How Much Do Creative Professionals Donate to Republicans Versus Democrats? Here Are the Numbers

Artists gave far more to Joe Biden than Donald Trump, but where do architects, editors, photographers, and other professions rank?

Metropolitan Opera Orchestra musicians perform classical music for Upper West Side voters outside the David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center on Election Day, November 3, 2020 in New York. Photo by Bryan R. Smith /AFP via Getty Images.

It’s no secret that Donald Trump and Joe Biden have different bases of support. Still, it’s illuminating to compare the world around you with the stats on who gives to which candidate.

With the US election now upon us, Bloomberg has rounded up data on small-dollar donations to the Trump and Biden war chests made this year up to October 1. Specifically, it breaks out donations to ActBlue and WinRed, the fundraising platforms of the Democratic and Republican parties, grouping the donations by self-reported professions.

By far the most Democratic-leaning job? “Fundraising professional.” Fully 96 percent of donations by professional fundraisers have gone to Biden.

After that, the most Biden donations are concentrated among “social workers,” “professors,” “deans,” and “public relations professionals,” all with 94 percent of donations going to Biden versus just 6 percent to Trump.

At the other political extreme are “homemakers” (96 percent pro-Trump) and “disabled or on disability” (93 percent pro-Trump), followed by “welders,” “ranchers,” and “stay-at-home moms” (84 percent pro-Trump).

“Entrepreneurs” are balanced perfectly between the two parties: 50 percent Trump and 50 percent Biden. Other swing professions are “caregivers” (48 percent Trump/52 percent Biden), “real estate professionals” (49 percent Trump/51 percent Biden), “surgeons” (49 percent Trump/51 percent Biden), and “dentists” (52 percent Trump/48 percent Biden).

As for the so-called creative economy, where does it fit into the mix? Pretty firmly in the blue column, as you might expect, including artists—though they are not nearly so unanimous as, say, editors. Here, we break out the totals from the Bloomberg report:

  • Artists
    18,000 donations
    22 percent Trump/78 percent Biden
  • Photographers
    6,600 donations
    22 percent Trump/78 percent Biden
  • Musicians
    13,000 donations
    20 percent Trump/80 percent Biden
  • Actors
    3,300 donations
    16 percent Trump/84 percent Biden
  • Writers and Authors
    34,000 donations
    14 percent Trump/86 percent Biden
  • Architects
    13,000 donations
    15 percent Trump/85 percent Biden
  • Producers
    10,000 donations
    10 percent Trump/90 percent Biden
  • Editors
    12,000 donations
    6 percent Trump/94 percent Biden