Chart by Michael Muller Click the graphic for a larger version
In the local House and Senate Races, Democrats have raised more money than Republicans, challengers Tim Moffitt and Mark Crawford have made large loans to their own campaigns, Patsy Keever and Susan Fisher’s campaigns have been funded for the most part on the strength of individual contributions, John Carroll has raised the least of all the House candidates, and incumbent Senator Martin Nesbitt has outpaced his challenger, RL Clark, in terms of fundraising by almost 45:1.
Please note that the following information is far from an exhaustive list of campaign contributions to the respective candidates. No value judgment should be inferred by those contributions that are either listed or excluded — by “notable contributions” we mean those that caught our eye.
For more information on how the Buncombe Republican and Democratic Parties did raising money this year, click here.
Jane Whilden
Democratic Incumbent NC House 116
Contributions from Individuals: $35,663.68
Contributions from Political Party Committees: $96,130.28
Contributions from PACs: $33,250
Other: $2,829.46
Total raised as of October 16: $167,873.42
Notable contributions:
AT&T: $200
Blue Cross/Blue Shield PAC: $500
Committee to Elect Bruce Goforth: $1,000
David Gantt: $750
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians: $1,000
Heath Shuler for Congress: $2,000
Jan Davis: $250
Jerry Sternberg: $100
Lillian’s List: $4,000
Martin Nesbitt: $1,000
NC Advocates for Justice: $4,000
NC Assn. of Nurse Anesthetists PAC: $500
NC Association of Educators: $1,250
NC Dental PAC: $500
NC Hospital Association PAC: $500
NC Sierra Club: $500
North Carolina Pork Council PAC: $500
Progress Energy Employees PAC: $500
South Financial Group: $1,000
Tim Moffitt
Republican Challenger NC House 116
Loan to self: $40,000
Contributions from Individuals: $44,131.33
Contributions from Political Party Committees: $44,728.21
Contributions from PACs: $38,675
Other: $331.31
Total raised as of October 16: $167,865.85
Notable contributions:
Asheville Anesthesia Associates PAC: $4,000
Blue Ridge Bone & Joint PAC: $3,000
Buncombe County Medical Association PAC: $2,000
Charles Thomas: $1,000
Friends of Forestry PAC: $1,000
NC Dermatology Association PAC: $1,000
Pope Family: $16,000
Tom Apodaca: $1,000
Western Eye MD PAC: $2,000
Patsy Keever
Democratic Incumbent NC House 115
Contributions from Individuals: $90,327.78
Contributions from Political Party Committees: $26,491.32
Contributions from PACs: $13,128
Other: $5,000
Total raised as of October 16: $134,947.10
Notable contributions:
Conservation Council of NC: $1,000
Heath Shuler for Congress: $2,000
James Oliver (Asheville) $4,000
Jane Swafford (Hendersonville): $4,000
Lillian’s List: $4,000
Martin Nesbitt: $1000
NC Advocates for Justice: $1,000
NCAE/NEA: $1,750
Planned Parenthood: $1000
Progressive Kick NC: $3,378
Mark Crawford
Republican Challenger NC House 115
Loan to self: $42,500
Contributions from Individuals: $ 16,769.64
Contributions from Political Party Committees: $0
Contributions from PACs: $3,900
Total raised as of October 16: $63,169.64
Notable contributions:
Albert Sneed $1000
Bart Ramsey (Ramsey Dairy Farm) $250
Friends of Forestry PAC: $1,000
Progress Energy Employees Carolina PAC: $500
State Employees Association of NC PAC: $500
Susan Fisher
Democratic Incumbent NC House 114
Contributions from Individuals: $78,402.47
Contributions from Political Party Committees: $4,047.77
Contributions from PACs: $21,700
Other: $100
Total raised as of October 16: $104,250.24
Notable contributions:
Heath Shuler for Congress: $2,000
Lillians List: $4,000
Martin Nesbitt: $1,000
NC Hospital Association PAC: $1,000
NC Sierra Club PAC: $250
Rural Electric Action Program PAC: $300
John Carroll
Republican Challenger NC House 114
Contributions from Individuals: $22,336.87
Contributions from Political Party Committees: $0
Contributions from PACs: $9,300
Total raised as of October 16: $31,636.87
Notable contributions:
Apodaca for Senate: $1,000
NC Realtors PAC: $4,000
Progress Energy Employees Carolina PAC: $500
Thomas & Lora Thrash: $2,000
Western Eye MD PAC: $1,000
Martin Nesbitt
Democratic Incumbent NC Senate 49
Contributions from Individuals: $217,496.20
Contributions from Political Party Committees: $0
Contributions from PACs: $156,600
Total raised as of October 16: $653,226.30
Notable contributions:
AT&T PAC: $4,000
Bank of America PAC: $4,000
Bill Cecil (Biltmore Company) $2000
Blue Ridge Bone & Joint PAC: $2,000
BlueCross/Blue Shield PAC: $4,000
Buncombe Medical Society PAC: $1,000
CAPA PAC: $1,000
Caremark CVS PAC: $1,000
Citizens Higher Education PAC: $4,000
Coca Cola PAC: $2,000
Conservation PAC: $2,500
CSX PAC: $1,100
Drive Committee PAC: $1,000
Eastern Band of Cherokee $4,000
ElectircitiesPAC: $2,500
Eli Lily & Co. PAC: $2,000
Equality NC PAC: $2,000
Green Industry Council PAC: $1,000
Health Care Financing Administration PAC: $4,000
Heath Shuler for Congress: $2,000
Independent Insurance Agents PAC: $2,000
Jerry Strenberg $500
McGuire Woods PAC: $3,000
Medco Health PAC: $500
Merck Employees PAC: $1,500
MicrosoftPAC: $500
Nationwide Insurance PAC: $4,000
NC Advocates for Justice: $4,000
NC Auto PAC: $1,000
NC Bail Agents PAC: $2,250
NC Chamber PAC: $2,000
NC Chiropractors Assn PAC: $2,000
NC Dental PAC: $2,000
NC Farm Bureau PAC: $2,000
NC Home Builders PAC: $4,000
NC Hospital PAC: $4,000
NC Pork Council PAC: $2,500
NC Realtors PAC: $3,000
North Carolina Petroleum & Convenience Marketers PAC: $2,000
North Carolina State Farm Agents and Associates PAC: $1,000
Pfizer PAC: $750
Planned Parenthood PAC: $4,500
Progess Energy PAC: $4,000
PSNC PAC: $1,000
Rural Electric Action Program PAC: $4,000
Sate Employees PAC: $3,000
Service Employees International Union: $4,000
Time Warner PAC: $2,500
Walmart PAC: $1,000
Waste Management PAC: $500
Western Radiologist & Surgeons PAC: $2,000
RL Clark
Republican Challenger NC Senate 49
Loan to self: $5,500
Contributions from Individuals: $7,418.73
Contributions from Political Party Committees: $1,650
Contributions from PACs: $0
Total raised as of October 16: $14,568.73
Notable contributions:
Buncombe County Republican Action Club: $1,500
Tom Apodaca
Republican Incumbent NC Senate 48
Contributions from Individuals: $23,750
Contributions from Political Party Committees: $0
Contributions from PACs: $186,450
Other: $8,000
Total raised as of October 16: $218,200
Notable contributions:
ABC of the Carolinas, Inc: $2,500
Asheville Anesthesia Associates PAC: $4,000
AT&T North Carolina PAC: $2,000
Bank Of America PAC: $4,000
BB&T PAC: $4,000
Ben Campen (Smiley’s Flea Market): $2,000
Blue Ridge Bone & Joint PAC: $1,500
BlueCross/Blue Shield PAC: $4,000
Carolina Asphalt Pavement Association PAC: $1,000
Carolina Mountain Emergency Medicine PAC: $2,000
Centurytel Employees PAC: $3,000
Cigar-PAC: $500
Citizens For Higher Education PAC: $2,000
Duke Energy Corporation PAC: $4,000
Eastern Band Of Cherokee Indians: $4,000
Enterprise Rent-A-Car Company PAC: $1,000
Friends Of Forestry PAC: $1,000
Glaxo Smith Kline PAC: $2,000
Jeff Miller: $1,000
John Deere PAC: $2,000
Lowe’s Companies PAC: $1,000
Marathon Oil Company Employees PAC: $1,000
Mountain Neurological Center PAC: $4,000
Nationwide Carolina Political Participation Fund: $4,000
NC Academy Of Family Physicians: $1,000
NC Bail Agents Association: $4,000
NC Beer & Wine Wholesalers Association PAC: $1,000
NC Chiropractic Association, INC PAC: $1,000
NC Dental PAC: $2,000
NC Medical Society State PAC: $4000
NC Orthopedic PAC: $2,500
NC Pork Council PAC: $2,000
NC Realtors PAC: $4,000
NC Retail Merchants Assn Of Merchants PAC: $1,000
NC Travel And Tourism PAC: $1,000
North Carolina Chamber PAC: $1,000
NRA Political Victory Fund: $1,000
Progress Energy Employees’ Carolinas PAC: $4,000
PSNC Energy PAC: $2,000
RJ Reynolds PAC: $1,000
Southeast Anesthesiology Consultants, PAC: $4,000
Time Warner Cable NC PAC: $1,000
Verizon Good Government Club: $1,000
Chris Dixon
Democratic Challenger NC Senate 48
Contributions from Individuals: $5,895.35
Contributions from Political Party Committees: $1,100
Contributions from PACs: $2,000
Other: $0.21
Total raised as of October 16: $8,995.56
Notable contributions:
Heath Shuler for Congress: $2,000
Remember when Cecil Bothwell went to the Moveon.org rally that was protesting corporate donations in elections, and then Bothwell backed Whilden at that very event?
That’s really funny in light of this reporting by Muller that shows Whilden has more money from PAC’s (read: corporations) than she does from individuals.
Beware of the pure partisans.
This is a timely piece. In a recent attack mailer against Patsy Keever, Crawford tries to argue that Rep. Keever had raised money in “dirty” manner. While this Xpress piece shows that the vast majority of her donations have been from small individual donors. Crawford can hardly argue the same, while the majority of his “fundraising” has come from his own bank account.
Patsy Keever is all about putting people first. And when you follow the money, it proves where her support truly comes from… the grassroots.
Drew’s a good guy, but he should have noted that he’s Patsy’s campaign manager.
Drew’s point can also clearly apply to Whilden as well – if you follow her money, it’s clearly not grass roots money.
Whilden raised over $35,000 from individual contributions, many of which were for less than $100 per donation.
For PACs she raised $33,000, still raising more from individuals than from Political Action Committees. She also took in less PAC money than her opponent.
Whilden is in one of the most competitive races in the state and one that has been heavily targeted by both the state and national democratic parties, and therefore they have contributed with many in-kind contributions to her campaign.
I think jmoosie would have to offer tangible proof that the rest of aren’t privy too for those assertions to ring true.
It’s important to remember that these figures — for both candidates and the local political parties — are current for the period ending October 16. Any contributions made (or reported) after this date are not included in these totals.
Worth noting that the big chunk of Whilden’s money was from the Dem party, not PACs.
Whilden’s district was created by a Republican-dominated General Assembly to favor Republican Wilma Sherill. (That’s why her district is shaped like an old-fashioned phone handset, including Biltmore Forest and Beaver Lake, with a thin strip on the western edge of Buncombe connecting the two.) So, it’s an artifically Republican district and the party is dumping money into the race to hold the line. But the root is the 2000 redistricting. (And I’m not pretending that the Dems don’t do the same gerrymandering … only noting that this is the reason for the heavy input of party money.)
That’s funny: “Whilden’s money was from the Dem party, not PACs.
I wonder what all this is then?
AT&T: $200
Blue Cross/Blue Shield PAC: $500
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians: $1,000
Heath Shuler for Congress: $2,000
Lillian’s List: $4,000
NC Advocates for Justice: $4,000
NC Assn. of Nurse Anesthetists PAC: $500
NC Association of Educators: $1,250
NC Dental PAC: $500
NC Hospital Association PAC: $500
NC Sierra Club: $500
North Carolina Pork Council PAC: $500
Progress Energy Employees PAC: $500
South Financial Group: $1,000
Cecil’s also erroneous in his assertion that the Republican dominated GA existed; the GA that set out the districts was headed by Speaker (Dem) Jim Black. Remember that shining gem? Black is working on a book now that he’s out of jail for political corruption. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Carolina_General_Assembly_of_2001-2002