# A PayPal investor bets $40M against socialists

> Scott Banister is dropping $40 million into state legislative races to slow the Democratic Socialists of America.
- Title: A PayPal investor bets $40M against socialists · Fox News
- Summary: Scott Banister is dropping $40 million into state legislative races to slow the Democratic Socialists of America. The fight over socialism in American…
- Keywords: politics, campaign finance, dsa, state elections, republicans, news, PayPal, investor, bets, 40M, against, socialists
- Source: Fox News — https://foxnews.com/politics/libertarian-tech-mogul-hit-dsa-eight-figure-spending-nuke
- Author: Robert Schmad
- Published: 2026-09-14T00:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: politics, campaign finance, dsa, state elections, republicans, news
## A $40 million check lands
Scott Banister, an early investor in PayPal, Uber and SpaceX, gave $40 million to Make Liberty Win, a right-of-center group focused on state-level races.
## Nine states, then a dozen
Money is already moving in Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Arizona, New Hampshire, West Virginia and Montana, with plans to reach at least twelve states.
## Mamdani is the flashpoint
The group's own press release names New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani as proof that self-described socialists are winning inside the Democratic Party.

> Self-described socialists are running for office and winning in the Democratic Party
## Two million doors
Rather than cutting checks to candidates, Make Liberty Win mobilizes student and youth activists to knock doors and run phone banks. The target is two million voters.

> mobilizing student and youth activists to knock on the doors of more than two million voters
## Closing a three-to-one gap
The Republican State Leadership Committee projected in August that Democrats would outspend Republicans three to one in state races. Democrats dispute that they are better funded.
## Huge money, small races
The average U.S. House candidate spent $1.8 million in 2024, and state races cost less than federal ones. Organizers call $40 million a floor, not a ceiling.
## Key takeaway

The fight over socialism in American politics is moving down-ballot, where $40 million goes a very long way.