Bachmann Raising 44 Percent More Out of State Money Per Capita in Obama vs. McCain States

States won by Barack Obama in 2008 populate 21 of the Top 25 slots in per capita large donor out of state donations to Bachmann’s 2012 campaign

While her politics may be an easier sell in conservative states, the message of rumored 2012 Republican presidential candidate and fundraiser extraordinaire Michele Bachmann is currently playing well among those with deep pockets in the more liberal states across the nation.

And this marks a big change from the congresswoman’s 2009-2010 fundraising numbers.

A Smart Politics study of out of state per capita contributions to Representative Bachmann in the first quarter of 2011 finds that large donors from states carried by Barack Obama in 2008 are giving to Bachmann at a 44 percent higher rate than donors living in states carried by John McCain.

Overall, the congresswoman raised more than $344,000 of large donor contributions outside of her home state of Minnesota during the first three months of this year.

More than $260,000 came from the 28 states (+D.C.) that Obama carried in the 2008 presidential election with just shy of $84,000 coming from the 22 McCain states.

After adjusting for population with newly-released 2010 U.S. Census data, Bachmann is raking in 44 percent more out of state money in Obama states ($125.66 per 100,000 residents) as compared to funds from states won by McCain ($87.35).

This marks a substantial change from Bachmann’s recent record-breaking reelection campaign in which she tallied more than $4.1 million in out of state large donor money (and more than $13.5 million overall).

During the 2009-2010 cycle, the congresswoman raised virtually an identical amount of contributions per capita from Obama states ($1,383.68 per 100,000 residents) as she did in McCain states ($1,313.14), or just a 5 percent edge in Obama states.

In 2011, 21 of the Top 25 states in per capita large donor donations outside of Minnesota are Obama states, compared to only 14 of 25 in 2009-2010.

In fact, during the previous election cycle, McCain states populated five of the top seven slots in per capita giving, with North Dakota at #1, Wyoming at #3, South Dakota at #5, Montana at #6, and Texas at #7.

In 2011, South Dakota moved up to #1 with $350.05 raised per 100,000 residents.

Florida then leads a large pack of Obama states at #2 ($325.74 per 100,000 residents). Bachmann raised more unadjusted large donor money from the Sunshine State -$61,244 – than any other besides her home state of Minnesota.

No other state contributed more than $50K during the first quarter of 2011, with California coming in a distant second at $49,705.

Bachmann’s next best showing for per capita large donor money in Obama states is Vermont at #3 ($271.68 per 100,000 residents), followed by the neighboring (and the congresswoman’s birth state) of Iowa at #5 ($226.50), Maryland at #6 ($224.73), Delaware at #7 ($222.73), Hawaii at #8 ($220.91), Nevada at #9 ($179.59), and the District of Columbia at #10 ($157.71).

Aside from South Dakota, the only other McCain states to crack the Top 25 are Arizona at #4 ($261.50 per 100,000 residents), Kansas at #13 ($141.77), and Texas at #14 ($141.50).

Bachmann received large donor money from every state in the nation during the first three months of 2011, with the exception of New Mexico.

The remaining Bottom 10 states for large donor money have all been solid red states in recent presidential elections: South Carolina at #49 ($5.40 per 100,000 residents), Mississippi at #48 ($8.43), Utah at #47 ($9.05), Idaho at #46 ($15.95), Kentucky at #45 ($24.20), Montana at #44 ($25.27), West Virginia at #43 ($32.38), Georgia at #42 ($35.97), and Oklahoma at #41 ($39.99).

While some of these red states are among the poorer in the nation, what is important to note is the trend: there was little difference between Obama and McCain state large donor giving in 2009-2010.

Of course, large donor contributions are simply one component of the Bachmann fundraising machine.

While PAC donorship to Bachmann has virtually become nonexistent in recent fundraising cycles (dropping to just $1,000 and 0.1 percent of her more than $1.7 million quarterly haul in Q1 2011), small donor contributions reached an all-time high for the congresswoman last quarter: 74.7 percent of all funds raised.

Small donor individual donations had tallied a previous high of 65.8 percent of Bachmann’s fundraising in Q3 2010, 63.9 percent in Q4 2010, and 62.2 percent in Q2 2010.

Out of State Per Capita Large Donor Contributions to Michele Bachmann, Q1 2011

Rank	State	2008	Raised	Per 100,000
1	South Dakota	McCain	$2,850	$350.05
2	Florida	Obama	$61,244	$325.74
3	Vermont	Obama	$1,700	$271.68
4	Arizona	McCain	$16,715	$261.50
5	Iowa	Obama	$6,900	$226.50
6	Maryland	Obama	$12,975	$224.73
7	Delaware	Obama	$2,000	$222.73
8	Hawaii	Obama	$3,005	$220.91
9	Nevada	Obama	$4,850	$179.59
10	D.C.	Obama	$949	$157.71
11	Maine	Obama	$2,050	$154.33
12	Michigan	Obama	$15,000	$151.77
13	Kansas	McCain	$4,045	$141.77
14	Texas	McCain	$35,580	$141.50
15	Oregon	Obama	$5,293	$138.16
16	California	Obama	$49,705	$133.42
17	Colorado	Obama	$6,300	$125.27
18	Washington	Obama	$7,850	$116.74
19	Connecticut	Obama	$4,008	$112.14
20	Indiana	Obama	$6,750	$104.11
21	Wisconsin	Obama	$5,300	$93.20
22	New York	Obama	$17,433	$89.96
23	Massachusetts	Obama	$5,700	$87.05
24	Pennsylvania	Obama	$10,120	$79.67
25	New Jersey	Obama	$7,000	$79.62
26	Alaska	McCain	$550	$77.44
27	New Hampshire	Obama	$1,000	$75.96
28	Louisiana	McCain	$3,250	$71.69
29	North Dakota	McCain	$450	$66.91
30	North Carolina	Obama	$6,315	$66.23
31	Arkansas	McCain	$1,810	$62.07
32	Rhode Island	Obama	$600	$57.00
33	Tennessee	McCain	$3,560	$56.10
34	Ohio	Obama	$6,426	$55.70
35	Alabama	McCain	$2,650	$55.44
36	Missouri	McCain	$3,300	$55.10
37	Nebraska	McCain	$990	$54.21
38	Illinois	Obama	$6,950	$54.17
39	Wyoming	McCain	$300	$53.23
40	Virginia	Obama	$3,435	$42.93
41	Oklahoma	McCain	$1,500	$39.99
42	Georgia	McCain	$3,485	$35.97
43	West Virginia	McCain	$600	$32.38
44	Montana	McCain	$250	$25.27
45	Kentucky	McCain	$1,050	$24.20
46	Idaho	McCain	$250	$15.95
47	Utah	McCain	$250	$9.05
48	Mississippi	McCain	$250	$8.43
49	South Carolina	McCain	$250	$5.40
50	New Mexico	Obama	$0	$0.00
	Total		$344,793	$113.54

FEC data compiled by Smart Politics.

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