CUNA has increased its focus on supporting congressional newcomers as the campaign season heats up, making contributions to seven candidates for open House seats in June. They include: Republican California Assemblyman Kevin McCarthy, $5,000; Republican New York State Sen. Ray Meier, $5,000; Republican Nebraska State Rep. Adrian Smith, $5,000; Republican Illinois State Sen. Peter Roskam, $5,000; Democratic New York State Sen. Carl Andrews, $1,000; Democratic Iowa attorney Bruce Braley, $5,000, and Republican Jeff Crank, a staffer with Rep. Joel Hefley, who is running for his boss's seat upon Hefley's retirement, $5,000.
CUNA has made contributions to more than 25 congressional newcomers so far in the 2005-2006 elections.
CUNA also made contributions last month to three leadership PACs. They were: Democrats for the Future, run by Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-CA), $2,500; Committee for the Preservation of Capitalism, run by Rep. Jim McCrery (R-LA), $5,000; and Back America's Conservatives, run by Rep. Richard Baker, (R-LA), $5,000. CUNA has contributed more than $250,000 to leadership PACs in the current election cycle.
Heading into the final months of the mid-year elections CUNA has more than $534,000 of cash on hand to help fund campaign contributions, independent expenditures and other campaign activities.
Ed Roberts can be reached at robertscuj
