Donations list for US elections 2014 Congressional campaign, with election approaching, campaign contributions reveal much about candidates' support

 With election approaching, campaign contributions reveal much about candidates' support

WASHINGTON  As the 2014 congressional campaigns enter their final week, candidate donor lists reveal much about the industries and interests that want them in office.

From employees and political action committees of St. Louis-area companies, to politicians giving to other politicians, several trends have emerged in six U.S. House races in the St. Louis region, along with the Illinois U.S. Senate race.

Here is a summary of top givers and trends among those congressional candidates. The data, covering donations through Sept. 30, were compiled by the nonpartisan watchdog Center for Responsive Politics, from the candidates’ reports to the Federal Election Commission. Final spending reports won’t be available until after the election.

Companies cannot donate, but their employees, executives and Political Action Committees, or PACs, can. Only candidates raising or spending $5,000 or more are required to report to the FEC.

MISSOURI

1st Congressional District

Rep. William Lacy Clay, D-St. Louis, raised just short of $500,000 through September, and his biggest donors included political action committees or employees of local companies or subsidiaries such as Express Scripts, Monsanto, Ameren and Boeing. Public sector unions, building trades unions and industrial unions were his biggest sector contributors. About 84 percent of Clay’s donations were from PACs, and most of the rest were individual donations over $200.

2nd Congressional District

Rep. Ann Wagner, R-Ballwin, took in more than $2 million. Her biggest cluster of donations was from employees and political action committees of the Crawford Group, parent company of Enterprise Rent-A-Car; the Edward Jones financial company; Northwestern Mutual; Peabody Energy; and Express Scripts. She has received the most from the insurance, securities and investment and automotive sectors. About 46 percent came from individual donors over $200, and 53 percent from PACs.

Wagner’s Democratic opponent, Arthur Lieber, raised just over $64,000; of which about $62,000 came from Lieber himself. The rest came from small donors.

3rd Congressional District

Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-St. Elizabeth, raised more than $1.2 million, with the largest chunks coming from the banking industry, including employees and PACs of the Independent Community Banks of America and the American Bankers Association. Ameren employees are also among his largest donors, as were employees of Carthage-based manufacturer Leggett & Platt and the Moberly-based manufacturer Orscheln. About 62 cents of every dollar Luetkemeyer raised through September came from PACs, with most of the rest from individual donations over $200.

Illinois

12th Congressional District

Rep. Bill Enyart, D-Belleville, raised more than $1.7 million. His challenger, Republican state Rep. Mike Bost, raised $1 million.

Enyart’s biggest donors included employees or PACs of the Simmons Law Firm, the Alton-based asbestos litigator; the National Rural Electric Cooperative, and St. Clair County. Lawyers and law firms were Enyart’s biggest sector donors. About 7 cents of every dollar he raised came from other politicians, who can legally give from their own committees. Just over half of Enyart’s money came from PACs, with 39 percent coming from large individual donors and about 7 percent from donations under $200.

Roughly 11 cents of every dollar Bost raised came from other politicians’ campaign committees. Employees and PACs of the Mundelin, Ill.-based MacLean-Fogg global manufacturer, the American Medical Association, Koch Industries, and a cluster of Republican political committees were among Bost’s largest donors. About 34 percent of Bost’s donations came from PACs, 57 percent from individual donations more than $200, and 9 percent from small donors.

13th Congressional District

Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville, raised more than $3.3 million to Democratic challenger Ann Callis’ $1.8 million.

Davis’ largest cluster of donations came from employees or PACs of McDonald’s; the coal company Murray Energy; and New York Life Insurance. He received more than $240,000 in contributions from other politicians. About 59 percent came from PACs, 35 percent from large contributors and 8 percent from donors under $200.

Callis, a former circuit judge, received just under $100,000 from other politicians, and her biggest donor grouping came from EMILY’s List, a political committee that supports female candidates who favor abortion rights. About 17 cents of every dollar she raised through September came from lawyers or their PACs, and she got about 79 cents of every dollar she raised from small or large individual donors.

15th Congressional District

Rep. John Shimkus, R-Collinsville, raised more than $1.8 million, with health care professionals and people in the pharmaceutical, electric utilities, and oil and gas industries the top sector donors. About 85 percent of what Shimkus raised through September came from PACs. Employees or PACs of Blue Cross Blue Shield, the American Soybean Association and the National Association of Broadcasters were among his most prolific donors.

Illinois Senate

Incumbent Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., raised $8.1 million, with lawyers and law firm PACs, real estate-related donors, and those from the securities and investment industries the most prolific donors to the incumbent. About 60 cents of every dollar Durbin raised came from individual donations of more than $200. Employees of the Simmons Law Firm and the aerospace and defense company Northrop Grumman were his biggest supporters.

Durbin’s Republican opponent, James Oberweis, raised just under $2.2 million, but more than $1.5 million came from donations or loans from Oberweis himself. Retired people, lawyers, and employees of securities and investment companies, dairies and food processors, were his biggest individual contributors.

src:stltoday.com

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