Does your local store donate to Democrats or Republicans?

The recent inauguration may have some of us feeling helpless. One thing we can do to reclaim our power is to make conscious decisions on where we spend our money according to that company’s values. I have definitely found myself thinking “I will never give my money to that (GOP-aligned) company again!” I’m guessing many of you have had the same thought.

But did you know that companies that are right here in Wallingford make political donations? Using an app called Goods Unite Us (which I highly recommend), I’ve done a search of some of the larger chain stores we have in the neighborhood or nearby. Many larger companies donate to both parties, but often more to one party than the other. 

I’ve compiled a local list of which party the majority of the company’s donations are given to:

Was it what you expected? Some certainly surprised me. I thought Brooks Running, which is headquartered here in liberal Seattle, would certainly run blue. But nope, 56% percent of their donations go to Republicans and according to the app the amount they donate is “very high.”

I know a lot of people will be sad to learn that QFC gives 61% of their donations to Republicans and they donate a lot. But Trader Joe’s to the east donates 84% of their political donations to Democrats, although their overall contributions are relatively low (these are the numbers at the time of this writing, but are subject to change over time). 

If you don’t see a company on my list, it could be because some companies don’t make political donations at all. And still others haven’t been added to the app yet. If you have information on the political leanings of other large chain stores that hasn’t been mentioned, please leave them in the comments below. 

I understand that some of these large company overlords might have different political leanings than their employees or franchise owners. And yes, you will probably still sometimes see me in QFC because I’m a busy mama and it’s so close. So I’m not chastising everyone to make a full 180 today. But the more you know, the more you can make an informed decision that is right for you.

Whenever possible I encourage you to shop small, shop local. Go to your local farmer’s market (the U District one is year-round). This is another important act of resistance against the oligarchy and helps to strengthen the middle class and lessen the wage gap. And paying with cash whenever possible allows those small companies to keep more money for themselves and give less to the large credit card companies in fees. 

And I get it, there may be some reading this post who did vote for Der Fuhrer. Oh sorry, that’s embarrassing, I meant Elon! Shoot noooo, I meant Trump!!! (My bad, I get those three confused all the time). But no fear, the Goods Unite Us is an equal opportunity app, it shows you both parties. It doesn’t discriminate against you based on your political affiliation, or your immigration status, or your gender, or anything at all.

Personally speaking, I don’t have any financial interest in the Goods Unite Us app or any of the companies mentioned. I’m just an engaged citizen. At a time when so many of us are feeling defeated, I want you to have the chance to say “You’re not getting my money today, Satan.” I encourage you to spread the word about the app so the effect of our resistance grows. Don’t give up. Defund the dictator.