Thinking Arizona

Top Ten Campaign Contributors

January 5, 2011

This list is drawn from several different categories of contributors to Arizona state, legislative and city elections  for the two-year cycle of 2009-2010, as found in the campaign disclosure reports filed with the Arizona Secretary of State.  A major source of funding is the segregated political funds of businesses, labor unions and non-profit organizations.  (This listing does not include the nationwide funds registered in the state that, while large from an overall perspective, reported only a small amount of activity in Arizona.)  Political action committees are a smaller but still significant source.  Large individual contributors are the third important source. They are limited in what they can contribute to a political action committee or to a particular candidate, but they can give freely to a political party.  For that reason, the big individual contributors are found listed within the reports of the political parties.

1. Realtors of Arizona PAC $1,042,595
   Thousands of small donations (mostly ranging from $5 to $100) from Realtors. Primary recipients were the Realtors’ national political action committee ($334,000) and the Arizona Association of Realtors Leadership Council ($276,000).  Supported an Arizona independent political committee called Friends of Taxpayers ($95,000) that backed the two Republican candidates for the Arizona Corporation Commission.  Also contributed to many individual campaigns at local, legislative, and state levels. Many, but not all, were Republican candidates.
2. Jim Click $310,500
   Tucson auto dealer contributed $273,000 to the Arizona Republican Party and another $37,500 to the Pima County Republican Party.
3. AEA Fund for Public Education $310,480
   Many small donations from teachers and educators. Primary recipients in addition to the Arizona Democratic Party ($25,614) were two independent political committees — Great Schools Now ($98,000), which supported Democrat Penny Kotterman for Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Vote for Jobs & Education ($35,000), which supported Democratic legislative candidates. Contributed to many individual campaigns of Democrats.
4. United Food & Commercial Workers Union Local 99 $307,114
   Payroll deductions of 25 cents per hour.  Primary recipients were a number of organizations led by and an independent committee called Arizonans for Public Safety ($25,000) that supported Democrat Felecia Rotellini for attorney general.
5. SEIU COPE $302, 627
   Money is handed down from union’s national political action committee.  Primary recipient was the Arizona Democratic Party ($83,000).
6. CWA Communications Workers of America $238,546
   Sole recipient was the Arizona Democratic Party.
7. Salt River Valley Water Users Association $212,808
   Payroll deductions of approximately 1,200 employees. Recipients were congressional and legislative candidates of both parties.
8. Jim Pederson $212,500
   Phoenix real estate developer is long-time major supporter of Arizona Democratic Party.
9. ActBlue Arizona $205,806
   Individual contributions ranging from $5 to $1,000. Recipients were Democratic Party county organizations across the state and a limited number of Democratic candidates for statewide and legislative offices.
10. Phoenix Fire Fighters Local 493 $184,716
    Individual contributions of members. Primary recipients were the state firefighters association ($30,000), the Arizona Democratic Party ($10,000) and Arizonans for Public Safety ($10,000).

Data provided by AZ Secretary of State