TN Federal Incumbents Well Ahead of Challengers in Fundraising

The latest round of campaign finance reports show Tennessee’s congressional incumbents are well ahead of their challengers. And many of those contributions are coming from Political Action Committees.

4th Congressional Representative Lincoln Davis has raised 2/3 of his $900,000 total from PACs. Nearly $200,000 of that comes from the financial, real estate, and insurance industries.

The Pall Mall Democrat sits on the House Financial Services Committee, which was at the center of the negotiations over the financial rescue plan passed Congress.

Massie Ritsch directs communications for the Center for Responsive Politics that analyzes campaign contributions in federal races.

“Any member of congress who sits on the committee that regulates the financial sector is going to get a lot of money from them and will probably be their top contributor because the financial sector is the biggest contributor in federal politics and has been for years.”

The financial services sector has also come out in strong numbers for Republican Senator Lamar Alexander. But nearly $300,000 has come from though other lawmakers’ PACs. Ritsch says the extra money could be thank you gifts from candidates Alexander supported.

“You usually don’t see that kind of money flowing to someone who’s in a safe seat. Leadership PACs tend to give money to people who are in a bit of trouble or there’s a concern that they’ll lose their election.”

Ritsch says the Alexander may have been worried – at one point – about a tough challenge from Mike McWherter. The son of the popular former Democratic Governor Ned Ray McWherter considered running last year. Instead, Nashville attorney Bob Tuke decided to run.

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Senator Lamar Alexander has raised the most of any candidate in Tennessee this cycle, at $5.6 million through October 15th. PACs have contributed about 25% of his total.

His opponent, Nashville Attorney Bob Tuke, has pulled in about $650,000, mostly from individual donations save for three PAC contributions: two from Congressman Bart Gordon’s Committee, and one from the Progressive Patriot’s Fund.

While Alexander’s total is the highest for this cycle, it’s dwarfed by the substantial sums raised and spent in the 2006 Senate race. Former Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker raised nearly $18.9 million and spent just about as much. The Republican’s total includes $4.1 million of personal funds Corker lent to his own campaign. Former Congressman Harold Ford, Jr., eventually lost the 2006 race. The Memphis Democrat raised $14 million and spent over $15 million.

Rep. Lincoln Davis’ challenger, Monty Lankford, has raised nearly $500,000, mostly from individual contributions. Lankford, the president of a Franklin-based medical supply company, has made several donations and loans of personal funds to his own campaign totaling $113,459.

View a rundown of all the Tennessee federal races from the Center for Responsive Politics.