Wayzata: The Hamptons of Minnesota?

Small western suburban city of less than 5,000 residents has given $415,000+ to Minnesota U.S. House candidates – third highest in the state and less than $30,000 behind St. Paul

This is the fifth in a series of reports on campaign fundraising in Minnesota’s U.S. House races. Previous reports examined which 6th CD candidate was raising more in-state money, which 6th CD candidate was receiving more contributions from Minnesota political elites, to which candidates Minneapolis residents have made campaign contributions, and Michele Bachmann’s fundraising in her home town of Stillwater.

As candidates head into the final two months before Election Day, there is one small Minnesota city to which congressional candidates will continue to turn as they seek to refill their campaign coffers.

Despite a population of a little more than 4,000 residents, the wealthy western suburb of Wayzata remains a big player in funding congressional hopefuls in the Gopher State.

A Smart Politics analysis of itemized individual contributions for the 2010 election cycle through July 21st finds that residents of Wayzata have donated over $100 per resident to Minnesota’s U.S. House candidates, a tally that is nearly twice the rate of the next closest city.

Even more impressive, at $415,120 in contributions, Wayzata ranks as the third largest absolute donor of funds to House candidates in the state, behind only the behemoth cities of Minneapolis ($1,047,405) and St. Paul ($444,795).

Through mid-July of this year, residents from 599 cities and townships across the Gopher State have contributed more than $5.3 million in itemized funds to the state’s eight U.S. Representatives and their various challengers.

Donations have exceeded $5,000 in 113 of these cities, totaling over 93 percent of all contributions ($4.98 million).

Naturally, several of the state’s largest cities lead the way in total contributions made to congressional campaigns.

However, Wayzata and its fellow 3rd Congressional District city Excelsior stand out in terms of per resident contributions. In total, five 3rd CD cities crack the Top 10.

Top 10 Cities Contributing Itemized Individual Donations to Minnesota U.S. House Candidates in 2010 Election Cycle

Rank	City	Total	Per Resident
1	Minneapolis	$1,047,405	$1.55
2	St. Paul	$444,795	$2.75
3	Wayzata	$415,120	$100.93
4	Edina	$335,157	$7.07
5	Eden Prairie	$196,012	$3.57
6	Minnetonka	$150,267	$2.93
7	Rochester	$136,183	$1.59
8	Excelsior	$119,652	$50.00
9	St. Cloud	$105,862	$1.79
10	Stillwater	$82,145	$5.42

Through July 21, 2010. Population based on 2000 U.S. Census. Source: Federal Election Commission. Table compiled by Smart Politics.

While Wayzata’s population is less than one-tenth of one percent of the state’s population, the more than $415,000 it has donated to congressional campaigns represents 7.8 percent of large donor contributions from across the state.

In other words, Wayzata gives more than 97 times its proportional share of itemized contributions to Minnesota’s congressional candidates.

When adjusting for population, the City of Wayzata has given an average of $100.93 per resident to Minnesota’s U.S. House candidates this election cycle, which is nearly two times the rate of the next closest city, Woodstock ($52.42) – a small city in Pipestone County in the southwestern part of the Gopher State.

With the exception of Wayzata and Excelsior, the Top 10 list looks quite different when calculating contributions on a per resident basis.

Top 10 Cities Contributing Itemized Individual Donations to Minnesota U.S. House Candidates in 2010 Election Cycle (Per Resident)

Rank	City	Amount	Population	Per Resident
1	Wayzata	$415,120	4,113	$100.93
2	Woodstock	$6,920	132	$52.42
3	Excelsior	$119,652	2,393	$50.00
4	Long Lake	$49,650	1,842	$26.95
5	Sunfish Lake	$13,220	504	$26.23
6	Lilydale	$12,528	552	$22.70
7	Herman	$9,610	452	$21.26
8	Crystal Bay	$12,250	607	$20.18
9	Dellwood	$17,700	1,033	$17.13
10	Lakeland	$32,475	1,917	$16.94

Through July 21, 2010. Population based on 2000 U.S. Census. Source: Federal Election Commission. Table compiled by Smart Politics.

And what candidates are the recipients of all this money coming out of Wayzata?

Overall, Republican candidates received $289,020, or 69.6 percent of its large donor contributions. DFLers received $126,100, or 30.4 percent.

Erik Paulsen, who represents the city in the 3rd Congressional District, received $168,140 from residents of Wayzata, or 40.5 percent of such funds.

Meanwhile, only $18,200 (4.3 percent) has been targeted to 3rd CD DFL nominee Jim Meffert and former 3rd CD DFL candidate Maureen Hackett.

Michele Bachmann has received the second largest amount of money from Wayzata residents, at $63,830 (15.4 percent), followed by former 6th CD DFL candidate Maureen Reed at $43,550 (10.5 percent).

Itemized Individual Contributions from Wayzata Residents to Minnesota U.S. House Candidates in 2010 Election Cycle

Candidate	District	Amount	Percent
Erik Paulsen	3	$168,140	40.5
Michele Bachmann	6	$63,830	15.4
Maureen Reed	6	$43,550	10.5
John Kline	2	$28,800	6.9
Randy Demmer	1	$28,000	6.7
Tim Walz	1	$27,450	6.6
Tarryl Clark	6	$20,450	4.9
Jim Meffert	3	$17,200	4.1
Elwyn Tinklenberg	6	$4,800	1.2
Betty McCollum	4	$4,500	1.1
Keith Ellison	5	$4,150	1.0

Through July 21, 2010. Table lists only those candidates who received more than $1,000 from Wayzatans. Source: Federal Election Commission. Table compiled by Smart Politics.

But Wayzata doesn’t have the largest partisan tilt for political donations in the Gopher State.

The next report in this series will reveal the Minnesota cities with the biggest imbalance in giving to Democratic and Republican congressional candidates.

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