State's political parties raised $37 million in 2002 election

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri political parties raised $37 million in the 2002 election cycle, fifth in the nation, according to a report released Thursday by a Washington watchdog group.

The Center for Public Integrity compiled data nationwide on fund raising and spending by state political parties, analyzing campaign finance reports filed with state and federal agencies for 2001 and 2002.

Although a new campaign finance law is changing the way parties can raise and spend money, the center says the information is still important for political observers to consider.

The new campaign finance law bars national party committees and congressional and presidential candidates from raising "soft money" -- unlimited amounts of corporate, union and individual donations -- for federal election activity. In the past, national parties have given soft money to state parties, and the changes could put a dent in state party budgets.

"There are all sorts of uncertainties about this law. For state parties, it really presents a challenge: How are we going to be able to adjust to this?" Derek Willis, author of the center's report, said Wednesday.

In Missouri, Democratic committees raised about $20 million in 2002, $2.5 million more than GOP committees, yet lost a close U.S. Senate race (Republican Jim Talent took over the seat held by Jean Carnahan) and control of the state House for the first time in 48 years.

"Ultimately, elections come down to who's got the better candidate and the better message," said John Hancock, a consultant for the Missouri Republican Party. "It's not who spends the most money always; it's whether you have enough money to execute a winning plan."

State Democratic Party spokesman Jim Gardner said the changes in campaign finance law are forcing the party to seek out "alternative sources of funding."

"Traditionally the Democratic Party hasn't enjoyed some of the same high-dollar donations that our Republican counterparts have," he said, but added that a large quantity smaller donations can have the same impact.

State parties each received more than $10 million from national party committees, the report found.

Broken down by industry, attorneys by far contributed the most, $1.6 million, nearly all to Democratic committees. Next was a Republican leadership political action committee, at $840,000.

The report listed the organization that contributed the most to Missouri political parties as campaign committees run by Republican U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt, the House majority whip, with about $696,000 in contributions.

"Now the people who are really able to raise significant sums of money are elected officials within the party," Willis said. "Roy Blunt as a congressman, as a member of leadership, can raise an awful lot of money. When he's able to do so and bring that back to the state (party), that's to the state (party)'s advantage."

For the upcoming election, however, under the new campaign finance law, congressional candidates can only raise limited individual contributions known as hard money.

Blunt spokeswoman Burson Taylor said the report counted a federal GOP leadership political action committee Blunt chairs, but that a board decides how to dole out that money.

The second-highest organization contribution, $355,000 to state Democratic Party committees, came from Emily's List, a political group that supports Democratic female candidates who favor abortion rights, such as Jean Carnahan.

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Center for Public Integrity: http://www.publicintegrity.org/