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From Speakupwny.com Politics Did you ever wonder where politicians get the money to run their campaigns? All candidates must file financial disclosure documents. These records are available to the public through “Freedom of Information” laws. In the past, you had to travel to a government office to get the information. Now, if you have a computer, the information is readily available. You no longer have to wonder where the politicians get their money. Western New York’s 26th Congressional district is up for grabs in 2004. The contenders include incumbent Republican Tom Reynolds and Democrat Jack Davis. The following information was collected from the Center for Responsive Politics website, www.opensecrets.org.
How much money have they raised? Based on reports filed on August 25th, 2004, Mr. Reynolds raised $1,784,987. Mr. Davis raised $407,989. How much have they spent? Reynolds spent $495,564 and Davis spent $353,478. How much money did they have to spend on their campaigns? Tom Reynolds had $2,599,504. Jack Davis had $54,511. Why do these numbers differ from what they collected? Incumbent candidates can rollover campaign contributions from prior campaigns. They can also collect donations while they hold office. Challengers can use similar practices to build up a war chest before a campaign begins. Where did the contributions come from? There are a number of ways this category is broken down. The following lists will break the categories down by major sources, special interest groups, and top contributors. Tom Reynolds 0% Political Action Committees 34% Individuals 64% Other 2% Jack Davis 85% Political Action Committees 0% Individuals 2% Other 13% Special Interest Groups Tom Reynolds Business 92% Labor 5% Ideological Groups 3% Other 0% Jack Davis Business 0% Labor 0% Ideological Groups 0% Other 0% Top Contributors through their Political Action Committee Tom Reynolds Nationwide $16,000 Harris Beach LLP $14,250 Delaware North Companies $12,000 HJ Kalikow & Co. $12,000 Ontario Specialty Contracting $11,000 Buffalo Crushed Stone $11,000 Goldman Sachs $11,000 National Association of Realtors $10,000 National Auto Dealers Association $10,000 National Beer Wholesalers Association $10,000 National Association of Insurance and Financial $10,000 New York Mercantile Exchange $10,000 Northrup Grumman $10,000 SBC Communications $10,000 United Parcel Service $10,000 Wal-Mart Stores $10,000 American Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery $10,000 American Bankers Association $10,000 Associated Builders & Contractors $10,000 Carpenters and Joiners Union $10,000 First Albany Companies $10,000 Harris Corporation $10,000 Independent Insurance Agents of America $10,000 Jack Davis Filtration Unlimited $2,000 Ninety-one percent of contributions to Tom Reynolds come from within New York State. One hundred percent of contributions to Jack Davis came from New York State. Financial support for New York’s 26th Congressional District race clearly favors the incumbent. © Copyright 2003 by Speakupwny.com |
