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Despite polls, Obama, Edwards strong with primary state donors

by Alexander Bolton - 11/02/07 7:47 PM ET

Newly compiled fundraising data show public polls do not necessarily indicate the support that presidential candidates have among the most committed Democrats and Republicans in key primary states.

{mosads}Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) is leading Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), her chief rival, by nearly 20 points in New Hampshire. But among campaign donors who have written checks worth $200 or more to the various White House hopefuls, Obama is crushing Clinton.

Obama has raised $250,000 from residents of the Granite State during the first nine months of the year, according to data compiled by the Federal Election Commission (FEC). Clinton has raised only $100,000.

Obama is also much more popular than Clinton among South Carolina donors. That state will host an influential presidential primary shortly after New Hampshire’s.

Obama has brought in $265,000 from South Carolina donors, compared to $140,000 for Clinton. Obama’s stronger popularity among the Palmetto State’s most generous donors is surprising considering Clinton’s impressive lead in statewide polls.

Clinton has led Obama by an average of 18 points in South Carolina, according to Real Clear Politics, a website that tracks public opinion. The most popular Democrat among South Carolina donors, however, is former Sen. John Edwards (D), who represented neighboring North Carolina in Congress for six years. Edwards raised $332,000 in the state.

Joe Werner, executive director of the South Carolina Democratic Party, said that Edwards has a bigger network in the state than any other candidate and that he believes the race is much closer than the polls suggest.

“I think Edwards probably has a larger network of people who have given to him because he’s from here,” said Werner, noting that Edwards was born in Seneca, S.C.

Werner said another reason Edwards may be more entrenched with Democratic donors is because he won the South Carolina primary when he ran for president in 2004.

Those are a few of the reasons he thinks the race is closer than some polls show.

“I don’t think it’s 18 points,” he said of Clinton’s lead, adding that Obama has spent more time organizing in the state.
“He’s had people here on the ground for quite a longer period than she has, though she is systematically building up down here,” he said.

Meanwhile, Clinton enjoyed her strongest financial support among donors in Nevada, where labor unions wield considerable influence, and Florida, a traditional Democratic fundraising hub.

Clinton far outpaced Obama and Edwards in the Silver State, bringing in $465,000 compared to Obama’s $188,000 and Edwards’s $107,000. Nevada was also one of the few states where New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) eclipsed the top-tier candidates. He raised $235,000.

Richardson’s popularity is not surprising given that he hails from a nearby Southwestern state and is of Hispanic heritage. Hispanics make up more than 20 percent of Nevada’s population.

Clinton’s fundraising in the state may be explained in part by her strength among Democratic unions. This week the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees endorsed her campaign. She has also received national-level endorsements from the American Federation of Teachers, the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers, the National Association of Letter Carriers, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers and the United Transportation Union.

“Nevada has one of the highest union memberships in the country,” said Kirsten Searer, spokeswoman for the Nevada Democratic Party. “Sixteen percent of our employees are members of unions, compared to the national average of 12 percent. We have very organized and engaged unions.”

Clinton has also done far better than her rivals in Florida, which will also host an important primary in January. Clinton has raised $4.8 million there so far this year, well over the $2.9 million for Obama and $1.3 million for Edwards. Florida, especially Miami, has been a traditional fundraising hub. Her popularity among Florida donors may be explained by her years at the center of Democratic Party power.

Fundraising data revealed fewer surprises among Republicans.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney raised significantly more than his rivals in Iowa. He collected $153,000 from Iowa donors, compared to ex-New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who raised $67,000, and Arizona Sen. John McCain, who raised $49,000. Romney’s fundraising advantage reflects his standing in the polls. He leads both Giuliani and McCain by large margins there.

Romney’s fundraising lead also reflects his greater level of organization in the state.

“Romney’s been here the longest,” said Chuck Laudner, executive director of the Iowa Republican Party. “His roots are spread wider and go deeper than any other candidate. His campaign is bigger than any other.”

Laudner said that McCain’s state organization virtually dissolved over the summer and that the candidate is just now beginning to add more people to his operation, while Giuliani has done little to organize at the “caucus level.”

Romney has also hauled in significantly more money than McCain and Giuliani in New Hampshire. Romney, who raised $262,000, enjoys an advantage in that state because he recently served as governor in neighboring Massachusetts. McCain, who won the New Hampshire primary in 2000, raised $106,000, the second highest among Republicans.

Former Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.) has lagged behind his chief rivals in all the earliest-primary states. His lag is explained by his late entry into the race, which has allowed him less time to collect contributions.

Presidential fundraising from residents of key primary states

Iowa

Hillary Rodham Clinton $126,000
Barack Obama $117,000
John Edwards $106,000

Mitt Romney $153,000
Rudy Giuliani $65,000
John McCain $49,000

New Hampshire

Barack Obama $250,000
Hillary Rodham Clinton $100,000
John Edwards $54,000

Mitt Romney $262,000
John McCain $106,000
Rudy Giuliani $67,000

Nevada

Hillary Rodham Clinton $465,000
Bill Richardson $235,000
Barack Obama $188,000

Mitt Romney $744,000
Rudy Giuliani $667,000
John McCain $272,000

South Carolina

John Edwards $332,000
Barack Obama $265,000
Hillary Rodham Clinton $140,000