Small donors make big difference in Bachmann and Clark campaigns
The Center for Responsive Politics says small donors played a major role in a number of candidates' third-quarter fundraising, including that of GOP U.S. House Rep. Michele Bachmann and her DFL challenger, Tarryl Clark.
By the Center's estimation, 2/3 of Bachmann's third quarter fundraising came from small donors. About 56 percent of Clark's third quarter contributions came from donors giving less than $200.
The center took the non-itemizable donations for the campaigns, subtracted funds from transfers and Political Action Committees, and found the number of donations under $200. Then they calculated the share of those small donations in the overall fundraising haul.
Here's what they say about Bachmann's haul:
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Sophomore Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), chair of the House Tea Party Caucus, was the most prolific fund-raiser in the third quarter among House candidates, according to the Washington Post. She reported $5.04 million in receipts between July and September. Fully two-thirds of that amount -- $3.3 million -- came from individuals who gave $200 or less, according to the Center's review of campaign finance documents filed on Friday. Since January 2009, Bachmann has now raised $9.6 million, and 52 percent of that sum, or $5 million, has come from small donors.
And here's their take on small donations in Clark's campaign:
Bachmann's Democratic opponent in Minnesota's 6th Congressional District this year, state Sen. Tarryl Clark, has also successfully tapped small donors for big financial gains. During the third quarter, Clark boasted the second largest fund-raising haul among House candidates, according to the Washington Post. Of the $1.48 million in total receipts she reported for the quarter, the Center found that more than $825,900 came from small donors -- or 56 percent of her total contributions. That's the same percentage she's raised from such donors since she began campaigning for Congress. Through September, Clark reported raising a total of nearly $3.9 million since her congressional bid began. Of that amount, about $2.2 million has come from small donors.