This study looks at union PACs only.  That means all this money was voluntarily contributed to the Top 20 Union PACs.  Mandatory union dues are not directly reflected in this study.  However, since most union PACs have substantial overhead cost subsidized by their connected union or labor organization, mandatory union dues do aid union PACs in these political activities. The sums in this study, although large, are a small fraction of political activity, such as “soft money” and field workers, that is legally undertaken by unions directly -- without the strict PAC reporting requirements.
 

Purpose
This study seeks to answer a basic question: Which candidates are top union PACs investing in this election?
 

Key Points Learned from this Study

• Incumbents Dominate. Only six of the Top 20 House Recipients are non-incumbents challenging an incumbent or running for an open seat.  That number drops to only five if you take account of the fact that former-Rep. Scotty Baesler (KY-06) is running for his old seat that he held from 1993 to 1998 and then vacated in a losing bid for the U.S. Senate in 1998.

• Ohio River Battle Ground.  While Top 20 recipients are scattered across the map, a multi-state concentration on the Ohio River Valley stands out.  Six districts that border the Ohio River made one of the Top Lists: IN-09, KY-01, KY-03, OH-06, OH-18, WV-02, and there are a few more nearby such as KY-06 and OH-12.

• Hedging in New York.  While Top Union PACs have enthusiastically supported First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton with $167,500, they have shown some doubt, at least on paper, by sending $35,500 the way of her Senate opponent Rep. Rick Lazio.

• Power Begets Power. Top Democratic leaders, such as Minority Whip David Bonior (MI-10) and Appropriations Committee Ranking Member David Obey (WI-07), were rewarded with large amounts of contributions. Somewhat surprisingly, however, Minority Leader Richard Gephardt (MO-03) and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Patrick Kennedy (RI-01) failed to make it into the Top 20 (both just missing with totals of $118,000 and $113,000, respectively).  Gephardt did have a fair amount of contributions to the Democratic Leader's Victory Fund 2000 committee, but those contributions were not included in this study because they are not technically contributions to a federal candidate.

• Unionist Candidates Get Support. Not surprisingly, two Steelworkers on the ballot this November made the Top 20 House Challenger list. Democrat Greg Goodnight, who works at a specialty steel manufacturer in Kokomo, Indiana, is challenging incumbent Rep. Steve Buyer (IN-05). Democrat Ed O'Brien, an former official of a Bethlehem Steel local, is challenging freshman Rep. Pat Toomey (PA-15).

 
• Unions Favor Democrats.  No surprise here.  Not one Republican made it on to any of the Top 20 lists.  Thus the inclusion of a separate Top 20 Republican list.

To see more Analysis of this study's results click here.

To see the Methodology of how this study was conducted click here.

To return to the index of The Top 20 from the Top 20 study click here.