WASHINGTON – CUNA reported last week it has spent almost $500,000 on campaign funding in the prior two weeks, as election day rapidly approaches.
The funds were evenly split between campaign contributions and independent expenditures to boost two House candidates in the Midwest.
That includes $37,500 in contributions to help eight candidates for open House seats: Daniel Maffei, D-N.Y. ($5,000); Chris Lee, R-N.Y. ($5,000); Paul Tonko, D-N.Y. ($5,000); Gary Trauner, D-Wyo. ($5,000); Ann Kirkpatrick, D-Ariz. ($5,000); Gerry Connelly, D-Va. ($5,000); Erik Paulsen, R-Minn. ($5,000) and Gregg Harper, R-Miss ($2,500). CUNA has contributed to almost every one of the 34 open House races, a total of $262,250.
Over the last two weeks, CUNA has also spent $246,000 to support two candidates, Lynn Jenkins, R-Kan., and Judy Baker, D-Mo., independently of the candidates’ campaigns, with tv and radio ads and direct mailings. CUNA has spent $127,000 on behalf of Jenkins, and $120,000 for Baker.
In the two-week period, CUNA also made $5,000 contributions to: House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., Democrat Dick Durbin, the senior senator from Illinois, Reps John Kline, R-Minn., Henry Brown, R-S.C. and Dave Reichert, R-Wash..
CUNA’s political action committee heads into the final two weeks of the campaign with about $340,000 cash on hand.
