Contributing
The fuel that runs the modern political campaign is money, and at the end of last month (January) state pols had to let folks know how much was in their tank. The reports in question cover the last half of 2005.
My vote for the weirdest trend is giving from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians of Triad-area pols.
Sen. Kay Hagan ($1,000) and Sen. Phil Berger ($1,000) and Reps. Maggie Jeffus ($500), Harold Brubaker ($1,000) and Hugh Holliman ($500) all got contributions from the tribe during the last half of 2005.
According to data provided by Democracy North Carolina, I shouldn't be all that surprised. The tribe gave to at least $70,500 to 66 legislative candidates during the 2002 election cycle and has kept on giving since then.
Recipients of the Tribe's largess seem to mainly include statewide leaders (Gov. Mike Easley, Senate leader Marc Basnight and House Speaker Jim Black) as well as folks in western North Carolina.
The tribe has been in the news lately for trying to modify the rules governing its Casino in Western North Carolina, mainly trying to get permission to have games dealt by hand. (Currently, as I understand it, all the games there are automated.) I'm told by folks who have been watching the gambling action in the General Assembly that the other issue on the tribe's mind is to make sure revisions to state gambling laws (like video poker rules) don't inadvertently affect their casino business.
Other things of note from the year-end 2005 campaign finance report:
- In the 2004 campaign, Rep. Laura Wiley, a High Point Republican, did not raise money above the $3,000 threshold below which candidates don't have to report their fundraising activities. This year she has begun amassing a modest war chest. Info here.
- If you read one version her report, Sen. Kay Hagan of Greensboro has amassed a ridiculous amount of money for a local candidate. That version is wrong. Candidates file paper reports with the state board and then their stuff is converted over to electronic form. Apparently, someone key-punching that electronic form gave Hagan credit for an extra $800,000 or so. Her real cash on hand total is NOT $1.2 million but $126,808.92....still a lot, but much more in line with what other state senators have raised for their campaigns at this point.
- I'm not sure I've ever seen a report filled out exactly how it should be, but the SBOE does take exception to campaign treasurers who just blow off the instructions, this means you Katie Dorsett.
- What do Budweiser distributors, Cash America, Lorillard Tobacco, the NC Home Builders Association and Wal*Mart's pac all have in common? Sen. Phil Berger's campaign report. (pdf)
- House Speaker Jim Black (not local, but I couldn't resist) drew some support from local zip codes. Among those giving to Black's campaign committee were William Armfield of Greensboro (President of Spotwood Capital LLC), Janet Ward Black of Summerfield (a lawyer with Donaldson & Black), Timothy Burnett of Greensboro (President of Bessemer Improvement Co.), John GB Ellison Jr. of Greensboro (an executive with the Ellison Company) and the Lorillard Tobacco pac.
Find out stuff about your own local politician by clicking here and following the instructions.
Comments (6)
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Mark, I'm very curious. I went to the site you cite and typed in the name of an elected official whose 2004 campaign I'd like to know more about - but I cannot pull up what I am looking for . . . specifically the names of individual contributors to this person's campaign. Indeed, it doesn't even look like that information was filed.
Is this information available through the Board of Elections - or can it be requested?
Posted on February 7, 2006 4:55 PM
Mary: It's hard to give you an answer without knowing who you're looking at. In general, if you are looking at someone who stayed below $3,000 in campaign spending/fundraising only have to file a certification to that effect.
If that's not the case, send me the name and I'll take a look. I've never run into someone who should have filed a report who eventually didn't. Some fail to file detail initially, but are generally chasened by the SBOE.
Posted on February 7, 2006 5:04 PM
$126,000 in Kay Hagen's war chest, huh? Who's congressional district does she live in? Howard Cobles?
Posted on February 7, 2006 5:54 PM
Darnit! "Whose."
Posted on February 7, 2006 6:26 PM
Roch: I would think that Kay either lives in Coble's or Miller's. I can't imagine her running against Miller and even a tilt at Coble would be a long shot.
If she were going to go after either of those or something else higher up in the political food chain, I'd expect her to have a lot more than that on hand. Hagan has expended some serious cash just in her state Senate campaigns...this is not a lady who leaves much to chance and has faced down two aggressive and credible opponents in her past two runs.
The speculation with Hagan, which she's done nothing to fuel but nothing to quell either, is that if she decides to leave the Senate she'll go after the Lt. Gov's seat.
Of course, she could stay in the Senate for a while and land herself in one of the prime leadership roles. As an appropriations chair now, she's in a position to do a lot of favors for her fellow dems.
Posted on February 7, 2006 8:16 PM
For those wondering: Mary sent me an e-mail directly with the name of the person in question. It was indeed a case where that person had filed a "Statement of Threshold," promising not to spend or raise more than $3,000.
Posted on February 7, 2006 8:43 PM