We find the closest races that matter to banking.
And the races where it really will make a difference for our industry on who wins and who loses.
This Is Working
Tipping The Scale
About Friends Of Traditional Banking
We are a non-partisan grassroots effort, organized by bankers. We are Main Street, not Wall Street; we are traditional community bankers, not investment bankers.
We choose two Congressional races each cycle, and encourage our membership to donate directly to those campaigns.
We're the inverse of a PAC--instead of spreading a little bit of money to a lot of campaigns, we focus a lot of money on a couple of key campaigns.
As a true grassroots movement, we have very moderate operating expenses. We invite you to donate to help us continue this successful effort.
Please watch our informational videos
This Is Working
Ron Johnson
U.S. Senate, Wisconsin
-Squeaked out a 50.5% win over challenger Mandela Barnes thanks in part from over $230,000 of donations from hundreds of bankers.
-A champion for traditional banking, whether on reg reform or tax cuts.
-"Senator Johnson is very grateful for FOTB’s support!" said Rose Oswald Poels, president and CEO of the Wisconsin Bankers Association. "It was way too close…very glad FOTB jumped in and helped him."
Randy Feenstra
U.S. House, Iowa
-Won first reelection handily, thanks in part to $74,000 from bankers around the country
-Lead sponsor of ECORA legislation
-"I'm not afraid to call out the largest credit unions who are behaving like banks," he said. "Thanks to Friends of Traditional Banking, we can take the fight to them!"
Ted Budd
U.S. Senate, North Carolina
-Edged out a close 50.7% win over Cheri Beasley thanks in part to over $160,000 raised from bankers coast to coast.
-Ally of traditional banking from his first day as a member of the House Financial Services Committee.
-"I mean it from the bottom of my heart when I say that we could not have done this without committed friends like you," he said to us after his victory.
Thom Tillis
U.S. Senate, North Carolina
- Key ally on the Senate Banking Committee
- Thanks to over 1,000 bankers pitching in nearly $500,000 in donations, he won re-election in one of the closest races of 2020.
- "I so appreciate Friends of Traditional Banking for getting involved in our race," Tillis told our members. "It's going to be close, and your involvement could make the difference." Boy was he right!
JONI ERNST
U.S. Senate, Iowa
- Stalwart defender of traditional banking, and one of our successfully endorsed candidates in 2014.
- Thanks to over 1,000 bankers pitching in nearly $500,000 in donations, she won re-election in one of the closest races of 2020.
- "Joni is very appreciative of the nationwide support that Friends of Traditional Banking provided in this hard won election," said Mike Olsen, our Banker Board rep from Iowa . "FOTB definitely helped to tip the scales and sent a true friend of traditional community banking back to the Senate to fight for our interests.”
ANDY BARR, U.S. House of Representatives, Kentucky
- Advocate for traditional banking on House Financial Services Committee
- Sponsored the Portfolio Lending and Mortgage Access Act
- First House member endorsed by FOTB, attracting hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations in 2018, resulting in a 51% victory!
JON TESTER, U.S. Senate, Montana
- Pro-traditional banking voice on Senate Banking Committee
- Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act would not have happened without his leadership
- First Democrat endorsed by FOTB, resulting in hundreds of thousands of new donations in 2018, ending in a 50.1% victory!
PAT TOOMEY, U.S. Senate, Pennsylvania
- Former banker and Senior Member of the Banking Committee
- Supported by hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations from over 1,000 friends of traditional banking in 2016
- Defeated financial services critic Katie McGinty
ROB PORTMAN, U.S. Senate, Ohio
- Champion of pro-growth policies and importance of banks
- Supported by hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations from over 1,000 friends of traditional banking in 2016
- Defeated regulatory advocate Ted Strickland
Join Us
Can thousands of individuals standing together really change the political environment for traditional banks and the communities they serve? Absolutely.
When an avalanche of small contributions drops on a campaign we support, totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars, you can bet it will be noticed!
Just sign up today and add your name as a "Friend of Traditional Banking". As the list grows, so does our political influence.
No Immediate Contribution Required
All we need is your contact information. No contribution is required right now. Each election cycle we will decide if any member of Congress deserves our collective support or opposition. We will narrow our choices to two races.
At that point we will simply direct you to the candidate we are recommending for support. We will not collect your money. You will contribute directly to the candidate through their website.
CEOs and Owners typically donate $500 per candidate, other executives donate $250, mid-level managers contribute $100, and frontline employees often contribute $20 per candidate. However, the donation amounts are always up to each individual.
Privacy Policy:
We respect your privacy. Your personal information will never be shared with anyone. Your involvement is not public information; however, some contributions to federal candidates are.
Join Us
Friends of Traditional Banking
Submit this form to join our effort.
Nominate Friends
Do you have friends, colleagues, co-workers, or vendors you consider a friend of traditional banking?
Just enter the email address of someone you would like to nominate as a "Friend of Traditional Banking." We will send them the introductory message that appears at the bottom of this page.
Donate
FOTB Has Modest Expenses - You Can Help!
Friends of Traditional Banking is truly a grassroots movement driven by the passion of those who understand just how important traditional banking is to our communities and our local economies.
Nonetheless, we have modest expenses on order to build and maintain our network of Friends around the country. Our budget is very modest and we can easily cover these costs with a few generous contributions. All corporations may contribute directly to Friends of Traditional Banking EXCEPT national banks and government contractors, which are prohibited from making contributions to a Super PAC. However, contributions are permissible from non-bank affiliates of national banks, their holding companies, and any Political Action Committee (PAC). Contributions to FOTB are NOT tax-deductible.
Enjoy fantastic exposure to 30,000 banking leaders through the nation by being listed as a sponsor in our newsletter and on our website. Join other great partners by donating at these levels:
- Bronze $1,000
- Silver $2,500
- Gold $5,000
- Platinum $10,000
Use the secure form below to make a contribution right now with a credit card, or mail a check to:
Friends of Traditional Banking, 175 South Main #1420, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Our Partners
We appreciate all of our friends and partners and want to recognize these, in particular.
PLATINUM FRIENDS
GOLD FRIENDS
SILVER FRIENDS
AltabankAmundsen DavisBank of UtahColorado Bankers AssociationFirst State Community BankGlacier BankGuaranty Bank & TrustIdaho Bankers AssociationIllinois Bankers AssociationIowa Bankers AssociationKanza BankKeyState |
Legacy BankMain BankMissouri Bankers AssociationNew Hampshire Bankers AssociationNew Jersey Bankers AssociationOhio Bankers LeagueOklahoma Bankers AssociationPlains State BankSecurity BankTIB BankUtah Bankers AssociationWisconsin Bankers Association |
BRONZE FRIENDS
|
Alliance Bank BankNorth Bank of Advance Bankers Healthcare Group, LLC Bank of Commerce Bank of Southside Virginia California Bankers Association Citizens Bank Choice Bank Community Bank & Trust Decatur County Bank Eagle Bank & Trust First Bank & Trust First Bank Richmond First Bank Kansas Frontier Bank Horse Cove Properties, LLC Golden Pacific Bancorp J B C Companies Joye Hunt |
Lone Star State Bank Michigan Bankers Association North Carolina Bankers Association North Dakota Bankers Association Oregon Bankers Association PBK Bank South Dakota Bankers Association Springs Valley Bank & Trust Star Bank Minnesota State Bank of Southern Utah Taylor Advisors Tennessee Bankers Association Town & Country Bank Union Bank Valliance Bank Washington Business Bank Michael Webb West Virginia Bankers Association Wyoming Bank & Trust Young and Associates |
Leadership
Our non-partisan, grassroots organization is governed by an Executive Committee, an Advisory Council, and a Nationwide Banker Board. These groups, listed below, provide the guidance as we grow, and together select which candidates we support.
Executive Committee
These bankers, business owners and community leaders provide the final guidance and direction to our network of friends.
Jamie Shinabarger
Chair
CEO, Springs Valley Bank & Trust, Jasper, Indiana
Amada Alvidrez
Vice Chair
Regional Retail Manager, Equity Bank, Guymon, Oklahoma
Joye Hunt
Past Chair (2019-22)
CFO/SVP/Treasurer
PBK Bank, Stanford,
Kentucky
Ty Abston
Past Chair (2017-18)
Guaranty Bank & Trust, Mount Pleasant, Texas
John E. Boyer IV
Past Chair (2015-16)
Chairman, KANZA Bank, Kingman, Kansas
Virginia Varela
President & CEO,
Golden Pacific Bank,
Sacramento, California
Ron Shettlesworth
Vice Chair, Main Bank,
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Dale Cole
CEO & Chairman, First Community Bank, Batesville, Arkansas
Howard M. Headlee
President,
Utah Bankers Association
Randy Hultgren
President & CEO,
Illinois Bankers Association
Ken Hale
Pres & CEO,
BOM Bank, Natchitoches, Louisiana
Greg Hayes
President & COO, Kish Bank
State College, Pennsylvania
Michael P. Affuso
President & CEO,
New Jersey Bankers Association
Mike Winder
Executive Director,
Friends of Traditional Banking
Advisory Council
The Advisory Board relies on the input and analysis of an Advisory Council. Members of the council include:
| Karl Adam, President & CEO South Dakota Bankers Association |
Mike Adelman, Pres. & CEO Ohio Bankers League |
| Mike Affuso, President & CEO New Jersey Bankers Association |
John Anderson, EVP New Mexico Bankers Association |
| Richard Baier, President Nebraska Bankers Association |
Colin Barrett, President & CEO Tennessee Bankers Association |
| Eric Bennett, Dir. Govt Rel. Mississippi Bankers Association |
Adrian Beverage, Pres. & CEO Oklahoma Bankers Assoication |
| Scott Bruun, President & CEO Oregon Bankers Association |
Ballard Cassady, Pres. & CEO Kentucky Bankers Association |
| Rick Clayburgh, Pres. & CEO North Dakota Bankers Association |
Chris D'Elia, President & Treasurer Vermont Bankers Association |
| Chris Furlow, President & CEO Texas Bankers Association |
Kevin Gould, Pres. & CEO California Bankers Association |
| Fred Green, Pres. & CEO South Carolina Bankers Association |
Phyllis Gurgevich, Pres & CEO Nevada Bankers Association |
| Ryan Hale, VP Government Relations New Hampshire Bankers Association |
Jackson Hataway, President Missouri Bankers Association |
| Paul Hickman, Pres. & CEO Arizona Bankers Association |
Randy Hultgren, Pres. & CEO Illinois Bankers Association |
| Janene Jackson, President District of Columbia Bankers Association |
Kathy Kraninger, President & CEO Florida Bankers Association |
| Scott Latham, CEO Alabama Bankers Association |
Ramon Looby, President & CEO Maryland Bankers Association |
| Mark Mangano, President & CEO West Virginia Bankers Association |
John McNair, President & CEO Community Bankers Association of Georgia |
| Scott Meier, President & CEO Wyoming Bankers Association |
Tom Mongellow, President & CEO Connecticut Bankers Association |
| Yuri Morgan, Executive Director Alaska Bankers Association |
Patricia Octeau, Administrator Rhode Island Bankers Association |
| Rose Oswald Poels, President & CEO Wisconsin Bankers Association |
Stacey Satterlee, Pres. & CEO Idaho Bankers Association |
| Sam Sill, President Montana Bankers Association |
John Sorensen, Pres. & CEO Iowa Bankers Association |
| Josh Steirman, Dir. Govt. Relations Maine Bankers Association |
Bob Taylor, Pres. & CEO Louisiana Bankers Association |
| Amber Van Til, Pres. & CEO Indiana Bankers Association |
Jenifer Waller, President Colorado Bankers Association |
| Doug Wareham, President Kansas Bankers Association |
Joe Witt, President Minnesota Bankers Association |
Nationwide Banker Board
An industry leader from each state provides guidance and helps with the growth of Friends of Traditional Banking.
| Tim Aiken (West Virgina) CEO-President, Union Bank |
James Beckwith (California) CEO-President, Five Star Bank |
| David Black (Georgia) Chief Commercial Officer, Georgia Banking Company |
Laurence Bolchoz (South Carolina) President & CEO, Coastal Carolina National Bank |
| Todd Cooper (Idaho) CEO, Idaho First Bank |
Mike Cunningham (Nevada) Region Pres Emeritus, Bank of Nevada |
| Jeff De Bruin (Illinois) Chief Credit and Risk Officer, Municipal Bank |
Gene Dikeman (Kansas) Pres & CEO, Plains State Bank |
| Kristin Dittmer (Utah) EVP/CFO, EnerBank USA |
Keith Epstein (North Carolina) CEO & EVP, Roxboro Savings Bank |
| Jed Fanning (New Mexico) President, Citizens Bank of Las Cruces |
Copper France (Wyoming) CEO-President, Bank of Commerce |
| Lanie Gardner (Kentucky) Community President, First Southern National Bank |
Micah Garner (Alabama) President & CEO, Southern Independent Bank |
| Michael Gennaro (Louisiana) President & CCLO, Metairie Bank |
Jon Jones (Washington) Pres/CEO, Washington Business Bank |
| Corey Hoze (Wisconsin) SVP Gov Rel & Reg Affairs, Associated Banc-Corp |
Dave Joves (Guam) SVP, Bank of Guam |
| Keith Knudsen (Nebraska) President & CEO, Security Bank |
David Lamb (Michigan) President & CEO, Oxford Bank |
| Dale Leighty (Colorado) Pres & CEO, First National Bank of Las Animas |
Rita Lowman (Florida) Bank Board Lead Director, Encore Bank |
| Jeff Lynch (Arkansas) Pres. & CEO, Eagle Bank & Trust |
Patti McLaughlin (Pennsylvania) Chief Credit Officer, Bank of Landisburg |
| Mike Mercer (Kentucky) CEO, First State Bank |
Harold Miles (Missouri) President & CEO, Bank of Advance |
| Josephine Moran (New Hampshire) President & CBO, Ledyard National Bank |
Greg Morse (Texas) CEO, Worthington National Bank |
| Larry Myers (Indiana) President & CEO, First Savings Bank |
Gabe Olson (Iowa) VP Commercial Banking, West Bank |
| Rex Phipps (Montana) CEO, Garfield County Bank |
Mickey Schwarzbek (Ohio) President & CEO, The Sherwood State Bank |
| Kevin Tetzlaff (South Dakota) Pres & CEO, First Bank & Trust |
Alicia Wade (Oklahoma) Pres & COO, Valliance Bank |
| Katie Wahlquist (Minnesota) President & CEO, Star Bank |
James Williams (North Dakota) CEO, BankNorth |
| Pete Williston (Tennessee) Chairman & CEO, Citizens Bank |
Gordon Zimmerman (Oregon) President & CEO, Citizens Bank |
(Titles used for identification purposes only.)
If you would like to participate as an adivsor, please submit a written request and a resume to: info@friendsoftraditionalbanking.com
Contact Us
Friends of Traditional Banking
175 South Main #1420
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Please use this form to email us.
Our History
Ten Years Of Impact For FOTB
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, 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 two Congressional races each cycle, and encourage tens of thousands of friends around the country to donate directly to those campaigns.
It's working!
FOTB Board Chairs
News
Below are links to our newsletters
"Winning Week for Friends of Traditional Banking", Friends of Traditional Banking, November 8, 2024
"Most critical 3 races for banking", Friends of Traditional Banking, October 24, 2024
"Important message from state banking leaders", Friends of Traditional Banking, October 7, 2024
"Banker Eric Hovde Gains in Polls", Friends of Traditional Banking, September 26, 2024
"Three races all bankers should donate to", Friends of Traditional Banking, September 13, 2024
"Final Five Races for Bankers to Watch", Friends of Traditional Banking, August 22, 2024
"Top Ten Races for Bankers to Watch", Friends of Traditional Banking, July 19, 2024
"These 8 retiring Congressman are champions for banking", Friends of Traditional Banking, June 27, 2024
"Texas Bankers Association leading the fight", Friends of Traditional Banking, May 23, 2024
"Which Congressional race should bankers support", Friends of Traditional Banking, April 25, 2024
"House Financial-Services Vice Chair shares insights", Friends of Traditional Banking, March 28, 2024
"Banking friends honored & meeting with key Congressman", Friends of Traditional Banking, February 24, 2024
"Which 2024 races will determine the Senate?", Friends of Traditional Banking, January 26, 2024
"FOTB's endorsed support ditching 1071 rule", Friends of Traditional Banking, December 19, 2023
"CFPB Rule-1071 is death by a thousand cuts", Friends of Traditional Banking, November 17, 2023
"Are credit card rewards just for the rich.html?", Friends of Traditional Banking, October 19, 2023
"What do ICBA, ABA & FOTB Have in common?", Friends of Traditional Banking, September 15, 2023
"GOP presidential candidates on-banking issues", Friends of Traditional Banking, August 24, 2023
"Refer friends & win flights", Friends of Traditional Banking, July 27, 2023
"Nominate friends, win free flights", Friends of Traditional Banking, June 15, 2023
"Congressman Barr Shares Insights", Friends of Traditional Banking, May 25, 2023
"Congressman Barr to Meet with FOTB Leaders", Friends of Traditional Banking, April 27, 2023
"Bankers prove enemies wrong - Tester", Friends of Traditional Banking, March 23, 2023
"Senator Jon Tester to Speak to FOTB Leaders", Friends of Traditional Banking, February 24, 2023
"Shinabarger & Alvidrez to lead FOTB", Friends of Traditional Banking, December 20, 2022
"10th year of FOTB ends triumphantly", Friends of Traditional Banking, December 20, 2022
"Big win for all three FOTB endorsed candidates", Friends of Traditional Banking, November 2, 2022
"Your final chance to tip the scales", Friends of Traditional Banking, November 2, 2022
"Races tighten on the home stretch", Friends of Traditional Banking, October 6, 2022
"Rep. Randy Feenstra is in one of the most critical races for bankers", Friends of Traditional Banking, October 6, 2022
"Congressman Ted Budd Visits with Bankers, Senator Ron Johnson Will Tuesday", Friends of Traditional Banking, September 30, 2022
"Ted Budd is in one of the most critical races for bankers", Friends of Traditional Banking, September 12, 2022
"Three Races All Bankers Should Donate To", Friends of Traditional Banking, September 12, 2022
"Ten Congressional Races Bankers Are Watching", Friends of Traditional Banking, August 30, 2022
"Help Tanya Wheeless win her Aug 2 primary", Friends of Traditional Banking, July 1, 2022
"We Need Your Help In An Arizona Primary", Friends of Traditional Banking, July 1, 2022
"New Video Shows Banker Impact On Congress", Friends of Traditional Banking, May 26, 2022
"Key Congressional Races In 2022", Friends of Traditional Banking, February 23, 2022
"The Mission of Friends of Traditional Banking", Friends of Traditional Banking, February 23, 2022
"Do you know a candidate we should consider?", Friends of Traditional Banking, February 23, 2022
"Ten years of impact for FOTB", Friends of Traditional Banking, January 14, 2022
Below are news items about Friends of Traditional Banking
"Rural banking is front-and-center in this Iowa House race", American Banker, October 24, 2024
"Meet the banker running for Senate in Wisconsin", American Banker, October 15, 2024
"Big Banks Are Buying Up the Midterms", Jacobin, February 14, 2019
"Hunt, Varela to lead FOTB", The Interior Journal, February 14, 2019
"Banking super PAC endorses Barr in House re-election bid", American Banker, September 27, 2018
"The Finance 202: This new crop of Democratic candidates is targeting Wall Street", The Washington Post, September 12, 2018
"BankThink Why bankers should support a Democrat in the midterms", AmericanBanker.com, August 9, 2018
"6 key Senate races for bankers this fall", AmericanBanker.com, August 5, 2018
"Bankers poised to pour money, ads into contested races", Politico.com, July 12, 2018
"Tester is first Dem endorsed by banking super PAC", AmericanBanker.com, July 11, 2018
"Toomey Shares Insights with Friends of Traditional Banking", Politico, Oct 21, 2016
"Friends of Traditional Banking endorses Toomey, Ayotte, & Portman", Community Bank Insights, Sept 21, 2016
"Friends of Traditional Banking gets involved in their first primary race to knock out last House Republican to support Dodd-Frank", Community Bank Insight, April 27, 2016
"What's big enough to unite banks and credit unions?", Friends of Traditional Banking News Release, Aug 28, 2015
"Rubio, Kasich top poll of bankers", Community Bank Insight, Aug 20, 2015
"Rubio, Kasich, Trump Top Banker Poll for President", americanbanker.com, Aug 20, 2015
"Check out who won the bankers presidential straw poll", Friends of Traditional Banking News Release, Aug 20, 2015
"Senate Democrats will kill or save traditional banking", Community Bank Insight, May 27, 2015
"Wall Street has a good election", politico.com, November 5, 2014
"Friends of Traditional Banking Endorses Gardner, Ernst", press release, September 17, 2014
"FAQ: What the Midterm Elections Mean for Banks", American Banker, August 22, 2014
"Banking SuperPAC Narrows Focus to Four Races", American Banker, August 19, 2014
"Banking SuperPAC Aims at Senate Races", American Banker, July 24, 2014
"Banking SuperPAC Highlights Key Elections Ahead of November", American Banker, July 2, 2014
"Friends of Traditional Banking Seeks to Grow", Insights From the Indiana Bankers Association
"How are bankers feeling after the gov't shutdown?", Banking & Politics Report, Oct 29, 2013
"Banking SuperPACs Aiming to Get Bigger, More Effective," American Banker, Dec. 31, 2012
"Friends of Traditional Banking made an impact, continues to grow," The Oklahoma Banker, Nov. 26, 2012
"Financial firms support GOP incumbent in Mass. Senate race," Los Angeles Times, Oct. 25, 2012
"New pro-bank, anti-regulation group is Utahn's brainchild," Salt Lake Tribune, Oct. 25, 2012
"This Election Is Our Industry's Only Chance to Fight Back," American Banker, Sep, 17, 2012
"Friends' Banking SuperPAC Will Focus on Brown, Heller Races," American Banker, Sep. 13, 2012
"Bank SuperPAC Considers Targeting Elizabeth Warren," American Banker, Aug. 22, 2012
"Bankers' Non-SuperPAC SuperPAC Taking Novel Approach," National Journal, Apr. 16, 2012
"Friends of Traditional Banking Opposes Unfair Burdens of Dodd-Frank Act," Trinovus, Apr. 16, 2012
" Banks Make a Financial Statement," Politico, Apr. 14, 2012
"Friends of Traditional Banking: a SuperPAC for Bankers," Christian Science Monitor, Apr. 5, 2012
"Main Street Banks Break Away From Wall Street With Their Own SuperPAC," Washington Post, Apr. 5, 2012
"Bankers Form SuperPAC for 'Surgical' Strike at Industry's Enemies," American Banker, Apr. 4, 2012