SALT LAKE CITY — August 3, 2026 — Friends of Traditional Banking today announced "Banking's Top Ten Candidates," a list of congressional candidates in some of the country's closest and most consequential races for the traditional banking industry.
U.S. House of Representatives
U.S. Senate
All ten races are currently classified as "Toss Ups" by the Cook Political Report, underscoring how closely divided—and potentially consequential—these contests may be.
FOTB is concentrating on candidates who are especially important to traditional banking, including members of the House Financial Services Committee and candidates whose opponents could pursue policies harmful to community banks, free markets and right-sized financial regulation. Nunn, Lawler and Gonzalez currently serve on the House Financial Services Committee.
"Traditional bankers are not interested in spreading a little money across hundreds of races where it may never be noticed," said Mike Winder, executive director of Friends of Traditional Banking. "We identify the closest races that matter most to banking and then focus our support where an organized, nationwide effort can actually affect the outcome."
FOTB is a nonpartisan organization, and candidates from both major political parties were considered. The organization evaluates candidates based on their importance to traditional banking, their approach to financial policy and regulation, the competitiveness of their races, and whether concentrated support from bankers could make a meaningful difference.
Further scrutiny and close monitoring of late-summer polling will help FOTB's leadership teams select the final two or three candidates to endorse in early September. Those candidates will become the focus of what the organization calls its "big-dollar shower"—thousands of individual contributions directed toward a small number of especially important campaigns.
Following the endorsements, FOTB's more than 50,000 members in all 50 states will be invited to donate what they can directly to the selected candidates during the critical home stretch before Election Day. FOTB does not collect or bundle those campaign contributions; participating bankers and industry allies donate directly to the candidates.
"Whether someone contributes $20, $100, $500 or more, tens of thousands of bankers acting together can create an unmistakable wave of support," Winder said. "That focused grassroots model has helped banking allies win extremely close races before, and it can do so again in 2026."
Friends of Traditional Banking is the inverse of a traditional political action committee. Instead of distributing small amounts of money among numerous candidates, it selects a few highly competitive races and encourages bankers and their allies nationwide to concentrate their individual contributions where they can have the greatest impact.
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About Friends of Traditional Banking
Friends of Traditional Banking is a nonpartisan, nationwide grassroots organization created by bankers to support candidates who understand the importance of traditional banking to local communities and the American economy. Its more than 50,000 members represent all 50 states. Each election cycle, FOTB identifies a small number of highly competitive congressional races and encourages its members to donate directly to endorsed candidates.
Media Contact:
Mike Winder, Executive Director
Friends of Traditional Banking
801-633-1300