Ace Hardware is a retailers’ cooperative, founded in 1924, and owned by its independent store-owners businessmustact.org+10Reddit+10Reddit+10Wikipedia. This means there’s no centralized corporate political platform—each Ace store owner makes their own decisions on local contributions.
National-Level Political Donations
At the national level, Ace’s cooperative PAC has historically leaned Republican. For example, in 2024 it donated about 78% of its political contributions to Republican candidates and 22% to Democrats Reddit+7Reddit+7Reddit+7walletvotes.com. In earlier cycles (2022, 2020), support for Republicans ranged between 60–70% OpenSecretsOpenSecrets.
Corporate vs. Local Contributions
Importantly, Ace’s national contributions come entirely from individuals, not corporate PACs Reddit+6OpenSecrets+6Reddit+6. This means it’s the store owners and senior employees themselves who donate—rather than Ace HQ Reddit.
Local Variations Among Franchisees
Because Ace is a co-op, local store owners often reflect local political views. Some Reddit users note certain Aces sell MAGA-branded items or have owners with strong conservative leanings Reddit+11Reddit+11Reddit+11. Others report neighborhood Aces that support Democratic or progressive causes businessmustact.org+15Reddit+15Reddit+15. So experiences vary significantly by location and franchisee.
How Ace Compares to Other Hardware Chains
When compared with big hardware retailers like Home Depot or Lowe’s, Ace leans moderately Republican—less so than Home Depot but more than purely neutral or Democrat-leaning chains Reddit+2Reddit+2Reddit+2. In Reddit discussions, Ace is often described as “in the middle”—right of Lowe’s but left of Menards or Home Depot RedditReddit.
Should You Be Concerned?
If you’re choosing where to shop based on political donations:
- Ace’s national contribution record shows a Republican tilt, especially in recent cycles.
- But because local stores are individually operated, your experience may differ depending on the community and store owner.
- Tools like OpenSecrets, Goods Unite Us, or Transparency USA can reveal political giving by company or state for better insightReddit+2wallyhood.org+2walletvotes.com+2walletvotes.comOpenSecrets+8Transparency USA+8wallyhood.org+8.
Final Takeaway
Ace Hardware as a brand tends to lean Republican at the national level, but the cooperative structure means local franchisees drive political engagement, and their views can range widely. If political alignment matters to you, consider checking a specific Ace store’s local contributions.