Climate Activist PACs Tied to Communist China Poised to Swing Close Midterm Elections
Independent expenditures heavily weighted against Republican Sen. Jon Husted in Ohio.
Climate activists closely aligned with communist China are supporting far-left Democrats in competitive midterm election races, according to financial records.
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), a highly litigious nonprofit based in New York with more than $650 million in assets, leads the charge in this effort. Congressional figures have frequently called out the NRDC for allegedly operating in violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), a federal law that requires individuals and organizations to disclose their ties to foreign governments.
Although the NRDC has repeatedly denied operating as a foreign agent, the facts and the evidence suggest otherwise. The climate activist group has maintained a working presence in China since the mid-1990s that includes an office in Beijing with more than 40 staff members, according to its website. A majority of the NRDC staff work out of the Beijing office with an annual budget of $4.2 million. In 2018, Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT), then chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, sent a letter to NRDC's leadership detailing the group's close relationship with China and inquiring about potential FARA violations. With these facts in mind, the money trail and endorsements flowing out of NRDC’s political action committees (PACs) and into midterm races deserve special scrutiny. NRDC Action Votes, a "super PAC" that can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money from individuals, corporations, labor unions, and other organizations on federal elections, is all about unseating Republicans and electing Democrats. Super PACS make use of independent expenditures on television ads, radio spots, and billboards that advocate for the election or defeat of specific candidates without coordinating with any candidate’s campaign.
Here in 2026, NRDC Action Votes has reported spending $5 million in independent expenditures opposing eight Republican candidates in this year’s Senate and House races. The PAC does have its priorities. More than 60 percent of this total has gone to unseat Sen. Jon Husted (R-OH), who is running against Sherrod Brown, a Democrat who previously served in the U.S. Senate. Husted supports robust domestic energy production as a way to lower energy prices for Ohio residents, while Brown has a long history of supporting anti-energy policies. The American Energy Alliance, a nonprofit that favors free market energy policies, gives Brown a dismal 2 percent lifetime score on its American Energy Scorecard.
But polls show Brown with a slight lead, indicating Beijing may be able to claim a scalp in Ohio. Federal Election Commission (FEC) records show NRDC's super PAC has also allocated independent expenditures against Republican candidates in North Carolina, Michigan, Florida, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Iowa. The group's electoral ambitions do not end with Congress.
China-Backed Climate Activists Also Working to Swing Wisconsin Governor’s Race
China-aligned climate activists are also working to swing the close, competitive race for governor in Wisconsin in favor of David Crowley, the Democrat candidate who has been the Milwaukee County executive since 2020. Like outgoing Gov. Tony Evers (D), Crowley favors costly "net-zero" policies that rely heavily on wind and solar energy. In May 2025, Crowley signed off on the "Carbon-Neutral Action Plan for the County"—an initiative that aims to achieve net-zero carbon emissions across Milwaukee County by 2050. Crowley’s net-zero scheme is forecast to cost the county—and by extension the taxpayers—$441 million.
The NRDC Action Fund, a traditional PAC separate from the NRDC super PAC, acknowledged Crowley's ongoing commitment to climate activism in its endorsement. Crowley is running against Rep. Tom Tiffany, a Republican, who is giving up his congressional seat to run for governor. In sharp contrast to Crowley, the Republican congressman has been a consistent supporter of legislation that would limit climate liability lawsuits. Tiffany is also the lead sponsor of the Farm Act, which would end taxpayer subsidies for wind and solar projects built on agricultural land. Polls show Crowley with a narrow lead.
The NRDC’s independent expenditures could make all the difference on behalf of Beijing in close competitive elections. Tiffany remains within striking distance in Wisconsin, but in Ohio Husted seems to have a more uphill climb against a popular former Democrat U.S. senator with wide name recognition. Republican Gov. Mike DeWine appointed Husted as senator in 2025 to fill the seat JD Vance vacated when Vance became vice president. Campaign figures show Brown has raised almost $70 million for the Ohio U.S. Senate race in comparison to Husted, who has only raised about $20 million.
The NRDC PACs are sure to be a force in the 2028 presidential race and other key 2028 races. Campaign figures show NRDC Action Fund donated $5,000 to former Vice President Kamala Harris and $2,316 to former President Joe Biden in 2024. The PAC also donated $5,150 to Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) in his successful 2024 re-election bid to the U.S. Senate. These are seemingly modest sums, but they are indicative of how independent expenditures can be used in the future to undermine certain candidates with strategically placed advertisements.
As Restoration News has reported, the NRDC is among the groups that have received substantial grants from left-leaning foundations tied to China. Beijing officials appear well positioned to receive a return on their investment.
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