Geographic Analysis
Lobbying by State: Where Does Your State's Money Go?
Federal lobbying isn't just a Washington phenomenon. Organizations from every state hire lobbyists to influence Congress. Some states punch way above their weight — while others barely register.
State Overview
Top 10 States by Total Lobbying Spending
Top 10 States by Per Capita Lobbying
Per capita spending reveals which states' residents have the most lobbying representation relative to population. Small states and state with concentrated industries often rank highest.
| # | State | Per Capita | Total | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $27104.99 | $4.5B | 678,972 |
| 2 | Virginia | $304.60 | $1.1B | 8,683,619 |
| 3 | Delaware | $303.98 | $238M | 1,031,890 |
| 4 | Maryland | $110.11 | $335M | 6,180,253 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $108.46 | $503M | 7,001,399 |
| 6 | Alaska | $97.59 | $71M | 733,406 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $92.38 | $167M | 3,617,176 |
| 8 | California | $67.73 | $2.0B | 38,965,193 |
| 9 | Illinois | $67.17 | $531M | 12,549,689 |
| 10 | New York | $66.48 | $983M | 19,571,216 |
All States — Complete Rankings
| # | State | Total Spending | Per Capita | Clients | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia (DC) | $4.5B | $27104.99 | 6,659 | 174,507 |
| 2 | California (CA) | $2.0B | $67.73 | 4,744 | 79,760 |
| 3 | Virginia (VA) | $1.1B | $304.60 | 2,424 | 51,875 |
| 4 | New York (NY) | $983M | $66.48 | 2,496 | 39,344 |
| 5 | Texas (TX) | $883M | $44.32 | 2,333 | 36,349 |
| 6 | Florida (FL) | $582M | $30.12 | 2,027 | 29,020 |
| 7 | Illinois (IL) | $531M | $67.17 | 1,259 | 22,545 |
| 8 | Massachusetts (MA) | $503M | $108.46 | 1,242 | 21,145 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania (PA) | $412M | $48.56 | 1,197 | 20,299 |
| 10 | Maryland (MD) | $335M | $110.11 | 1,038 | 18,399 |
| 11 | New Jersey (NJ) | $308M | $63.58 | 848 | 14,094 |
| 12 | Georgia (GA) | $279M | $38.58 | 742 | 12,376 |
| 13 | Washington (WA) | $274M | $41.52 | 783 | 13,710 |
| 14 | Colorado (CO) | $274M | $65.69 | 799 | 12,622 |
| 15 | Ohio (OH) | $272M | $37.19 | 869 | 13,963 |
| 16 | North Carolina (NC) | $240M | $28.90 | 695 | 11,784 |
| 17 | Delaware (DE) | $238M | $303.98 | 236 | 3,333 |
| 18 | Arizona (AZ) | $198M | $27.59 | 508 | 8,748 |
| 19 | Missouri (MO) | $185M | $40.25 | 431 | 7,777 |
| 20 | Michigan (MI) | $170M | $23.42 | 557 | 8,918 |
| 21 | Connecticut (CT) | $167M | $92.38 | 372 | 6,121 |
| 22 | Tennessee (TN) | $164M | $36.93 | 407 | 6,120 |
| 23 | Minnesota (MN) | $161M | $49.47 | 497 | 9,106 |
| 24 | Alabama (AL) | $151M | $31.80 | 399 | 6,742 |
| 25 | Louisiana (LA) | $148M | $34.95 | 451 | 7,297 |
| 26 | Indiana (IN) | $146M | $24.55 | 438 | 7,337 |
| 27 | Wisconsin (WI) | $137M | $34.51 | 366 | 6,859 |
| 28 | Nevada (NV) | $126M | $44.18 | 341 | 5,574 |
| 29 | Oregon (OR) | $125M | $31.12 | 363 | 6,434 |
| 30 | Utah (UT) | $122M | $35.75 | 361 | 5,721 |
| 31 | South Carolina (SC) | $121M | $21.91 | 292 | 4,957 |
| 32 | Kentucky (KY) | $96M | $32.75 | 272 | 5,036 |
| 33 | Oklahoma (OK) | $83M | $26.33 | 226 | 4,145 |
| 34 | Kansas (KS) | $74M | $39.77 | 198 | 3,437 |
| 35 | Alaska (AK) | $71M | $97.59 | 226 | 4,849 |
| 36 | Mississippi (MS) | $64M | $20.05 | 207 | 3,295 |
| 37 | Iowa (IA) | $47M | $16.63 | 143 | 2,564 |
| 38 | New Mexico (NM) | $43M | $18.69 | 176 | 2,874 |
| 39 | Idaho (ID) | $43M | $36.68 | 119 | 2,318 |
| 40 | Nebraska (NE) | $36M | $24.89 | 131 | 2,392 |
| 41 | Arkansas (AR) | $35M | $27.79 | 116 | 1,704 |
| 42 | Montana (MT) | $34M | $27.58 | 125 | 1,938 |
| 43 | Rhode Island (RI) | $34M | $38.17 | 104 | 1,654 |
| 44 | South Dakota (SD) | $33M | $58.75 | 69 | 1,674 |
| 45 | New Hampshire (NH) | $28M | $20.86 | 87 | 1,265 |
| 46 | Maine (ME) | $22M | $17.72 | 85 | 1,284 |
| 47 | North Dakota (ND) | $18M | $21.07 | 75 | 1,296 |
| 48 | West Virginia (WV) | $18M | $11.54 | 77 | 1,310 |
| 49 | Hawaii (HI) | $18M | $11.51 | 91 | 1,230 |
| 50 | Wyoming (WY) | $14M | $19.54 | 74 | 899 |
| 51 | Vermont (VT) | $6M | $8.64 | 33 | 445 |
Based on client headquarters state. Spending covers 2018–2025. Source: Senate LDA filings.
Key Insights
DC Dominance
Washington, DC leads in both total spending and per capita — unsurprising given that most trade associations, advocacy groups, and lobbying firms are headquartered there.
Corporate Headquarters Effect
States with major corporate HQs (NY, CA, IL) rank high because lobbying spending is attributed to where the client is headquartered, not where the lobbying occurs.
Small States, Big Per Capita
Small states with concentrated industries (e.g., Delaware's financial sector, Connecticut's insurance/defense) often have surprisingly high per-capita lobbying numbers.
Every State Lobbies
Every single state has organizations lobbying Congress — from Alaska Native corporations to Florida sugar producers to Texas oil companies. Federal policy affects everyone.
Explore Your State
Browse the full client list for any state and see exactly who's lobbying on behalf of your state's organizations.