The first real votes of 2026 are in — and the numbers are turning heads. In this week's Facts About PACs, Micaela Isler, David Schild, and Adam Belmar are joined by political analyst Jim Ellis for the Ellis Insight on primary night in Texas, North Carolina, and Arkansas. Jim breaks down the headline that's raising alarms for Republicans: for the first time in decades, more Democrats voted in the Texas primary than Republicans. From the Cornyn-Paxton Senate showdown to the stunning Dan Crenshaw defeat, the redistricting shake-ups reshaping House races, and breaking news on a Senate seat opening up in Oklahoma — this episode covers it all. Plus, Jim delivers his big-picture read on what these early results signal for the 2026 midterms and what Republicans must do to turn the tide.

Episode Sponsor: Chain Bridge Bank

Fifteen years after Citizens United, the conventional wisdom was wrong. Corporations never flooded Super PACs with cash — and Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Brody Mullins, co-author of The Wolves of K Street, explains exactly why. On this episode of Facts About PACs, Brody joins Micaela, Adam, and David to unpack why publicly traded companies have stayed on the sidelines, who is spending big in the Super PAC game, and which industries — crypto, big oil, Wall Street, and AI — are starting to rethink that calculus.

In a landmark episode for the Facts About PACs community, hosts Micaela Isler, Adam Belmar, and David Schild sit down with Federal Election Commission Chair Shana Broussard.

Chair Broussard is leading the FEC through its longest quorum crisis in the agency's 50-year history — now past 295 days without the four commissioners needed to issue advisory opinions, move enforcement matters forward, or finalize regulations. She joins the show to explain what that means in practical terms for PAC professionals, what the agency can still do for the regulated community, and why she's operating as if quorum could be restored tomorrow.

The conversation also tackles some of the biggest issues facing the PAC community right now — from Chair Broussard's passionate case for indexing PAC contribution limits to inflation after 50 years stuck at $5,000, to her candid assessment of National Republican Senatorial Committee v. FEC, which she calls the most consequential case before the commission since Citizens United.

Don't miss this rare opportunity to hear directly from the nation's top campaign finance regulator at a pivotal moment for money in politics.

What really gets Hill staff to pay attention to your advocacy messages? In this installment of Solutions in Action, Speak4 founder and CEO Joe Mansour returns with fresh insights from the people who receive advocacy every day—Capitol Hill and state legislative staffers themselves. Whether you're mobilizing grassroots supporters or building PAC member engagement, this episode delivers actionable intelligence on breaking through the noise and creating legislative impact.

PAC directors and government affairs professionals have long struggled to access reliable state legislative data, as free resources have been locked behind paywalls. State Navigate founder Chaz Nuttycombe returns to explain how his nonprofit is filling that gap with comprehensive, free campaign finance data, legislative forecasting, and ideological analysis across eight states. Learn how this transparency tool can inform your 2026 midterm strategy—from identifying competitive races to tracking members and analyzing voting patterns.

John Mason is stepping into the board chair role at an exciting moment for NABPAC. In this conversation with Micaela Isler, Adam Belmar, and David Schild, John shares his vision for the organization's next chapter—from strengthening advocacy on Capitol Hill to providing PAC professionals with the data and insights they need to build stronger programs. As NABPAC approaches its 50th anniversary, John explains why this moment of transformation represents opportunity, not necessity, and what members can look forward to in the year ahead.

Is your PAC program ready for primetime? Eric Wilson returns to Facts About PACs with research-backed insights on what separates programs that work from those that just look good on paper. From website credibility checks to video best practices, Eric walks through his New Year's campaign checklist and shares results from real-world voter turnout experiments. Learn why outdated social icons matter more than you think, how "streak messaging" boosted turnout by two points, and why captions are now non-negotiable for video content. If you want to prove your PAC program is ready for the midterm election cycle, start here.

Episode Sponsor:
State and Federal Communications, Inc.

New year, new headshot? In this first episode of 2026, we're talking about professional presence. Award-winning producer and NABPAC's official photographer, Brendan Kownacki, joins us to break down the art of the professional glow up. From the truth about how often you should refresh your headshot (hint: it's more than you think) to the strategic networking moves to make on LinkedIn, Brendan brings practical advice for PAC professionals looking to level up their brand in 2026.