Oklahoma donations to Romney nearing state record for election cycle
BY RANDY KREHBIEL World Staff Writer
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
7/24/12 at 7:38 AM
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Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney has raised almost as much from Oklahomans as 2008 GOP standard-bearer John McCain did for the entire election cycle, according to the latest Federal Election Commission reports.
Romney raised $227,040 in the state during June, pushing his overall total from Oklahomans to just over $1.9 million for the entire election cycle thus far. That's about $100,000 behind McCain's record haul here of slightly more than $2 million.
President Barack Obama, meanwhile, raised $121,472 in Oklahoma during June and has taken in a total of $768,423 in the state. Four years ago, Obama raised a little over $100,000 in Oklahoma in June but $833,000 in the state in total. Obama had to wage a tough fight for the Democratic nomination in 2008, something he has not had to worry about this year.
Interestingly, while Romney raised far more money in the state, Obama had far more Oklahoma contributions. In June, the number of Oklahoma transactions - including refunds - was 515 for Romney and 1,398 for Obama. That works out to an average of less than $90 per transaction for Obama and more than $440 for Romney.
Individuals may contribute $2,500 per person per election. Strikingly, Obama had only one $2,500 contribution in the entire state during June, while Romney had 15 in Oklahoma City alone.
According to published reports, the Romney campaign received $2 million in pledges during a May fundraiser at the Oklahoma City home of oilman Harold Hamm, who is an energy adviser to Romney. It's not surprising, then, that Romney's fundraising totals are considerably higher in the capital city and its environs.
The former Massachusetts governor has collected just over $1 million from Oklahoma City-area ZIP codes, including $115,000 in June.
From the Tulsa area, he's taken in $543,050, including $69,481 in June. In Tulsa itself, Obama actually outraised Romney by $245 in June, but for the entire cycle Romney has outraised the incumbent president by more than $140,000 from Tulsa ZIP codes.
The most recent FEC reports also disclose that the Chickasaw Nation contributed $25,000 in June to Texas Conservatives, a political action committee that has spent $2.3 million in support of Ted Cruz, a tea party-backed Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate from Texas.
Texas Conservatives is affiliated with New Revolution Now, an organization that refers to the U.S. government as a "parasite."
OKLAHOMA PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS
| Barack Obama | Mitt Romney |
| June 2012 |
$121,472 |
$227,040 |
| 2012 Cycle |
$768,423 |
$1,913,852 |
Source: Federal Election Commission
Original Print Headline: Donations to Romney near state record for election
Randy Krehbiel 918-581-8365
randy.krehbiel@tulsaworld.com
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Mitt Romney
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