In 2019 California passed a law, effective the next January, that would have forced Lyft to treat its drivers as employees. Lyft said it might leave the state. Then it helped fund a ballot measure to overwrite the law, and won. The Yes on 22 campaign, backed by Lyft and a handful of other app based companies, drew roughly $205 million, making Proposition 22 the most expensive ballot measure in California history at the time, a record the 2022 sports betting propositions later broke, and it passed with 58.63 percent of the vote.[1][34] Lyft is one of the two largest rideshare companies in the United States, founded in San Francisco in 2012, and its politics have been shaped almost entirely by a single question: whether the people driving its cars are contractors or employees.[2]
- Lyft gave roughly $49 million to the $205 million Yes on 22 campaign.
- Lyft pledged $1 million to the ACLU and opposed the 2017 travel ban in court.
- After Texas SB 8, Lyft gave $1 million to Planned Parenthood and funded driver defense.
- Federal political giving ran 92.65 percent Democratic in 2024, dwarfed by state ballot spending.
- Founders Green and Zimmer left the board in 2025, ending founder control of the company.
Quick Take
Lyft's political spending is unusual in shape. Its federal footprint is modest, with $361,236 in total contributions tracked by OpenSecrets in the 2024 cycle and $1,070,000 in federal lobbying for calendar year 2024, but at the state ballot level it has spent on a scale few companies of its size ever attempt.[3] Beyond the driver classification fight, the company has taken direct public positions on hot button issues twice: a $1 million pledge to the ACLU in January 2017 in response to President Trump's travel ban, and a $1 million donation to Planned Parenthood plus a legal defense fund for drivers in September 2021, after Texas enacted its six week abortion law.[4][5] In June 2024 Uber and Lyft jointly settled a Massachusetts wage lawsuit for $175 million while Lyft kept its drivers classified as contractors.[6]
The $205 Million Ballot Measure
California's AB 5, effective January 2020, reclassified large numbers of contractors as employees and put the rideshare business model directly at risk. Lyft warned it might exit the state.[7]
Instead the company went to the voters. Lyft joined DoorDash, Instacart, Postmates, and Uber in funding the Yes on 22 committee, which raised roughly $205 million against about $19 million on the opposing side, most of it from labor organizations including the Service Employees International Union and the Teamsters.[1][8] Lyft's own contribution was roughly $49 million.[27] Proposition 22 carved app based drivers out of AB 5, keeping them as independent contractors while granting a minimum earnings guarantee for engaged time, a health stipend, and accident insurance.
The measure passed on November 3, 2020, with 58.63 percent voting yes in the certified count.[34] Its fine print required a seven eighths vote of the state legislature to amend it, an unusually high bar for altering a ballot measure.[9]
Lyft framed the outcome as a step toward a new model for independent workers in the United States, and the companies said they intended to export it to other states.[9]
One Million to the ACLU
On the Sunday morning after President Trump signed the January 2017 executive order restricting entry from seven Muslim majority countries and suspending refugee admissions, Lyft co-founders Logan Green and John Zimmer emailed the company's riders.
The letter called the order antithetical to Lyft's values and to the country's, and pledged $1 million to the American Civil Liberties Union over four years to defend the constitution. "We stand firmly against these actions, and will not be silent," the co-founders wrote.[4]
The ACLU had sued the administration over the order two days earlier and obtained a partial stay from a federal judge.[10] Lyft's statement was among the most direct from any large technology company at the time, issued publicly rather than through an internal memo.[11] Lyft also joined other technology companies on the legal record. In February 2017 it signed an amicus brief filed with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals opposing the first travel ban, and that September it joined a second amicus brief asking the Supreme Court to strike down the revised order.[30][31]
Planned Parenthood and the Texas Law
Texas Senate Bill 8 took effect on September 1, 2021, banning most abortions after roughly six weeks and allowing private citizens to sue anyone who aids the procedure. Rideshare drivers were among those potentially exposed.
On September 3, Green, Zimmer, and general counsel Kristin Sverchek published a company blog post calling the law "incompatible with people's basic rights to privacy" as well as with Lyft's community guidelines and values.[12] The company created a Driver Legal Defense Fund covering 100 percent of legal fees for drivers sued under the law, and announced a $1 million donation to Planned Parenthood, framed as ensuring transportation is never a barrier to health care access.[5][13]
Green described the Texas law publicly as an attack on women's access to health care and their right to choose.[5]
The response drew sharp criticism from the other direction. Texas Right to Life said the donation showed the company was taking sides against the state's law and characterized the legal fund as a refusal to encourage drivers to comply with it.[14]
Rides to the Polls
For about a decade Lyft has run a recurring get out the vote effort, the Lyft Up Voting Access Program, offering discounted rides to polling places nationwide on Election Day and donating free ride codes to nonprofit partners.[32] The company describes the program as nonpartisan and open to any voter regardless of political affiliation, and its partners have included the NAACP, the League of Women Voters, When We All Vote, and VoteRiders.[32][33]
A Small Federal Footprint
Set against nine figure ballot spending, Lyft's federal political money is minor.
OpenSecrets tracked $361,236 in total contributions associated with Lyft in the 2024 cycle, an aggregated organizational figure that folds together the corporate PAC and employee donations of $200 or more, and recorded no outside spending.[3] Of that 2024 cycle total, 92.65 percent went to Democrats and 7.35 percent to Republicans.[29] The Democratic share has been the larger one in every cycle OpenSecrets tracks: across the six cycles from 2014 to 2024 it ranged from about 88 to 99 percent, while cycle totals ranged from $30,846 in the 2014 cycle to $1,390,430 in the 2020 cycle.[29] The corporate committee itself is small: the Lyft Inc PAC raised $22,469 over the 2023 to 2024 cycle, and it gave $5,000 directly to federal candidates that cycle, all of it to Democrats, after giving $13,900 in the 2021 to 2022 cycle.[15][17]
Lobbying is reported by calendar year rather than by cycle. Lyft reported $1,070,000 in federal lobbying for 2024, and $250,000 in the first quarter of 2026.[3][18]
The Fight Moves State to State
The classification battle did not end in California.
Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey sued in 2020, arguing drivers were employees under state wage law. On June 27, 2024, Uber and Lyft jointly settled for $175 million, most of it distributed to current and former drivers, and agreed to a minimum earnings standard of $32.50 per hour of engaged time, sick leave, occupational accident insurance, and a portable health care fund. Drivers remained independent contractors.[6][19] The settlement also ended a ballot initiative the companies had been preparing for that November.[6] The earnings floor rose to $34.48 per hour effective January 15, 2026.[20]
Lyft framed the outcome as a driver led win, saying it was a major victory in a multiyear campaign by Bay State drivers to stay independent while gaining benefits.[19]
The story continued past the settlement. Massachusetts voters approved Question 3 in November 2024, giving app based drivers the right to form unions for collective bargaining, and in May 2026 the App Drivers Union was certified to represent roughly 70,000 rideshare drivers in the state, the first union of its kind in the country.[21][28]
From an Apartment in Palo Alto
Logan Green built Zimride, a long distance carpooling service, in 2007 after observing informal ride sharing on a trip to Zimbabwe. He and John Zimmer launched Lyft in 2012 out of their Palo Alto apartment, and the early cars were identifiable by pink mustaches on the grille.[22][23]
Lyft went public on the Nasdaq in March 2019. In March 2023 the company announced that Green and Zimmer would step back from executive roles, with David Risher, an early Amazon executive who had joined Lyft's board in 2021, becoming chief executive officer on April 17, 2023.[23][24] Green and Zimmer stayed on as board chair and vice chair, then departed the board entirely in August 2025, converting their Class B shares and ending founder control of the company.[25][26]
That timing matters for reading Lyft's record: the ACLU pledge, the Prop 22 campaign, and the Planned Parenthood donation were all decisions made under the founders, who no longer hold any position at the company.
Where to Find Them
Lyft operates rideshare service across the United States and Canada, along with bike and scooter programs in a number of cities, all through the Lyft app. Service areas, fares, and driver requirements are at lyft.com.[2]
Footnotes
[1] Megan Rose Dickey, TechCrunch, "CA ballot measure that keeps gig workers as independent contractors passes," November 3, 2020. https://techcrunch.com/2020/11/03/prop-22-results/
[2] Lyft, Inc., company site, accessed July 29, 2026. https://www.lyft.com
[3] OpenSecrets, "Lyft Inc Profile: Summary," accessed July 29, 2026. https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/lyft-inc/summary?id=D000067782
[4] David Z. Morris, Fortune, "Lyft Pledges $1 Million to ACLU after Trump Travel Restrictions," January 29, 2017. https://fortune.com/2017/01/29/lyft-aclu-trump-travel-ban
[5] Bloomberg Law, "Lyft, Uber to Defend Drivers Sued Under Texas Abortion Law," September 3, 2021. https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/lyft-uber-to-defend-drivers-sued-under-texas-abortion-law
[6] Steve LeBlanc, Associated Press, "Uber and Lyft agree to pay drivers $32.50 per hour in Massachusetts settlement," June 27, 2024. https://www.aol.com/finance/uber-lyft-agree-pay-drivers-232335970.html
[7] The Week, "California: Voters roll back gig-worker law," November 13, 2020. https://www.pressreader.com/usa/the-week-us/20201113/282342567356701
[8] Katie Orr, KQED, "Prop 22 Explained: Why Gig Companies Are Spending Huge Money on an Unprecedented Measure," November 4, 2020. https://www.kqed.org/news/11843123/prop-22-explained-why-gig-companies-are-spending-huge-money-on-an-unprecedented-measure
[9] Jacobin, "With Prop 22's Passage in California, Tech Companies Are Just Writing Their Own Laws Now," November 2020. https://jacobin.com/2020/11/proposition-22-california-uber-lyft-gig-employee
[10] Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "Lyft announces $1 million donation to ACLU following Trump's travel ban," January 29, 2017. https://www.ajc.com/blog/buzz/lyft-announces-million-donation-aclu-following-trump-travel-ban/waDQaUEksQjvazaaZGkLvL/
[11] Darrell Etherington, TechCrunch, "Lyft donates $1M to the ACLU, condemns Trump's immigration actions," January 29, 2017. https://techcrunch.com/2017/01/29/lyft-donates-1m-to-the-aclu-condemns-trumps-immigration-actions/
[12] Jonathan Vanian, Fortune, "Lyft and Uber to pay legal fees to drivers sued under Texas abortion law," September 3, 2021. https://fortune.com/2021/09/03/lyft-uber-to-pay-driver-legal-fees-sued-texas-abortion-law
[13] Route Fifty, "Lyft and Uber Establish Legal Funds to Protect Drivers from Texas Abortion Law," September 2021. https://www.route-fifty.com/management/2021/09/ride-share-abortion-legal-fund-texas/185154/
[14] Texas Right to Life, "Lyft Donates $1 Million to Abortion Group after Texas Heartbeat Act Takes Effect," September 2021. https://texasrighttolife.com/lyft-donates-1-million-to-abortion-group-after-texas-heartbeat-act-takes-effect/
[15] OpenSecrets, "PAC Profile: Lyft Inc," 2024 cycle, accessed August 2, 2026. https://www.opensecrets.org/political-action-committees-pacs/lyft-inc/C00743823/summary/2024
[16] OpenSecrets, "Lyft Inc PAC Donors," 2024 cycle, accessed July 29, 2026. https://www.opensecrets.org/political-action-committees-pacs/lyft-inc/C00743823/donors/2024
[17] OpenSecrets, "Lyft Inc PAC Contributions to Federal Candidates," 2022 cycle, accessed July 29, 2026. https://www.opensecrets.org/political-action-committees-pacs/lyft-inc/C00743823/candidate-recipients/2022
[18] OpenSecrets, "Lyft Inc Lobbying Profile," accessed July 29, 2026. https://www.opensecrets.org/federal-lobbying/clients/summary?id=D000067782
[19] Staffing Industry Analysts, "Uber, Lyft to pay $175M in Massachusetts IC settlement," June 28, 2024. https://www.staffingindustry.com/news/global-daily-news/uber-lyft-pay-175m-massachusetts-ic-settlement
[20] Commonwealth of Massachusetts, "Uber and Lyft Settlement Information and Frequently Asked Questions," accessed July 29, 2026. https://www.mass.gov/info-details/uber-and-lyft-settlement-information-and-frequently-asked-questions
[21] Nate Raymond, Reuters via Insurance Journal, "Uber, Lyft Drivers in Massachusetts Form First US Ride-Share Union," May 27, 2026. https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/east/2026/05/27/871398.htm
[22] Forbes, "Lyft's Cofounder Stepped Down Two Years Ago. Now He's Ready To Talk," April 10, 2025. https://www.forbes.com/sites/cereal-entrepreneurs/2025/04/10/lyfts-cofounder-stepped-down-two-years-ago-now-hes-ready-to-talk/
[23] Rebecca Bellan, TechCrunch, "Lyft CEO and president stepping down to be replaced by former Amazon exec," March 27, 2023. https://techcrunch.com/2023/03/27/lyft-ceo-and-president-stepping-down-to-be-replaced-by-former-amazon-exec/
[24] Lyft, Inc., "Lyft Announces Leadership Succession Plan," March 2023. https://www.lyft.com/blog/posts/lyft-announces-leadership-succession-plan
[25] WardsAuto, "Lyft co-founders depart board, convert Class B shares," August 2025. https://www.wardsauto.com/news/archive-auto-lyft-co-founders-depart-board-covert-classb-shares-logan-green/757795/
[26] CNBC, "Lyft CEO and president to step down, ex-Amazon exec Risher named as CEO," March 27, 2023. https://www.cnbc.com/2023/03/27/lyft-ceo-president-to-step-down-ex-amazon-exec-risher-named-as-ceo.html
[27] Los Angeles Times, "A lot is riding on history's costliest ballot proposition," October 16, 2020. https://www.pressreader.com/usa/los-angeles-times/20201016/281835761179271
[28] Ballotpedia, "Massachusetts Question 3, Unionization and Collective Bargaining for Transportation Network Drivers Initiative (2024)," accessed August 2, 2026. https://ballotpedia.org/Massachusetts_Question_3,_Unionization_and_Collective_Bargaining_for_Transportation_Network_Drivers_Initiative_(2024)
[29] OpenSecrets, "Lyft Inc Profile: Totals," all cycles, accessed August 2, 2026. https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/totals?cycle=A&id=D000067782
[30] The Hill, "Tech companies speak out against Trump's immigration order," February 6, 2017. https://thehill.com/policy/technology/318024-tech-companies-speak-out-against-trumps-immigration-order/
[31] InsideSources, "161 Tech Companies Ask Supreme Court to Strike Down Trump Travel Ban," September 19, 2017. https://insidesources.com/google-facebook-161-tech-companies-ask-supreme-court-to-strike-down-trump-travel-ban/
[32] Lyft, "Lyft Announces 2024 Voting Access Program," May 10, 2024. https://www.lyft.com/blog/posts/lyft-announces-2024-voting-access-program
[33] Scripps News, "Lyft offering free and discounted rides to polls on Election Day," November 4, 2024. https://www.scrippsnews.com/politics/election-2024/lyft-offering-free-and-discounted-rides-to-polls-on-election-day
[34] Ballotpedia, "California Proposition 22, App-Based Drivers as Contractors and Labor Policies Initiative (2020)," certified results, accessed August 2, 2026. https://ballotpedia.org/California_Proposition_22,_App-Based_Drivers_as_Contractors_and_Labor_Policies_Initiative_(2020)
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