Friends of Traditional Banking Gears Up for a 14th Year of Impact

As the 2026 election year begins to take shape, the SuperPAC Friends of Traditional Banking is gearing up for its 14^th year of impact. "We are excited to once again identify the absolute most critical races for our industry and then encourage thousands of donations of all sizes to tip the scales for victory," said Amada Alvidrez, board chair and Regional Retail Manager for Equity Bank in Guymon, Oklahoma.

In 2012, the state execs for the bankers' associations in Utah (Howard Headlee), Colorado (Don Childears), and Oklahoma (Roger Beverage) were frustrated. The banking industry had just been saddled with the onerous regulations of the Dodd-Frank Act; Richard Cordray and Elizabeth Warren were giddy with the new powers of the CFPB; and Congressional regard for the banking industry had reached new lows.

"There has to be a better way for bankers to make an impact," they mused. "There has to be a way for bankers and their friends nationwide to cause Congress to better respect this vital industry!"

The result was Friends of Traditional Banking (FOTB), the inverse of a PAC--instead of spreading a little bit of money to a lot of campaigns, the group would focus a lot of money on a couple of key campaigns. They would choose just two or three Congressional races each cycle and encourage tens of thousands of friends around the country to donate directly to those campaigns.

It's working! As you can see HERE, the Members of Congress that were propelled to victory by FOTB have helped usher in wins for America's hometown banks. FOTB has emerged as a valuable arrow in the industry's quiver, a powerful compliment to the great PAC efforts of ABA, ICBA, and local state PACs.

FOTB is a non-partisan grassroots effort, organized by bankers. They are Main Street, not Wall Street; traditional community bankers, not investment bankers. Join the momentum by signing up for their FREE monthly e-newsletter HERE so that you won't miss this year's endorsements or any of the action!

"We are thrilled to watch our ranks of community bankers and allies keep growing, and we are preparing for our biggest year of impact yet," added board vice chair Greg Hayes, President & CEO of Kish Bank in State College, Pennsylvania.