributions to a single political party does not reflect the diverse political beliefs of individual educators. While detractors view this near-exclusive financial support of Democrats as an unbalanced approach to education advocacy, union leadership and Democratic allies argue that this spending reflects a shared commitment to public school funding and labor rights. The following overview details the scale of these donations and the close relationship between union leaders and Democratic lawmakers.

Overall donations from the AFT show that 99.7% went to Democrats and Liberals, while less than 1% of the $144 million went to Republicans.
Here is the all-time organizational contribution tracking from OpenSecrets:

American Federation of Teachers (AFT)
Total Contributions: $144 million
To Democrats & Liberals: $144 million (99.7%)
To Republicans & Conservatives: $373,900 (0.3%)

National Education Association (NEA)
Total Contributions: $134 million
To Democrats & Liberals: $130million (96.9%)
To Republicans & Conservatives: $4,108,492 (3.1%)

During the 2024 election cycle, specific breakdowns of political action committee (PAC) spending directly to federal candidates followed this same pattern:
NEA PAC: Contributed $1,678,500 (97.84%) to federal Democratic candidates, compared to $17,000 (0.99%) to federal Republican candidates, according to OpenSecrets Federal PAC Tracking.
AFT PAC: Contributed 100% of its federal candidate contributions to Democrats and 0% to Republicans ($2.34 million in total PAC donations), as noted by OpenSecrets AFT Recipient Profiles.

Beyond individual candidate campaigns, both unions dump millions more into liberal outside spending groups, Super PACs, and advocacy organizations (such as the Democratic Governors Association, House Majority PAC, and Senate Majority PAC) to support political efforts. For instance, a conservative watchdog group report published in August 2025 noted that the NEA and AFT directed a combined $43.5 million to liberal advocacy organizations and Democratic PACs between mid-2022 and mid-2024.

THIS IS WHY THEY DONATE

Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries maintain a strongly supportive public relationship with the nation's two largest teachers' unions, treating them as vital institutional partners and key electoral allies. While they occasionally clash with the unions on specific policy details, both leaders routinely align with their broader platform.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries views the unions as critical partners in defending public institutions and securing a Democratic legislative majority.

In a headline address at the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) national convention in July 2026, Jeffries called heavily on the union's 1.8 million members to mobilize for the upcoming midterms. He urged attendees to help Democrats win back control of the U.S. House of Representatives and push back against "MAGA extremists."

Jeffries heavily praised the AFT's agenda, explicitly promising that Democrats would work directly toward the union's call for "A Better Life for All". He echoed the standard union platforms by committing to drive down household costs, protect the right to organize, and fully fund public education programs.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer treats the National Education Association (NEA) and the AFT as key pillars of the Democratic coalition, though their policy interests have occasionally diverged.

Schumer regularly relies on the backing of both unions when rolling out major national policy frameworks, such as joint press conferences advocating for widespread teacher raises or implementing labor-focused guidelines for artificial intelligence. He has also forcefully backed the unions' priorities by promising to block any legislative attempts to eliminate or gut the federal Department of Education.

Despite a close alliance, Schumer's relationship has faced minor policy disagreements. For example, during pandemic-era rescue packaging, Schumer successfully negotiated aid for private schools following local lobbying in New York. This move drew explicit public criticism from the NEA, which expressed "strong disappointment" over the concession—even though AFT leadership chose to defend the carveout.

The deep financial and strategic relationship between major teachers' unions and Democratic leadership underscores a highly coordinated political alliance. While critics continue to challenge the stark asymmetry of these donations, arguing it centralizes political influence and marginalizes conservative members, the unions maintain that their contributions are a direct investment in lawmakers who champion their core platform. As long as Democratic leaders continue to prioritize union-backed initiatives, this overwhelming funding pattern is likely to remain a central pillar of both education advocacy and Democratic electoral strategy.

Scott Kovacs is a writer and editor for Patriotic Way. He primarily writes about politics, patriotism, and truth in reporting. Previously, he worked in the medical field as a Registered Nurse for 27 years.