Workers at some of the largest U.S. tech companies are showing overwhelming support for Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, according to recent donation data. This contrasts sharply with the backing from prominent tech billionaires who have endorsed Republican candidate Donald Trump.
Donation data compiled by political watchdog OpenSecrets reveals that employees at major tech firms such as Alphabet, Amazon, and Microsoft are contributing millions to Harris’ campaign. Alphabet employees and their families have donated $2.16 million to Harris, nearly 40 times the amount given to Trump. Similarly, Amazon employees have contributed $1 million, and Microsoft workers have given $1.1 million to Harris. In comparison, Trump has received $116,000 from Amazon workers and $88,000 from Microsoft workers and their families.
Despite this, influential figures in the tech industry, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk and venture capitalists Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, are backing Trump. They cite Trump’s policies on the economy, taxes, and business as key reasons for their support.
The upcoming November 5 election has highlighted a rift in Silicon Valley, a region traditionally known for its Democratic leanings. High-profile supporters of Harris include venture capitalist Reid Hoffman and entrepreneur Mark Cuban, who advocate for more progressive policies on issues such as abortion rights and tech regulation.
Conversely, some tech leaders have expressed frustration with President Joe Biden’s policies, particularly those targeting mergers, acquisitions, and data privacy, which they believe are detrimental to business.
Corporations are prohibited from directly contributing to federal campaigns, including presidential elections, under campaign finance laws. However, individual employees are free to donate. Michael Beckel of the nonprofit Issue One notes that companies often avoid making political contributions to prevent alienating customers. Nonetheless, tech employees have been notably active in supporting Harris.
In comparison, Walmart employees, who typically have lower disposable incomes than tech workers, have donated a combined total of $275,000 to both presidential campaigns. Walmart workers contributed $144,000 to Trump and $131,000 to Harris.
Sarah Bryner of OpenSecrets explains that higher salaries among tech employees enable greater political contributions compared to retail workers. For example, Amazon’s U.S. corporate employees earn an average salary of $133,000 annually, significantly more than the $85,000 average for Walmart corporate employees.
Meta and Apple employees are also contributing more to Harris than to Trump, though their totals have not reached $1 million. Meta workers have donated $835,000 to Harris versus $25,000 to Trump, while Apple employees have contributed $861,000 to Harris and $44,000 to Trump.
Silicon Valley’s support for Harris reflects the area’s traditional progressive stance, with more than 100 venture capitalists publicly backing her in August for her pro-innovation approach to business and technology.
