The Donation Concentration Metric (U.S. Congress Personal Gain Index)
March 30, 2015
By Sarah Rosier and the Congress team
The price tag for pursuing a seat in Congress has increased more than 500 percent since 1984; as a result, the advantage in a campaign is often decided months before election day.[1] The rapid increase in campaign spending shows no indication of abatement, and analysts expect the trend to continue for the foreseeable future. Spending on television ads in Alaska and Iowa exceeds $11 per voter, while Senate races in Kentucky and North Carolina are expected to cost over $100 million in the coming years.[1]
The rapidly increasing price tag means that congressional office-seekers must make their cases for election and re-election not only to voters in their districts, but also to donors nationwide. The need for donors may be more acute for Republicans than Democratic candidates, as the cost for a Republican’s bid for a congressional seat increased 611 percent between 1984 and 2012. Still, elections for Democratic candidates do not come cheap either, with the price tag for their seats increasing 480 percent over the same period. In contrast, American household incomes rose only 128 percent during the same period.[1] According to OpenSecrets.org, the average U.S. House seat can cost over $1 million. Seats in the Senate can go for far more, sometimes costing 10 times the amount of their counterparts in the House.[2]
While it is possible to count the dollars flowing into campaigns, it is harder to understand the impact of money on the actions of congressmen. Does a higher amount of career contributions from a specific industry or sector correlate with a stronger allegiance to donors over constituents? We cannot definitively say. However, the donation concentration does provide a lens through which we can judge the actions and decisions of our elected officials. It is also an opportunity to see which industries think which elected officials can help them.
The average member of Congress receives over a quarter of his or her career donations from only five industries. While it is harder to quantify the exact effect donor concentration may have on a member's tenure, this information gives constituents an idea of the interests heavily invested in their public servants.
The tables and graphs on this page show some of the highlights of the study. The information on top industry donors has also been added to each of Ballotpedia's profiles of the 535 congressional incumbents. The data includes some former members, whose data was calculated at the end of their terms in the 113th Congress. This page will be updated on a bi-yearly basis.
This is the second part of the Personal Gain Index (PGI), a two-part study that examines the extent to which members of the U.S. Congress have individually prospered during their tenures as public servants.
In this study, we look at the concentration of career donations for each member and industry. This allows us to:
- See which members had the highest percentage of their donations coming from their top five industries;
- Provide anecdotal examples of the relationships between committee membership and industry donations;
- Ex: Rep. Jeb Hensarling, chair of the United States House of Representatives Committee on Education and the Workforce, received 15.67 percent of his career contributions from Unions.
- Compare the partisan breakdown of each sector's highest recipients;
- Ex: Democratic top Education recipients outnumber Republicans 8-0.
- Provide anecdotal examples of the relationships between sponsored legislation topics and sector donations;
- Ex: Over one quarter of the top recipients by sector have the first or second highest bill sponsorship in related topics.
- Establish the most involved sectors by:
- The frequency with which each sector appears on members' top five industry lists.
- Ex: Lawyers & Lobbyists appeared in the top five industries of 374 members.
- The average percentage concentration for members receiving sector money.
- Ex: Unions averaged 9.3 percent of their recipients' total contributions.
Key findings
The following are the key findings of the Donation Concentration Metric study:
Industry Concentration: Of the six members with the highest concentration of donations by industry, five were Democrats: three from the U.S. House of Representatives and two from the U.S. Senate. Lawyers/Law Firms appear in all five of the Democrats' top five. The five industries that make up the top five industries of the Republican member, Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX), are not shared by any of the four Democrats in the top five.
Sector Concentration: Of the 15 sectors analyzed by Ballotpedia, nine had highly partisan giving patterns, appearing primarily in either Republican or Democratic members' top five sectors. The Energy sector favored Republicans highly, with the sector appearing in the top five sectors of 19 Republicans, but only three Democrats. Democrats were the most favorable within the Unions sector, which placed in the top five of 18 Democrats and one independent. Like the Education sector, the Unions sector does not appear in the top five of any Republicans, indicating that they are more heavily supportive of Democrats than Republicans. The other 13 sectors appear in the top five sectors of at least one member of both major parties.
Bill Sponsorship: Of the 15 sectors, four of the highest recipients had direct correlations between sector donations and bill sponsorship. These four members sponsored a significant portion of legislation that is relevant to their highest donating sector. When organizing their sponsored legislation into categories, the category with the most sponsored legislation is directly relevant to the highest contributing sector of three of the four members.
Method and definitions
Methodology and notes
- See also: Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress)
To investigate the special interests that may be influencing members of Congress, Ballotpedia sorted through the career contributions of members of the 113th United States Congress to identify which members had the highest concentration of their contributions coming from various industries and sectors.[3]
The individual industries listed on the [[Industries: Committee membership#Industries: Concentration by member|Industries: Concentration by member}} and Industries: Committee membership tabs, in both the individual incumbents' boxes and the yellow charts, were identified by OpenSecrets.org. Although OpenSecrets.org classifies based on the micro-level breakdown of industries, Ballotpedia grouped these industries into macro-level sectors for this study to further analyze any emerging trends. For example, the Banking sector includes the following industries: Commercial Banks, Insurance, Securities & Investments, Misc. Finance, Accountants, Credit Unions and Finance/Credit Companies.
Definitions
Career contributions: OpenSecrets.org organizes top industry donors either by individual election cycles or by totals over each member's career. Career data is only available back to 1989, for the 1990 election cycle. The percentages are calculated based on the dollar amount per industry over each member's career, divided by his or her total donations. Because some races and candidates may attract more donations than others, using a percentage of total donations allowed Ballotpedia to evaluate each member's concentration.
Concentration: Throughout the study, concentration refers to the percentage of each member's total donations that he or she receives from specific industries or sectors.
Industry: According to Federal Election Commission (FEC) regulations, any donor of $200 or more is required to disclose his or her employer and occupation. Opensecrets.org then categorizes each employer into an industry. Additionally, all donations from an entity or organization are categorized by industry.
Sectors: In order to analyze the data provided by OpenSecrets.org even further, Ballotpedia identified broader interests, such as combining all union industries into a "Union" sector. This allowed us to evaluate which members may have a high concentration of donors coming from broader interests. For example, by combining the industries in our Energy sector, Ballotpedia was able to see which members may have a broader interest in energy policy than if Electric Utilities, Mining and Oil & Gas were viewed separately.[4]
The overarching sectors Ballotpedia identified appear italicized below, with the OpenSecrets.org industries included in each sector:
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Banking: Commercial Banks, Insurance, Securities & Investments, Misc. Finance, Accountants, Credit Unions, Finance/Credit Companies Computers/Internet Construction/Real Estate: Building Materials, Construction Services, Real Estate, General Contractors, Special Trade Contractors, Misc. Manufacturing Defense & Foreign Policy: Defense Aerospace, Defense Electronics, Misc. Defense, Misc. Foreign Policy, Pro-Israel[5] Education Energy: Electric Utilities, Mining, Oil & Gas Farming: Agricultural Services, Crop Production, Dairy, Forestry & Forestry Products, Livestock, Tobacco Food & Entertainment: Beer, Wine & Liquors, Casinos & Gambling, Food & Beverage, Food Processing & Sales, TV/Movies/Music |
Healthcare: Health Professionals, Pharmaceuticals/Health Products, Hospitals/Nursing, Health Services/HMO Law: Lawyers/Law firms, Lobbyists[6] Misc. Business: Business Services, Retail Sales, Non-Profit Institutions[7] Politics & Policy: Abortion Policy, Candidate Committees, Democratic/Liberal, Environment, Leadership PACs, Republican/Conservative, Women’s Issues Retirement: This industry is composed of any $200+ donor who identifies as a retiree. It also includes donations made by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) Transportation: Air transport, Automotive, Railroads, Sea Transport Unions: Building Trade Unions, Civil Servants/Public Officials, Misc. Unions, Public Sector Unions, Transportation Unions |
Bill sponsorship: The website FindTheBest tracks the topics of legislation each member of Congress sponsors. For example, in the 113th United States Congress, Sen. Rand Paul sponsored a bill requesting a full audit of the Federal Reserve, Senate Bill 209. FindTheBest categorized the bill under the "Finance And Financial Sector." In this study, Ballotpedia identified six out of the 15 highest recipients from each sector who had the highest or second highest bill sponsorship from a similar topic to the donation sector.
For access to the data used in this study for replication purposes, please contact Sarah Rosier.
Industries: Concentration by member
With the growth of campaign spending, many pundits use "mega-donors" (donors on both sides who funnel millions into elections each cycle) to predict the behavior of members of Congress, indicating that a congressman may owe loyalty to big donors. However, mega-donors only paint a part of the picture. The information below outlines what percentage of a member's career contributions (1989 to present) came from only five industries. Instead of focusing solely on one or two large donors, this data will demonstrate which elected officials have been given high votes of confidence (through donations) by a small number of industries.
The average member of the 113th Congress received 26.34 percent of his or her career donations from only five industries. Although senators were marginally less concentrated (at 24.66 percent) compared to representatives (at 26.72 percent), many members received a high ratio of total contributions from a small selection of industries.
 |
 |
Three highest overall: U.S. House
Rep. Burgess: 49.56 percent
| Michael Burgess Campaign Contributions | |
|---|---|
| Total Raised | $6,320,053 |
| Total Spent | $6,120,189 |
| Top five industries that contributed to campaign committee | |
| Health Professionals | $1,740,538 |
| Pharmaceuticals/Health Products | $637,424 |
| Oil & Gas | $348,146 |
| Health Services/HMOs | $216,250 |
| Electric Utilities | $189,822 |
| % total in top industry | 27.54% |
| % total in top two industries | 37.63% |
| % total in top five industries | 49.56% |
Rep. Cartwright: 45.65 percent
| Matt Cartwright Campaign Contributions | |
|---|---|
| Total Raised | $2,423,482 |
| Total Spent | $1,726,491 |
| Top five industries that contributed to campaign committee | |
| Lawyers/Law Firms | $817,014 |
| Public Sector Unions | $99,750 |
| Building Trade Unions | $80,000 |
| Industrial Unions | $61,500 |
| Transportation Unions | $48,000 |
| % total in top industry | 33.71% |
| % total in top two industries | 37.83% |
| % total in top five industries | 45.65% |
Rep. Sarbanes: 43.42 percent
| John Sarbanes Campaign Contributions | |
|---|---|
| Total Raised | $5,108,715 |
| Total Spent | $4,175,626 |
| Top five industries that contributed to campaign committee | |
| Lawyers/Law Firms | $841,756 |
| Retirement | $456,775 |
| Real Estate | $382,507 |
| Securities & Investment | $271,028 |
| Education | $266,250 |
| % total in top industry | 16.48% |
| % total in top two industries | 25.42% |
| % total in top five industries | 43.42% |
Three highest overall: U.S. Senate
Sen. McCaskill: 38.34 percent
| Claire McCaskill Campaign Contributions | |
|---|---|
| Total Raised | $33,663,468 |
| Total Spent | $33,423,083 |
| Top five industries that contributed to campaign committee | |
| Women's Issues | $5,116,239 |
| Lawyers/Law Firms | $4,076,329 |
| Retirement | $2,146,772 |
| Securities & Investments | $872,918 |
| Real Estate | $693,030 |
| % total in top industry | 15.2% |
| % total in top two industries | 27.31% |
| % total in top five industries | 38.34% |
Sen. Walsh: 37.85 percent
| John Walsh Campaign Contributions | |
|---|---|
| Total Raised | $2,779,750 |
| Total Spent | $2,066,129 |
| Top five industries that contributed to campaign committee | |
| Lawyers/Law Firms | $347,146 |
| Leadership PACs | $313,000 |
| Retirement | $191,300 |
| Lobbyists | $112,100 |
| Real Estate | $88,610 |
| % total in top industry | 12.49% |
| % total in top two industries | 23.75% |
| % total in top five industries | 37.85% |
Sen. Booker: 37.85 percent
| Cory Booker Campaign Contributions | |
|---|---|
| Total Raised | $16,171,449 |
| Total Spent | $12,682,311 |
| Top five industries that contributed to campaign committee | |
| Lawyers/Law Firms | $1,930,689 |
| Securities & Investment | $1,897,370 |
| Real Estate | $958,645 |
| TV/Movies/Music | $635,750 |
| Business Services | $416,350 |
| % total in top industry | 11.94% |
| % total in top two industries | 23.67% |
| % total in top five industries | 36.11% |
Top 100 most concentrated
Although many of the individual sectors and industries are highly polarized, having a high concentration of donations appears to be a bipartisan way of life. Of the top 100 most concentrated members of Congress, 54 were Democrats and 46 were Republican. There is also little difference between members of the two parties in terms of the percentage a member has in their top five industries. Democrats average 34.65 percent in their top five industries, while Republicans average just below at 34.41 percent.
| Members with highest % from top five industries | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Member of Congress | % of career contributions[10] | Year assumed office |
| Top 20: The average concentrated percentage in the top 20 was 40.23% over career contributions. | |||
 |
Rep. Michael C. Burgess | 49.56% | 2003 |
 |
Rep. Matt Cartwright | 45.65% | 2013 |
|
Rep. John Sarbanes | 43.42% | 2007 |
|
Rep. Paul Gosar | 42.24% | 2011 |
|
Rep. David G. Valadao | 41.10% | 2013 |
|
Rep. Henry Waxman | 40.64% | 1975 |
|
Rep. Tom Price | 40.23% | 2005 |
|
Rep. Spencer Bachus | 40.23% | 1993 |
|
Rep. Roger Williams | 39.89% | 2013 |
|
Rep. Bruce Braley | 39.28% | 2007 |
|
Rep. Andrew Harris | 38.97% | 2011 |
|
Rep. Theodore E. Deutch | 38.83% | 2010 |
|
Rep. Jose Serrano | 38.69% | 1973 |
|
Rep. Jerrold Nadler | 38.65% | 1993 |
|
Rep. James A. Himes | 38.55% | 2009 |
|
Sen. Claire McCaskill | 38.34% | 2007 |
|
Sen. John Walsh | 37.85% | 2014 |
|
Rep. Joe Heck | 37.80% | 2011 |
|
Rep. Phil Gingrey | 37.42% | 2003 |
|
Rep. Gene Green | 37.21% | 1993 |
| Total by party (1-20): 11 were Democrats 9 were Republicans .
| |||
| Top 21-40:The average concentrated percentage in the top 40 was 37.86% over career contributions.; for those in spots 21-40, it was 35.5%. | |||
|
Rep. Mike Conaway (Texas) | 36.45% | 2005 |
|
Rep. Frank D. Lucas | 36.39% | 1994 |
|
Rep. David Jolly | 36.37% | 2014 |
|
Sen. Cory Booker | 36.11% | 2013 |
|
Rep. Joseph Kennedy III | 36.09% | 2013 |
|
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse | 36.00% | 2007 |
|
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries | 35.94% | 2013 |
|
Rep. Anna Eshoo | 35.94% | 1993 |
|
Rep. John C. Carney Jr. | 35.67% | 2011 |
|
Sen. Chris Coons | 35.66% | 2010 |
|
Rep. Zoe Lofgren | 35.55% | 1995 |
|
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand | 35.47% | 2009 |
|
Rep. Lloyd Doggett | 35.28% | 1995 |
|
Rep. Joseph Crowley | 35.25% | 1999 |
|
Rep. Doug LaMalfa | 35.18% | 2013 |
|
Sen. Chuck Schumer | 34.87% | 1999 |
|
Rep. William Enyart | 34.78% | 2013 |
|
Rep. Gregory W. Meeks | 34.37% | 1998 |
|
Rep. Nita Lowey | 34.34% | 1989 |
|
Rep. Jeb Hensarling | 34.29% | 2003 |
| Total by party (1-40): 26 were Democrats 14 were Republicans .
| |||
| Top 41-60:The average concentrated percentage in the top 60 was 36.43% over career contributions.; for those in spots 41-60, it was 33.57%. | |||
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Rep. Devin Nunes | 34.29% | 2003 |
|
Rep. George Miller | 34.21% | 1975 |
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Rep. Al Green | 33.90% | 2005 |
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Rep. Bill Huizenga | 33.87% | 2011 |
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Rep. Terri Sewell | 33.87% | 2011 |
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Rep. Chaka Fattah | 33.84% | 1995 |
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Rep. Collin Peterson | 33.79% | 1991 |
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Rep. John Barrow | 33.69% | 2005 |
|
Rep. Scott DesJarlais | 33.58% | 2011 |
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Rep. Phil Roe | 33.55% | 2009 |
|
Rep. Jim Bridenstine | 33.53% | 2013 |
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Rep. Cynthia Lummis | 33.50% | 2009 |
|
Rep. John Campbell | 33.42% | 2005 |
|
Rep. Charles Boustany Jr. | 33.40% | 2005 |
|
Rep. Richard Neal | 33.39% | 1989 |
|
Rep. Daniel Lipinski | 33.26% | 2005 |
|
Rep. Larry Bucshon | 33.24% | 2011 |
|
Sen. Mark Kirk | 33.13% | 2011 |
|
Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard | 33.08% | 1993 |
|
Rep. John Conyers, Jr. | 32.96% | 1965 |
| Total by party (1-60): 36 were Democrats 24 were Republicans .
| |||
| Top 61-80:The average concentrated percentage in the top 80 was 35.38% over career contributions.; for those in spots 61-80, it was 32.24%. | |||
|
Rep. John Culberson | 32.84% | 2001 |
|
Rep. Kevin Brady | 32.84% | 1997 |
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Rep. Sean Maloney | 32.84% | 2013 |
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Rep. Joseph R. Pitts | 32.77% | 1997 |
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Sen. John Barrasso | 32.73% | 2007 |
|
Rep. Robert Brady | 32.72% | 1998 |
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Rep. Tom Cotton | 32.65% | 2013 |
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Rep. Allyson Schwartz | 32.34% | 2005 |
|
Rep. Mike Quigley | 32.32% | 2009 |
|
Rep. Chris Van Hollen | 32.17% | 2003 |
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Rep. Scott Garrett | 32.12% | 2003 |
|
Rep. Bradley Byrne | 32.00% | 2014 |
|
Rep. Marcy Kaptur | 31.95% | 1983 |
|
Rep. John Lewis | 31.86% | 1987 |
|
Rep. Julia Brownley | 31.82% | 2013 |
|
Rep. Dan Benishek | 31.79% | 2011 |
|
Rep. Rob Woodall | 31.77% | 2011 |
|
Rep. Scott Tipton | 31.77% | 2011 |
|
Rep. Mo Brooks | 31.74% | 2011 |
|
Sen. Rob Portman | 31.73% | 2011 |
| Total by party (1-80): 44 were Democrats 36 were Republicans .
| |||
| Top 81-100:The average concentrated percentage in the top 100 was 34.54% over career contributions.; for those in spots 61-80, it was 31.16%. | |||
|
Rep. Louis B. "Louie" Gohmert Jr. | 31.69% | 2005 |
|
Rep. Diana DeGette | 31.62% | 1997 |
|
Rep. Mac Thornberry | 31.58% | 1995 |
|
Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick | 31.53% | 2013 |
|
Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney | 31.50% | 1993 |
|
Rep. Frederica S. Wilson | 31.46% | 2011 |
|
Sen. Bill Nelson | 31.29% | 2000 |
|
Rep. Mark Meadows | 31.28% | 2013 |
|
Sen. Michael Bennet | 31.27% | 2009 |
|
Rep. Stephen Lee Fincher | 31.22% | 2011 |
|
Rep. Carol Shea-Porter | 31.14% | 2013 |
|
Rep. Jared Huffman | 31.08% | 2013 |
|
Rep. Raul Ruiz | 31.03% | 2013 |
|
Rep. John Fleming | 30.98% | 2009 |
|
Rep. Joe Barton | 30.92% | 1985 |
|
Rep. Ron DeSantis | 30.80% | 2013 |
|
Sen. Tim Scott | 30.75% | 2013 |
|
Rep. Michael Grimm | 30.71% | 2011 |
|
Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. | 30.65% | 1993 |
|
Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson | 30.62% | 1993 |
| Total by party (1-100): 54 were Democrats 46 were Republicans .
| |||
Correlation to time in office
Of the top 100 most concentrated members, the average year they assumed office was late 2003. For all members in the study, it was early 2004.
Length of time in office appears to have no meaningful impact on concentration percentages for members of Congress. For members that were elected in the five years preceding the 113th Congress, the concentration of donations within their top five industries was averaged at 26.63 percent. This number fluctuated under 1 percent between members elected in the preceding five years and the preceding 25 years.
| Average percentage of donations in the top 5 industries over time in office | |
|---|---|
| Duration in Office | Average % of career contributions[11] |
| 1 to 5 years | 26.63% |
| 6 to 10 years | 26.42% |
| 11 to 15 years | 25.30% |
| 16 to 20 years | 26.30% |
| 21 to 25 years | 26.51% |
Summary
The average member of the 113th Congress received 26.34 percent of his career donations from just five industries. The highest concentration of donations topped out at 49.56 percent, and the lowest was just 2.9 percent. Both were Republican members of Congress. Of the top 100 most concentrated members, just over half were Democrats. When it comes to the top six concentrated members — three from the House and three from the Senate — only one is a Republican, with the other five belonging to the Democratic Party. Amongst the Democratic members, there are three industries that appear on the top of five of at least three members. Lawyers/Law Firms appear in the top five of all five Democratic members. Real Estate appears in four of the top five lists, and Retirement appears in three. None of these three industries appear in the top five list of the lone Republican, Rep. Michael Burgess from Texas. His top five industries are equally unshared with the Democrats. Finally, length of time in office has no correlation to concentration of donating industries.
Industries: Committee membership
Committee membership is one way members of Congress can wield their influence and use their expertise. Committees often serve to craft and revise legislation that will see a vote on the floor of Congress. Members of each committee can play an integral role in shaping legislation within the purview of each committee's jurisdiction. Below are the members who had committee membership in the 113th United States Congress and top donors from related industries.
Banking
House Committee on Financial Services
The members listed in the previous tab who are on the House Committee on Financial services include the following:
- Rep. Jeb Hensarling was the chair of the United States House of Representatives Committee on Financial Services. Hensarling has received 7.45 percent of his career contributions from Commercial banks.
- Reps. Spencer Bachus, Joyce Beatty, Frank Lucas, Dennis Ross, Jim Himes, Scott Garrett, Brad Sherman, Gregory W. Meeks, John Delaney, Blaine Luetkemeyer and Randy Hultgren all serve on the committee and have received over 6 percent of their career contributions from banking related industries.
House Ways and Means Committee
The members listed in the previous tab who are on the House Ways and Means Committee include the following:
- Reps. John Larson, Kenny Marchant and Richard Neal all serve on the committee and have received over 6 percent of their career contributions from banking related industries.
Senate Finance Committee
The members listed in the previous tab who are on the Senate Finance Committee include the following:
- Sens. Tom Carper, Ben Cardin, Chuck Grassley, Chuck Schumer and Bill Nelson all serve on the committee and have received over 4.55 percent of their career contributions from banking related industries.
Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
The members listed in the previous tab who are on the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs include the following:
- Sens. Richard Shelby, Jerry Moran, Tim Johnson, Chuck Schumer and Jack Reed all serve on the committee and have received over 3.8 percent of their career contributions from banking related industries.
Energy
House Committee on Energy and Commerce
The members listed in the previous tab who are on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce include the following:
- Rep. Joe Barton was the chair of the United States House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce. Barton has received 11.04 percent of his career contributions from energy related industries.
- Reps. John Dingell, Ralph Hall, Bobby Rush, Michael Doyle, David McKinley, Morgan Griffith, Mike Pompeo and Bill Johnson all serve on the committee and have received over 5.6 percent of their career contributions from energy related industries.
- Note: All five top recipients of donations from the Electric Utilities industry sit on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
House Committee on Natural Resources
The members listed in the previous tab who are on the House Committee on Natural Resources include the following:
- Rep. Cynthia Lummis serves on the committee and has received over 12.43 percent of her career contributions from energy related industries.
Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
The members listed in the previous tab who are on the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources include the following:
- Sens. Lisa Murkowski, Joe Manchin, John Barrasso and John Hoeven all serve on the committee and have received over 4.55 percent of their career contributions from energy related industries.
Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works
The members listed in the previous tab who are on the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works include the following:
- Sens. Jim Inhofe and John Barrasso serve on the committee and have received over 3.8 percent of their career contributions from energy related industries.
Farming
House Committee on Agriculture
The members listed in the previous tab who are on the House Committee on Agriculture include the following:
- Rep. Frank Lucas was the chair of the United States House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture. Lucas has received 7.58 percent of his career contributions from Agricultural Services.
- Reps. Collin Peterson (Ranking member), Ted Yoho, Vicky Hartzler, Doug LaMalfa, Stephen Fincher, Jim Costa and Jeff Denham all serve on the committee and have received over 2.43 percent of their career contributions from farming related industries.
Senate Committee on Agriculture
The members listed in the previous tab who are on the Senate Committee on Agriculture include the following:
- Sen. Thad Cochran is a current ranking member of the United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Cochran has received 11.43 percent of his career contributions from farming related industries.
- Sens. Pat Roberts and Saxby Chambliss (Former chair) serve on the committee and have received over 4.55 percent of their career contributions from farming related industries.
Healthcare
Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
The members listed in the previous tab who are on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions include the following:
- Sens. Richard Burr and Orrin Hatch serve on the committee and have received over 3.81 percent of their career contributions from health related industries.
Transportation
House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
The members listed in the previous tab who are on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure include the following:
- Rep. Nick Rahall is a ranking member of the United States House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Rahall has received 4.6 percent of his career contributions from Agricultural Services.
- Reps. John Duncan, John Mica, Tom Petri, Eddie Bernice Johnson, Roger Williams, Candice Miller, Daniel Lipinski, Corrine Brown, Lou Barletta, Don Young and Duncan Hunter all serve on the committee and have received over 2.64 percent of their career contributions from transportation related industries.
Unions
House Committee on Education and the Workforce
The members listed in the previous tab who are on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce include the following:
- Rep. George Miller is ranking member of the United States House of Representatives Committee on Education and the Workforce. Miller has received 15.67 percent of his career contributions from Unions.
- Reps. Mark Pocan and Frederica Wilson serve on the committee and have received over 7 percent of their career contributions from union related industries.
Sectors: Concentration by sector
In addition to the industries identified by OpenSecrets.org, Ballotpedia sought to categorize related industries into broader sectors. For more information on how we grouped the industries, please see the Method and definitions tab. Below are the top recipients by sector.
Top recipients by sector
 Rep. Jose Serrano (D-NY) had the second highest concentration of career donations coming from one sector: 32.86 percent coming from Unions.[13]
|
 Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-AL) had the third highest concentration of career donations coming from one sector: 31.48 percent coming from Banking.[14]
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In order to analyze the data provided by OpenSecrets.org even further, Ballotpedia identified broader interests, such as combining all union industries into a "Union" sector. This allowed us to evaluate which members may have a high concentration of donors coming from broader interests. For example, by combining the industries in our Energy sector, Ballotpedia was able to see which members may have a broader interest in energy policy than if Electric Utilities, Mining and Oil & Gas were viewed separately.
Career contributions were used for this calculation. OpenSecrets.org provides data back to 1989 for members elected prior to 1990.
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Banking 
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Computers/Internet 
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Banking
Industries categorized within the Banking sector are Commercial Banks, Insurance, Securities & Investments, Misc. Finance, Accountants, Credit Unions and Finance/Credit Companies.
The industries categorized in the Banking sector appeared in the top five industries of 243 members.
The average percentage of career contributions received from the Banking sector was 6.9 percent.
Partisan breakdown
The top five recipients of the industries comprising the Banking sector had a partisan breakdown of:
| Banking sector partisan breakdown | |
|---|---|
| Party | Recipients |
| Democratic |
|
| Republican |
|
 Independent |
|
The member who had the highest concentration of all combined Banking industries was:
Rep. Spencer Bachus: 31.48 percent
Representatives[15]
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Senators[16]
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Computers/Internet
The industries categorized in the Computers/Internet sector appeared in the top five industries of 19 members.
The average percentage of career contributions received from the Computers/Internet sector was 4.77 percent.
Partisan breakdown
The top five recipients of the industries comprising the Computers/Internet sector had a partisan breakdown of:
| Computers/Internet partisan breakdown | |
|---|---|
| Party | Recipients |
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| Republican |
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The member who had the highest concentration of all combined Computers/Internet industries was:
Rep. Zoe Lofgren: 14.64 percent
Representatives[15]
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Senators[16]
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Construction/Real Estate
Industries categorized within the Construction/Real Estate sector are Building Materials, Construction Services, Real Estate, General Contractors, Special Trade Contractors and Misc. Manufacturing.
The industries categorized in the Construction/Real Estate sector appeared in the top five industries of 288 members.
The average percentage of career contributions received from the Construction/Real Estate sector was 4.88 percent.
Partisan breakdown
The top five recipients of the industries comprising the Construction/Real Estate sector had a partisan breakdown of:
| Construction/Real Estate partisan breakdown | |
|---|---|
| Party | Recipients |
| Democratic |
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| Republican |
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The member who had the highest concentration of all combined Construction/Real Estate industries was:
Rep. Gary Miller: 14.95 percent
Representatives[15]
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Senators[16]
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Defense & Foreign Policy
Industries categorized within the Defense & Foreign Policy sector are Defense Aerospace, Defense Electronics, Misc. Defense and Pro-Israel[5].
The industries categorized in the Defense & Foreign Policy sector appeared in the top five industries of 30 members.
The average percentage of career contributions received from the Defense & Foreign Policy sector was 6.27 percent.
Partisan breakdown
The top five recipients of the industries comprising the Defense & Foreign Policy sector had a partisan breakdown of:
| Defense & Foreign Policy partisan breakdown | |
|---|---|
| Party | Recipients |
| Democratic |
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| Republican |
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The member who had the highest concentration of all combined Defense & Foreign Policy industries was:
Rep. Buck McKeon: 14.99 percent
Representatives[15]
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Senators[16]
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Education
The industries categorized in the Education sector appeared in the top five industries of 12 members.
The average percentage of career contributions received from the Education sector was 4.44 percent.
Partisan breakdown
The top five recipients of the industries comprising the Education sector had a partisan breakdown of:
| Education sector partisan breakdown | |
|---|---|
| Party | Recipients |
| Democratic |
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| Republican |
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The member who had the highest concentration of all combined Education industries was:
Rep. Bill Foster: 8.54 percent
Representatives[15]
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Senators[16]
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Energy
Industries categorized within the Energy sector are Electric Utilities, Mining and Oil & Gas.
The industries categorized in the Energy sector appeared in the top five industries of 113 members.
The average percentage of career contributions received from the Energy sector was 6.77 percent.
Partisan breakdown
The top five recipients of the industries comprising the Energy sector had a partisan breakdown of:
| Energy sector partisan breakdown | |
|---|---|
| Party | Recipients |
| Democratic |
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| Republican |
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The member who had the highest concentration of all combined Energy industries was:
Rep. David McKinley: 17.72 percent
Representatives[15]
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Senators[16]
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Farming
Industries categorized within the Farming sector are Agricultural Services, Crop Production, Dairy, Forestry & Forestry Products, Livestock and Tobacco.
The industries categorized in the Farming sector appeared in the top five industries of 51 members.
The average percentage of career contributions received from the Farming sector was 7.66 percent.
Partisan breakdown
The top five recipients of the industries comprising the Farming sector had a partisan breakdown of:
| Farming sector partisan breakdown | |
|---|---|
| Party | Recipients |
| Democratic |
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| Republican |
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The member who had the highest concentration of all combined Farming industries was:
Rep. David Valadao: 26.59 percent
Representatives[15]
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Senators[16]
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Food & Entertainment
Industries categorized within the Food & Entertainment sector are Beer, Wine & Liquors, Casinos & Gambling, Food & Beverage, Food Processing & Sales and TV/Movies/Music.
The industries categorized in the Food & Entertainment sector appeared in the top five industries of 52 members.
The average percentage of career contributions received from the Food & Entertainment sector was 4.9 percent.
Partisan breakdown
The top five recipients of the industries comprising the Food & Entertainment sector had a partisan breakdown of:
| Food & Entertainment partisan breakdown | |
|---|---|
| Party | Recipients |
| Democratic |
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| Republican |
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The member who had the highest concentration of all combined Food & Entertainment industries was:
Rep. Mike Thompson: 11.82 percent
Representatives[15]
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Senators[16]
Sens. Reid & Heller are from Nevada. |
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Healthcare
Industries categorized within the Healthcare sector are Health Professionals, Pharmaceuticals/Health Products, Hospitals/Nursing and Health Services/HMO.
The industries categorized in the Healthcare sector appeared in the top five industries of 275 members.
The average percentage of career contributions received from the Healthcare sector was 6.41 percent.
Partisan breakdown
The top five recipients of the industries comprising the Healthcare sector had a partisan breakdown of:
| Healthcare sector partisan breakdown | |
|---|---|
| Party | Recipients |
| Democratic |
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| Republican |
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The member who had the highest concentration of all combined Healthcare industries was:
Rep. Michael Burgess: 41.05 percent
Representatives[15]
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Senators[16]
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Lawyers & Lobbyists
Industries categorized within the Lawyers & Lobbyists sector are Lawyers/Law Firms and Lobbyists.
The industries categorized in the Lawyers & Lobbyists sector appeared in the top five industries of 374 members.
The average percentage of career contributions received from the Lawyers & Lobbyists sector was 7 percent.
Partisan breakdown
The top five recipients of the industries comprising the Lawyers & Lobbyists sector had a partisan breakdown of:
| Lawyers & Lobbyists partisan breakdown | |
|---|---|
| Party | Recipients |
| Democratic |
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| Republican |
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The member who had the highest concentration of all combined Lawyers & Lobbyists industries was:
Rep. Matt Cartwright: 33.71 percent
Representatives[15]
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Senators[16]
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Misc. Business
Industries categorized within the Misc. Business sector are Business Services, Retail Sales and Non-Profit Institutions[7].
The industries categorized in the Misc. Business sector appeared in the top five industries of 15 members.
The average percentage of career contributions received from the Misc. Business sector was 3.76 percent.
Partisan breakdown
The top five recipients of the industries comprising the Misc. Business sector had a partisan breakdown of:
| Misc. Business partisan breakdown | |
|---|---|
| Party | Recipients |
| Democratic |
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| Republican |
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The member who had the highest concentration of all combined Misc. Business industries was:
Rep. Steve Womack: 9.33 percent
Representatives[15]
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Senators[16]
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Politics & Policy
Industries categorized within the Politics & Policy sector are Abortion Policy, Candidate Committees, Democratic/Liberal, Environment, Leadership PACs, Republican/Conservative and Women's Issues.
The industries categorized in the Politics & Policy sector appeared in the top five industries of 236 members.
The average percentage of career contributions received from the Politics & Policy sector was 6.35 percent.
Partisan breakdown
The top five recipients of the industries comprising the Politics & Policy sector had a partisan breakdown of:
| Politics & Policy partisan breakdown | |
|---|---|
| Party | Recipients |
| Democratic |
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| Republican |
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The member who had the highest concentration of all combined Politics & Policy industries was:
Rep. David Jolly: 21.5 percent
Representatives[15]
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Senators[16]
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Retirement
This industry is composed of any $200+ donor who identifies as a retiree. It also includes donations made by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP).
The industries categorized in the Retirement sector appeared in the top five industries of 304 members.
The average percentage of career contributions received from the Retirement sector was 5.45 percent.
Partisan breakdown
The top five recipients of the industries comprising the Retirement sector had a partisan breakdown of:
| Retirement sector partisan breakdown | |
|---|---|
| Party | Recipients |
| Democratic |
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| Republican |
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| Independent |
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The member who had the highest concentration of all combined Retirement industries was:
Rep. Mark Meadows: 14.01 percent
Representatives[15]
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Senators[16]
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Transportation
Industries categorized within the Transportation sector are Air Transport, Automotive, Railroads and Sea Transport.
The industries categorized in the Transportation sector appeared in the top five industries of 35 members.
The average percentage of career contributions received from the Transportation sector was 5 percent.
Partisan breakdown
The top five recipients of the industries comprising the Transportation sector had a partisan breakdown of:
| Transportation sector partisan breakdown | |
|---|---|
| Party | Recipients |
| Democratic |
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| Republican |
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The member who had the highest concentration of all combined Transportation industries was:
Rep. John Duncan, Jr.: 14.07 percent
Representatives[15]
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Senators[16]
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Unions
Industries categorized within the Unions sector are Building Trade Unions, Civil Servants/Public Officials, Misc Unions, Public Sector Unions and Transportation Unions.
The industries categorized in the Unions sector appeared in the top five industries of 150 members.
The average percentage of career contributions received from the Unions sector was 9.31 percent.
Partisan breakdown
The top five recipients of the industries comprising the Unions sector had a partisan breakdown of:
| Unions sector partisan breakdown | |
|---|---|
| Party | Recipients |
| Democratic |
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| Independent |
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The member who had the highest concentration of all combined Unions industries was:
Rep. Jose Serrano: 32.86 percent
Representatives[15]
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Senators[16]
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Summary
Of the 15 sectors analyzed by Ballotpedia, nine had highly partisan giving patterns, appearing primarily in either Republican or Democratic members' top five sectors. Those nine sectors are nearly split between favoring Democrats and favoring Republicans, with five sectors appearing in the top five of Republicans and four in the top five of Democrats. The most heavily Republican-giving sector is the Energy sector, with the Healthcare and Construction/Real Estate sectors also heavily favoring Republicans. On the other hand, the Unions sector favored Democrats highly, with no Republicans appearing in the top five of any industry within the sector. Democrats, however, hold 18 positions, with an independent holding a single place. Like the Unions sector, no Republicans appear in any of the top five lists for any industry within Education. Only eight Democrats received enough money from donors in that sector for it to be among their top five sectors.
Despite these highly partisan giving patterns, most sectors give substantial sums of money to members of both parties. With the exceptions of Unions and Education, every sector had at least one congressman from each party that received sufficient donations from a sector to count it among his or her top five. This could mean that donors from most sectors are hedging their bets, giving money to members of both parties. It could also mean that political ideologies are diverse enough across the country that donors are attracted to members of both parties. Regardless of which is the case, it is clear that even in a highly politicized environment, money crosses the political divide regularly.
Sectors: Bill sponsorship
Bill sponsorship in Congress is a direct way to endorse a specific piece of legislation. FindTheBest, a research organization that has partnered with Ballotpedia on various projects, tracks the topics that members of Congress attach their names to through sponsorships. Of the 15 sectors, four of the highest recipients had direct correlations between sector donations and bill sponsorship. Below are the numbers from FindTheBest for the top recipients of the Banking, Construction/Real Estate, Defense & Foreign Policy and Healthcare sectors.
Banking
Rep. Spencer Bachus had the highest concentration of donations from the Banking industry: 31.48 percent.
Construction/Real Estate
Rep. Gary Miller had the highest concentration of donations from the Construction/Real Estate industry: 14.95 percent.
Defense & Foreign Policy
Rep. Buck McKeon had the highest concentration of donations from the Defense & Foreign Policy industry: 14.99 percent.
Healthcare
Rep. Michael Burgess had the highest concentration of donations from the Healthcare industry: 41.05 percent.
Sectors: Most invested
To gauge the investment of the different sectors, below we have pulled out a few interesting statistics:
- The industry that appears in the most members' top five industries
- The sector that averaged the highest percentage of members' total donations
- The most polarized sectors
Heavily donating sectors
Most polarized sectors
Many of the sectors had a strong lean to one party or the other. Looking at each sector, below are the interests that trended most Democratic and most Republican:
- 8
- 0
- 18
- 2
- 18
1
- 3
- 19
- 4
- 18
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Time, "The Incredible Rise in Campaign Spending," October 23, 2014
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Politicians & Elections," accessed March 14, 2015
- ↑ Information is only available back to 1989 for members who were elected prior to 1990.
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "How we classify contributions," October 15, 2014
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Note: Within the data, there were no other donors that were focused on the promotion of a single country.
- ↑ Note: Lobbyists were included in this section because lobbyists are often closely affiliated with, or a branch of, a law firm.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 These are the business/sales related industries that did not fit under Banking.
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Rep. Michael Burgess," accessed September 23, 2014
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Rep. Scott Perry," accessed September 24, 2014
- ↑ Career contributions is defined as a member's donations from his or her first race to updated figures for 2014. If a member was elected prior to 1990, there is only data back to 1989.
- ↑ Career contributions is defined as a member's donations from his or her first race to updated figures for 2014. If a member was elected prior to 1990, there is only data back to 1989.
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Rep. Matt Cartwright," accessed September 24, 2014
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Rep. Jose E. Serrano," accessed September 26, 2014
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Rep. Spencer Bachus," accessed September 19, 2014
- ↑ 15.00 15.01 15.02 15.03 15.04 15.05 15.06 15.07 15.08 15.09 15.10 15.11 15.12 15.13 15.14 In some cases, there were not sufficient donations for an industry to appear amongst the top five industries for any representative.
- ↑ 16.00 16.01 16.02 16.03 16.04 16.05 16.06 16.07 16.08 16.09 16.10 16.11 16.12 16.13 16.14 In some cases, there were not sufficient donations for an industry to appear amongst the top five industries for any senator.
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