In Virginia, state-level candidates and PACs spent $4.49 million from their campaign accounts on services from Facebook in the 2021 election cycle. Facebook received 1.06 percent of all reported expenditures.
According to reports filed with the Virginia Department of Elections between Jan. 1, 2020, and Dec. 31, 2021, here are the top candidates and PACs that spent campaign funds with Facebook.
Top 10 Virginia campaigns spending money with Facebook
Of the $4,486,863 spent with Facebook, 90.36 percent came from these 10 campaign accounts.
Top Campaign Expenditures with Facebook (1/1/2020 – 12/31/2021)
| Rank | Total Paid to Facebook | Name | Account Type |
| 1. | $3,736,097.89 | Terry McAuliffe | Candidate PAC |
| 2. | $100,473.28 | Vote Yes Richmond Wins! | Non-candidate PAC |
| 3. | $39,889.76 | Vote Yes Portsmouth | Non-candidate PAC |
| 4. | $31,106.28 | Tim Anderson | Candidate PAC |
| 5. | $30,445.30 | Jennifer Kitchen | Candidate PAC |
| 6. | $29,884.39 | Stephen E Heretick | Candidate PAC |
| 7. | $23,744.35 | Dawn Adams | Candidate PAC |
| 8. | $22,491.16 | Vote Yes for Bristol | Non-candidate PAC |
| 9. | $20,585.91 | Jennifer Carroll Foy | Candidate PAC |
| 10. | $19,567.46 | Kathy Byron | Candidate PAC |
Campaign expenditures with Facebook in 12 states
Here is how spending with Facebook in Virginia compares to 12 other states with data available from Transparency USA for the most recent election cycle:
Comparison of total campaign finance expenditures with Facebook, by state
| Rank | State | Total Paid to Facebook | Reporting Period |
| 1 | California | $5,290,745 | 1/1/2021- 4/23/2022 |
| 2 | Virginia | $4,486,863 | 1/1/2020-12/31/2021* |
| 3 | Texas | $2,675,276 | 1/1/2021 – 5/14/2022 |
| 4 | Michigan | $194,180 | 1/1/2021 – 4/20/2022 |
| 5 | Minnesota | $166,072 | 1/1/2021 – 3/31/2022 |
| 6 | Arizona | 123,154 | 1/1/2021 – 3/31/2022 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | $106,513 | 1/1/2021 – 3/9/2022 |
| 8 | Wisconsin | $101,978 | 1/1/2021 – 3/21/2022 |
| 9 | North Carolina | $78,960 | 1/1/2021 – 4/30/2022 |
| 10 | Florida | $36,148 | 1/1/2021 – 3/31/202 |
| 11 | Indiana | $29,534 | 1/1/2021 – 4/8/2022 |
| 12 | Ohio | $19,924 | 1/1/2021 – 4/13/2022 |
*Virginia’s two-year election cycles end in an odd-numbered year. The first available reports for Virginia’s 2023 election cycle are due Jul. 17, 2022.
While spending varies widely between states, no state on Transparency USA has reported more than 1.06 percent of total campaign expenditures on services from Facebook in the most recent cycle.
The data above are based on campaign finance reports that active Virginia PACs submitted to the Virginia Department of Elections. Transparency USA publishes campaign finance data following major reporting deadlines. State or federal law may require filers to submit additional reports.
| Report Name | Report Due Date |
| 2022 Jan Semiannual | 1/15/2022 |
| 2022 Jul Semiannual | 7/15/2022 |
| 2023 Jan Semiannual | 1/15/2023 |
This article is a joint publication from Ballotpedia and Transparency USA, who are working together to provide campaign finance information for state-level elections. Learn more about our work here.