Following the Money in the Wisconsin, Florida, and Connecticut Primaries

Here’s our look at the money behind the campaigns:

WISCONSIN: While Wisconsin’s biggest news is the selection of native son Rep. Paul Ryan (R) to be the GOP vice presidential nominee, the Senate primary could also have a major impact in Washington. Former Wisconsin governor Tommy Thompson defeated businessman Eric Hovde, and Tea Party favorite Mark Neumann in a hotly contested race, winning the right to challenge liberal darling Tammy Baldwin in November. According to Center for Responsive Politics data, each had major money in the race, but from very different sources.

Thompson, a GOP elder statesman who served in President George W. Bush’s cabinet, raised 80 percent of his $2.4 million from large individual contributors. However, outside groups which have played such a major role in other primaries this year, did not side with Thompson. Super PACs including the conservative group Club for Growth Action and the liberal Majority PAC spent over $850,000 total opposing him. Hovde, who bankrolled his campaign out of personal funds to the tune of $5.1 million, was also battered by outside spending. These groups spent $1.6 million opposing his campaign, including $650,000 from Club for Growth Action.

Neumann benefited from over $760,000 of outside support, most of that derived from Club for Growth’s endorsement of his run. He raised $2.7 million, with 34 percent of that coming from small donors–the highest proportion of any Republican in the race. He lacked major PAC support, but offset that with $235,000 in financing from his own pocket.

Another group spending big in the primary was Americans for Job Security, a conservative 501(c)(6) business group that does not disclose its donors.The group, founded in 1997 by George H.W. Bush’s political director David Carney and GOP strategist Michael Dubke, spent nearly $650,000 opposing Hovde– the first independent expenditure by that group since the 2010 elections.

 

FLORIDA: The Tea Party and the Republican establishment squared off again in Florida’s 7th Congressional District, where redistricting forced long-serving incumbent Rep. John Mica to withstand a challenge from freshman Rep. Sandy Adams in the Republican primary.

Adams was endorsed by Sarah Palin, the Tea Party Express and Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.), among other conservative groups and figures. Mica had some high profile endorsements of his own from former Republican governors Haley Barbour and Mike Huckabee. Unlike the Wisconsin race, virtually all the money in the race came from the campaigns themselves — outside spending groups spent less than $6,000 total.

Both Adams and Mica drew from PACs to fund their primary campaigns. Adams’ biggest sources of PAC money were leadership PACs – committees run by political figures who use their fundraising prowess to help favored candidates. Leadership PACs run by House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) and Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.), among others, all gave to Adams’ campaign. The air transport industry was Mica’s largest contributor–industry PACs have given him $107,000 so far this election cycle.

 

CONNECTICUT: Some people might argue that investing $65 million over the course of three years is a hefty price for the chance at a Senate seat, but those people are notLinda McMahon. 

 

The former World Wrestling Entertainment CEO dropped $50 million into her unsuccessful challenge of Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) in 2010, and has loaned her campaign another $12.4 million in her try for Connecticut’s other Senate slot this year. She beat former Rep. Chris Shays, (R-Conn), who she outspent nearly ten to one.

 

On the other side of the aisle, Rep. Christopher Murphy (D-Conn.) defeated former Connecticut Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz. Murphy drew nearly 80 percent of his $5.6 million war chest from large individual donors, but also took over $900,000 in PAC money. Retirees, law firms and securities and investment industry were the top sources of his donations. Bysiewicz relied almost entirely on individual contributions and was outspent nearly two to one.

 

Like in Florida, outside spending groups were not a major factor, spending under $20,000 in the race.

Photos: Photos of Tommy Thompson, John Mica and Linda McMahon via Wikimedia Commons

 

Republished with permissino from OpenSecrets