WASHINGTON-CUNA began making tens of thousands of campaign contributions to candidates it had opposed in the recent congressional elections, in the days after the ballots were counted.
Most of the recipients had defeated congressional incumbents who CUNA backed, like New Hampshire Democratic Jeanne Shaheen, who received a $5,000 contribution after she beat CUNA-backed Sen. John Sununu, or North Carolina Democrat Kay Hagan, who also received $5,000 after besting CUNA-supported Sen. Elizabeth Dole.
Other candidates received CUNA contributions in a post-election reversal the week after the elections were: Reps. Kathy Dahlkemper (D-PA), $5,000; Gary Peters (D-MI), $5,000; Mark Schauer (D-MI), $5,000; Tom Rooney (R-FL), $5,000; Betsy Markey (D-CO), $2,500; Larry Kissell (D-NC), $3,000; Travis Childers (D-MS), $2,500 and Bobby Bright (D-AL), $5,000.
CUNA's campaign director Trey Hawkins cited the need to build relationships with the winners who will be serving in the next Congress.
"We're constantly assessing where we are headed in the next cycle. Toward that end and with the election over, we are interested in moving forward and building relationships with the newly elected Congress, including those we may not have supported. This is consistent with our approach in past cycles," he said.
In the final month of the campaign and the two weeks afterward CUNA spent almost $450,000, including $300,000 in the final two weeks toward separate initiatives to boost two Midwest candidates, Republican Lynn Jenkins who won a House seat in Kansas, and Democrat Judy Baker, who lost her race in Missouri.
CUNA set new highs for campaign activity in the two-year elections by raising more than $4 million and by spending almost the same amount.
