Campaign Funds For Legislative Races
On more than one occasion, Sen. David Baria, running for HD 122, has made a point of saying that his Republican opponent Dorothy Wilcox is being funded by “big insurance and big business.” Baria, as we have talked about, is one of the Democrats who can raise a good bit of money on his own. He has raised nearly $50,000 this year including $28,000 over the last reporting period ending on October 10.
Baria has been able to do this with a coalition including attorneys (which makes sense considering his former position as head of the Mississippi Trial Lawyers Association) and, gulp, even business. This includes casinos, life insurance companies, Mississippi Power, PhRMA, DuPont (big Jeff Gordon fan?), and the evil of all evil, Wal-Mart. I counted maybe a handful of true itemized individual contributions from Hancock county residents on his last report.
And here’s the little secret anyone can see: Individuals don’t donate to legislative campaign. At least not in any significant fashion. It’s businesses, attorney’s, medical professionals, etc. That is simply how it goes for Democrats and Republicans who want money to run a credible campaign. In order, in my opinion, here are where individuals are likely to make political donations, not including to non-profit organizations like Heritage Foundation: President, U.S. Senate, Governor, U.S. House, down-ticket statewide office, state Senate, state House. State Senate and House, while important, are obviously at the bottom of the list and the bottom of pocketbooks of most.
Majority in Mississippi
11/1/11
Magnolia Tribune
