Lost Your Race? How to Pay Off Campaign Debt
If you lost and still owe money, you can pay off campaign debt after the election. It takes a list, a plan and a few weeks of asks most candidates would rather skip.
This guide is for Democrats coming out of 2026 races with unpaid bills. The federal rules come first, and state candidates should check their own state’s rules on each point.
List Everything You Owe
Start with a complete list: vendors, staff pay, reimbursements, credit cards and any money you lent the campaign yourself. Note who you owe, how much, since when and what was promised.
Federal committees report debts on their FEC filings until they’re paid, so the list should match what your treasurer reports.
Raise Money to Retire the Debt
You can keep raising money after the election to pay what you owe. Under FEC rules, those contributions are designated to the 2026 election and stay within each donor’s limit for it. The committee can keep them only while it still has debt.
That means donors who already maxed out for 2026 can’t help with the debt. Your best prospects are supporters who gave less than the limit, or never gave at all.
- Ask your top supporters directly, by phone.
- Hold a small thank-you event with a modest debt-retirement ask.
- If you lost a primary, ask the nominee’s donors for help as part of your endorsement. Our guide to losing a Democratic primary covers that conversation.
- Rent your donor list at a fair market rate. Our post on donor file rental explains how.
Pay Staff and Small Vendors First
People who worked for you and small local vendors feel unpaid bills the most. Pay them first, even if larger vendors wait longer.
It’s also smart politics. Staff and vendors talk, and they decide whether to work with you again.
Negotiating With Vendors
A vendor can’t simply forgive what you owe. Under federal rules, a commercial vendor can settle or forgive campaign debt only on commercially reasonable terms, the same way it would treat a non-political client. Otherwise the forgiven amount can count as a contribution.
Only a committee that’s shutting down can settle a debt for less than the full amount. It files a debt settlement plan on FEC Form 8, which the FEC reviews before approving, according to the FEC.
Repaying Your Own Loans
If you lent your campaign money, you can raise money after the election to repay yourself. In 2022, the Supreme Court struck down the old $250,000 cap on repaying a candidate’s loans with post-election contributions in FEC v. Ted Cruz for Senate.
The law allows it, but think about how it looks to donors. Many candidates repay staff and vendors first and themselves last.
Keep the Committee Open Until It's Done
You can’t close a federal committee with unsettled debt. If you might run again, there’s more reason to stay open: our guide on how to keep your campaign committee open covers the reports you still owe.
Sutton & Smart works with Democratic candidates on fundraising, mail and field. If you need a plan to pay off campaign debt and set up your next race, talk to us.
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Jon Sutton
An expert in management, strategy, and field organizing, Jon has been a frequent commentator in national publications.
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