Walz Has Largest Percentage of Contributions from In-State Donors; Ellison the Lowest
Ellison also raises more money from Californians than Minnesotans for the second consecutive quarter
For the third consecutive quarter, DFL Congressman Tim Walz relied more on “home grown” individual itemized (i.e. “large donor”) contributions than any of the Gopher State’s eight U.S. Representatives.
At 83.0 percent, Walz raised more of his $200+ quarterly individual contributions from Minnesotans than any of his fellow members of the state’s U.S. House delegation. Walz also had the largest percentage of individual itemized contributions from Minnesota in Q2 (93.3 percent) and Q1 (92.8 percent).
Republican Erik Paulsen raised 78.9 percent of such contributions from in-state in the third quarter for his campaign, with fellow GOPer John Kline at 78.7 percent, DFLer Betty McCollum at 74.8 percent, and Republican Michele Bachmann at 59.3 percent.
In-State Itemized Individual Contributions to Minnesota U.S. House Delegation, Q3 2009
|
Rank
|
U.S. Representative
|
#
|
Amount
|
Average
|
%
|
|
1
|
Tim Walz (DFL-01)
|
116
|
$44,195
|
$380.99
|
83.0
|
|
2
|
Erik Paulsen (R-03)
|
212
|
$168,549
|
$795.04
|
78.9
|
|
3
|
John Kline (R-02)
|
103
|
$65,450
|
$635.44
|
78.7
|
|
4
|
Betty McCollum (DFL-04)
|
86
|
$33,195
|
$385.99
|
74.8
|
|
5
|
Michele Bachmann (R-06)
|
198
|
$71,055
|
$358.86
|
59.3
|
|
6
|
Collin Peterson (DFL-07)
|
4
|
$2,250
|
$562.50
|
17.0
|
|
7
|
Jim Oberstar (DFL-08)
|
31
|
$12,550
|
$404.84
|
13.9
|
|
8
|
Keith Ellison (DFL-05)
|
25
|
$7,950
|
$318.00
|
10.6
|
FEC data compiled by Smart Politics.
Paulsen actually raised the most net money from Minnesotans in individual itemized contributions for the quarter, as well as for the year to date. Paulsen has raised $461,979 in large donor contributions from Gopher State residents thus far in 2009, with Bachmann second ($296,705), Kline third ($217,040), and Walz fourth ($186,815).
Despite raising nearly $165,000 less than Paulsen in in-state individual itemized contributions for the year, Bachmann (at 556 donors) and Paulsen (at 557 donors) have had virtually the same number of such financial contributors.
The difference, however, is that the donations Bachmann has received from Gopher State residents have been in much more modest amounts (averaging $533.64) compared to Paulsen (averaging $829.41).
This reflects the general trend that Smart Politics has documented all year that Bachmann’s support is much more ‘grassroots’ and from ‘the folks’ than any other Minnesota U.S. Representative. (With nearly half of Bachmann’s individual contributions coming in the form of unitemized, small-donor amounts).
In-State Itemized Individual Contributions to Minnesota U.S. House Delegation, January – September 2009
|
Rank
|
U.S. Representative
|
#
|
Amount
|
Average
|
%
|
|
1
|
Tim Walz (DFL-01)
|
332
|
$186,815
|
$562.70
|
90.5
|
|
2
|
Erik Paulsen (R-03)
|
557
|
$461,979
|
$829.41
|
85.8
|
|
3
|
John Kline (R-02)
|
253
|
$217,040
|
$857.87
|
79.3
|
|
4
|
Michele Bachmann (R-06)
|
556
|
$296,705
|
$533.64
|
70.2
|
|
5
|
Betty McCollum (DFL-04)
|
172
|
$67,420
|
$391.98
|
69.3
|
|
6
|
Collin Peterson (DFL-07)
|
50
|
$24,336
|
$486.72
|
38.0
|
|
7
|
Keith Ellison (DFL-05)
|
69
|
$31,000
|
$449.28
|
15.8
|
|
8
|
Jim Oberstar (DFL-08)
|
81
|
$28,192
|
$348.05
|
10.0
|
FEC data compiled by Smart Politics.
On the flip side, DFLers Collin Peterson and Jim Oberstar only raised 17.0 percent and 13.9 percent of their individual itemized funds from Minnesotans in the third quarter respectively – not an unusual occurrence for U.S. Representatives with the status (and contacts) such House Committee chairs receive on the national stage. As observed by Smart Politics this summer, Oberstar actually received 100 percent of his large donor individual contributions from out-of-state in the second quarter of this year.
But the Minnesota U.S. Representative who received the lowest amount of home grown financial support from itemized individual donors this past quarter was Keith Ellison. Only 10.6 percent of Ellison’s Q3 2009 itemized individual contributions came from Minnesota with 89.4 percent coming from out of state.
Ellison also received the largest percentage of out-of-state big money donors from the Minnesota delegation in the first quarter of the year (83.2 percent) and the second largest in the second quarter (80.4 percent), including 90 percent from outside of his 5th CD.
For the year, Ellison has raised money from the largest number of out-of-state big money donors (290) and 84.2 percent of his itemized individual campaign funds have come from outside the Gopher State, second only to Oberstar at 90.0 percent. Oberstar has collected the most funds, at $253,300.
Out of State Itemized Individual Contributions to Minnesota U.S. House Delegation, January – September 2009
|
Rank
|
U.S. Representative
|
#
|
Amount
|
Average
|
%
|
|
1
|
Jim Oberstar (DFL-08)
|
278
|
$253,300
|
$911.15
|
90.0
|
|
2
|
Keith Ellison (DFL-05)
|
290
|
$164,885
|
$568.57
|
84.2
|
|
3
|
Collin Peterson (DFL-07)
|
59
|
$39,630
|
$671.70
|
62.0
|
|
4
|
Betty McCollum (DFL-04)
|
42
|
$29,850
|
$710.71
|
30.7
|
|
5
|
Michele Bachmann (R-06)
|
285
|
$125,986
|
$441.95
|
29.8
|
|
6
|
John Kline (R-02)
|
61
|
$56,525
|
$926.64
|
20.7
|
|
7
|
Erik Paulsen (R-03)
|
81
|
$76,685
|
$946.73
|
14.2
|
|
8
|
Tim Walz (DFL-01)
|
21
|
$19,699
|
$938.05
|
9.5
|
FEC data compiled by Smart Politics.
But what is most striking about the yearly campaign finance numbers is that Ellison continues to raise money from Californians at nearly twice the pace from those in his home state.
In 2009, Ellison has raised $57,290 in individual itemized contributions from California, or 29.2 percent of his total large donor contributions. That is $26,000+ more than he has raised this year from Minnesotans ($31,000 or 15.8 percent).
Ellison has raised more money in California than Minnesota in each of the last two quarters. In the third quarter he raised $9,990 in California versus $7,950 in Minnesota. In the second quarter he raised $44,050 in California and just $18,650 in the Gopher State.
Rep. Ellison also raised more money in California than Minnesota in Q3 2007, Q4 2007, and Q1 2008, making the Golden State a bigger financial backer of Ellison than the Gopher State in 5 of the last 9 quarters.
In the third quarter of 2009, Ellison also received more in campaign contributions from individuals in New York ($18,500), Michigan ($11,050), and New Jersey ($10,800) than from those in Minnesota.
Keith Ellison Itemized Individual Campaign Contributions, January-September 2009
|
State
|
Total
|
Percent
|
|
California
|
$57,290.00
|
29.2
|
|
Minnesota
|
$31,000.00
|
15.8
|
|
Michigan
|
$24,550.00
|
12.5
|
|
New York
|
$18,750.00
|
9.6
|
|
New Jersey
|
$10,800.00
|
5.5
|
|
South Carolina
|
$9,850.00
|
5.0
|
|
District of Columbia
|
$8,100.00
|
4.1
|
|
Massachusetts
|
$7,800.00
|
4.0
|
|
Virginia
|
$6,350.00
|
3.2
|
|
Texas
|
$4,395.00
|
2.2
|
|
Florida
|
$4,025.00
|
2.1
|
|
Arizona
|
$3,800.00
|
1.9
|
|
Illinois
|
$3,125.00
|
1.6
|
|
Colorado
|
$1,250.00
|
0.6
|
|
Connecticut
|
$1,000.00
|
0.5
|
|
Ohio
|
$800.00
|
0.4
|
|
Delaware
|
$500.00
|
0.3
|
|
Maryland
|
$500.00
|
0.3
|
|
Nevada
|
$500.00
|
0.3
|
|
Wisconsin
|
$500.00
|
0.3
|
|
Georgia
|
$250.00
|
0.1
|
|
Louisiana
|
$250.00
|
0.1
|
|
North Carolina
|
$250.00
|
0.1
|
|
Pennsylvania
|
$250.00
|
0.1
|
|
Total
|
$195,885.00
|
100.0
|
FEC data compiled by Smart Politics.
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Once again, this is an irrelevant comparison. Members of Congress don’t represent the state at large like senators, so it doesn’t make sense to compare how much of their money comes from outside the state as opposed to within. What does matter is how much comes from within the district they represent. How much of Bachmann’s Minnesota money came from the 6th District that she purports to represent?