Mullin contributions surge in congressional race, but Wallace has more cash on hand
BY RANDY KREHBIEL World Staff Writer
Saturday, October 27, 2012
10/27/12 at 2:13 PM
Correction
The original version of this story misstated the name of the current District 2 congressman. The story has been corrected.
Republican 2nd Congressional District candidate Markwayne Mullin raised about twice as much as his Democratic opponent, Rob Wallace, in the first 2 1/2 weeks of October, but Wallace still had a slight advantage in cash on hand going into the final three weeks of the campaign, according to pre-election reports filed with the Federal Election Commission.
Mullin has spent more than $1.3 million in pursuit of the 2nd District seat being vacated by Democrat Dan Boren, including $290,000 out of his own pocket.
His campaign reported $115,496 in cash on hand on Oct. 17.
The Mullin campaign's net contributions for Oct. 1 through Oct. 17 totaled $160,031, including $64,540 from political action committees.
Of that, about $33,000 came from Republican or conservative PACs, including $5,000 from the Oklahoma Republican Party and $1,000 from the campaign of 1st District candidate Jim Bridenstine.
For the entire campaign cycle, Mullin reports total contributions of more than $1.2 million, including $243,540 from PACs. He has also loaned the campaign $255,750 and contributed almost $35,000 outright.
Wallace raised $73,829 during the reporting period, with $15,500 from PACs. That included $5,000 from the Teamsters and $2,500 from the ironworkers union.
For the cycle, Wallace has raised a little less than $1.1 million, with $228,350 from PACs. Wallace reported $122,695 in cash.
Notable donors to Mullin during the reporting period included former U.S. Sen. Don Nickles ($1,000), state Labor Commissioner Mark Costello ($1,000), Oklahoma Surgical Hospital ($5,000), Exxon Mobil ($5,000), Oklahoma State University-Tulsa President Howard Barnett ($2,000), the Choctaw Nation ($5,000) and the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians ($5,000).
Wallace's donors included former Gov. David Walters ($250, for a total of $2,250 during the campaign), former state Attorney General Drew Edmondson ($500, for a total of $4,500), University of Oklahoma first lady Molly Boren ($1,000) and former University of Oklahoma football coach Barry Switzer ($500).
In the 1st District, Bridenstine raised $78,166, of which $48,600 came from political action committees. Almost half the $350,963 contributed to Bridenstine during the election cycle has come from PACs.
His recent donors include Spirit AeroSystems ($4,000), Williams Cos. ($1,000), the Osage Nation ($1,000), the Choctaw Nation ($1,000), the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians ($2,500) and the Turkish Coalition of California ($1,000).
Bridenstine's campaign reported $89,019 in cash heading into the final three weeks of the campaign.
His opponent, Democrat John Olson, raised $62,568 during the reporting period, of which $8,850 came from PACs. For the cycle, Olson has raised $262,961, of which all but $17,100 came from individuals.
Olson, in fact, has received about $70,000 more from individual contributors than Bridenstine.
Olson's recent contributors included the Communications Workers of America ($5,000), Democracy for America ($2,500) and Dollar Thrifty Auto Group ($1,000) as well as Edmondson ($250, for a total of $1,000) and former Gov. Brad Henry ($500).
Olson reported cash on hand of $56,796.
Heavily favored Republican incumbents continued to hold huge financial advantages in the state's other three congressional districts. None of the six independents on Nov. 6 congressional ballots filed FEC financial reports, meaning none has raised or spent at least $500.
Original Print Headline: Mullin's campaign chest gets a boost
Randy Krehbiel 918-581-8365
randy.krehbiel@tulsaworld.com
