| Party preferences of the top 150 donors to state legislators |
It's no surprise that the Commonwealth Victory Fund donated only to Democratic legislators or that the New Majority Project contributed only to Republican lawmakers. Those groups are party organizations, and they want to see their party members elected.
But lessons can be drawn from the party preferences of other political donors.
Some, such as the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association and the Virginia State AFL-CIO, strongly favored Democrats. Others, including Philip Morris and Trigon Blue Cross Blue Shield, contributed mostly to Republicans.
Many donors, like the Virginia Bankers Association and the Virginia Hospital Association, gave about the same amounts to Democrats and Republicans. Taken as a group, the top 150 donors contributed about $4.7 million to Democrats and $4.8 million to Republicans.
| Donor | Total donations | To Democrats | To Republicans |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commonwealth Victory Fund (Democrats) | $931,058 | 100% | 0% |
| New Majority Project PAC (Republicans) | $474,895 | 0% | 100% |
| National Republican Congress Committee | $270,500 | 0% | 100% |
| Virginia Medical Society | $227,733 | 45% | 54% |
| Virginia Trial Lawyers Association | $220,900 | 68% | 31% |
| Virginia Bankers Association PAC | $175,470 | 49% | 51% |
| Philip Morris | $168,360 | 38% | 61% |
| Virginia Auto Dealers Association | $154,297 | 45% | 55% |
| Virginia State AFL-CIO | $150,825 | 97% | 3% |
| Virginia Hospital Association PAC | $146,361 | 49% | 51% |
| Homebuilders PAC | $139,810 | 55% | 45% |
| Newport News Shipbuilding | $137,300 | 46% | 53% |
| Commonwealth Council PAC (Republicans) | $132,000 | 0% | 100% |
| Dominion Leadership Fund (Republicans) | $125,000 | 0% | 100% |
| Virginia Optometric Association | $124,225 | 43% | 56% |
| Virginia State Democratic Party | $120,685 | 100% | 0% |
| Virginia Republican Joint Caucus | $120,650 | 0% | 100% |
| Virginia Dental PAC | $118,550 | 53% | 47% |
| Committee for Responsible
Government (electric utilities) |
$115,050 | 43% | 56% |
| Dominion Resources Inc. (electric utilities) | $106,795 | 49% | 51% |
| Trigon Blue Cross Blue Shield | $104,250 | 31% | 69% |
| Realtors PAC of Virginia | $102,367 | 41% | 58% |
| McGuire Woods Battle &
Boothe (Richmond attorneys) |
$94,870 | 47% | 52% |
| Bell Atlantic Virginia State PAC | $93,948 | 50% | 49% |
| GTE - Virginia State PAC | $92,616 | 29% | 71% |
| Virginia Health Care Association (nursing homes) | $91,464 | 46% | 53% |
| Virginia Beer Wholesalers Association | $88,804 | 48% | 51% |
| Virginia Cable PAC | $86,905 | 47% | 52% |
| Virginia Wine Wholesalers Association PAC | $86,469 | 52% | 48% |
| Virginia Coal Association | $82,250 | 31% | 69% |
| Hazel & Thomas PAC (Alexandria attorneys) | $82,007 | 47% | 52% |
| Delegate George W. Grayson, Williamsburg | $80,900 | 100% | 0% |
| Mays & Valentine (Richmond attorneys) | $80,585 | 51% | 49% |
| Virginia Credit Union | $75,875 | 42% | 55% |
| Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee | $74,726 | 100% | 0% |
| Paramount's Kings Dominion | $68,800 | 47% | 53% |
| CSX Corp. | $67,070 | 45% | 55% |
| GE Financial Assurance Holdings Inc. | $66,225 | 51% | 48% |
| NRA Political Victory Fund | $64,750 | 31% | 69% |
| Tom Davis Virginia Victory
Fund (Republican congressman) |
$64,678 | 1% | 99% |
| Tarmac Mid-Atlantic Inc. (cement and concrete, Norfolk) |
$64,257 | 42% | 58% |
| Virginia Democratic House Caucus | $62,579 | 100% | 0% |
| Virginia Republican State Party | $62,512 | 0% | 100% |
| Virginia Manufactured Housing Association | $60,300 | 50% | 50% |
| Virginia Education Association | $59,984 | 80% | 20% |
| Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee | $57,000 | 100% | 0% |
| Tidewater Builders Association | $56,250 | 59% | 41% |
| Virginia State Police Association | $55,970 | 51% | 49% |
| Virginia Association of HMOs PAC | $55,690 | 17% | 82% |
| Crestar Financial Corp. | $55,200 | 33% | 67% |
| Affordable Shelter PAC | $55,050 | 52% | 48% |
| Certified Public Accountants PAC | $53,450 | 29% | 71% |
| Peach Orchard Associates (real estate developers) | $52,750 | 69% | 31% |
| Sprint Mid-Atlantic Region Telecom | $52,469 | 50% | 50% |
| Associated General Contractors | $51,725 | 24% | 76% |
| Fund for the Future of Virginia
(Republican legislators) |
$50,250 | 0% | 100% |
| Halsey Minor (technology executive,
San Francisco) |
$50,000 | 0% | 100% |
| Delegate A. Donald McEachin, D-Richmond | $49,980 | 100% | 0% |
| Hunton & Williams (Richmond attorneys) | $48,571 | 42% | 57% |
| Virginia Power | $47,985 | 85% | 15% |
| Firefighters - COPE Fund | $46,725 | 94% | 6% |
| Virginia Society of Anesthesiologists | $46,375 | 36% | 62% |
| Thomas C. Dabney (technology executive, Alexandria) |
$46,000 | 100% | 0% |
| Old Dominion Highway PAC | $45,750 | 50% | 49% |
| Virginia State Legislative Black Caucus | $45,594 | 100% | 0% |
| Williams Mullen Christian & Dobbins | $43,001 | 40% | 60% |
| Virginia Sheriffs Association PAC | $42,800 | 40% | 60% |
| United Parcel Service PAC | $42,770 | 33% | 67% |
| Medical Facilities of America | $42,650 | 51% | 48% |
| AT&T PAC | $40,695 | 37% | 63% |
| Pittston Coal Management Co. | $40,615 | 42% | 58% |
| RJ Reynolds Tobacco Co. | $40,429 | 42% | 58% |
| Norfolk Southern Corp. | $40,000 | 44% | 56% |
| Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc. | $39,640 | 32% | 68% |
| Easter Associates Inc. (lobbyists, Charlottesville) | $39,325 | 44% | 54% |
| Virginia Society of Ophthalmology | $39,000 | 33% | 67% |
| Nationwide Insurance PAC | $38,250 | 43% | 57% |
| Crews & Hancock (Richmond attorneys) | $37,051 | 30% | 70% |
| Stosch Daley & George (Richmond accountants) | $36,950 | 0% | 100% |
| John "Til" T. Hazel
Jr. (real estate developer, Broad Run, Va.) |
$36,696 | 39% | 61% |
| Virginia Senate Democratic Caucus | $36,000 | 100% | 0% |
| Adams Outdoor Advertising | $34,919 | 25% | 75% |
| Virginia Taxicab Association | $32,400 | 53% | 47% |
| Appalachian Power Co. | $31,550 | 47% | 53% |
| Allen Allen Allen & Allen (Richmond trial lawyers) | $31,350 | 79% | 19% |
| Browning-Ferris Industries (waste disposal) | $31,290 | 39% | 61% |
| Merck & Co. (pharmaceuticals) | $30,809 | 52% | 48% |
| National Association of Optometrists | $30,550 | 39% | 59% |
| Service Distributing Inc. (beer and wine distributors) | $30,456 | 44% | 56% |
| Virginia Republican Senatorial Committee | $30,450 | 0% | 100% |
| Virginia Life Underwriters | $30,250 | 31% | 68% |
| Virginia Association of Electric Cooperatives | $29,155 | 39% | 61% |
| Georgia Pacific Corp. | $28,545 | 39% | 50% |
| United Co. (coal mining) | $28,250 | 88% | 12% |
| John R. Grisham (author, North Garden, Va.) | $28,000 | 100% | 0% |
| Friends of Vance Wilkins (Republican delegate/House speaker) | $27,500 | 0% | 100% |
| Associated Distributors Inc. (beer and wine) | $27,475 | 75% | 25% |
| Virginia Petroleum Marketers Association | $27,425 | 41% | 58% |
| Waste Management | $27,250 | 50% | 50% |
| Virginia Petroleum Jobbers Association | $26,920 | 37% | 63% |
| Virginia Democratic State Federal Account | $26,579 | 100% | 0% |
| Mezzullo & McCandlish (Richmond attorneys) | $26,325 | 39% | 60% |
| Dupont & Co. | $26,050 | 31% | 69% |
| Virginia Republican State Federal Account | $26,000 | 77% | 23% |
| Convalescent Care Inc. (nursing homes) | $26,000 | 0% | 100% |
| Virginia Soft Drink Association | $25,950 | 62% | 36% |
| Virginia Democrats Victory '99 | $25,825 | 100% | 0% |
| Virginia Greater Washington Board of Trade | $25,750 | 54% | 46% |
| Virginia Aggregates Association | $25,650 | 40% | 60% |
| Virginia Real Estate Attorneys League | $25,400 | 70% | 30% |
| 7-Eleven Stores | $25,317 | 61% | 39% |
| Coors Brewing Co. | $25,292 | 30% | 70% |
| America Online | $25,000 | 38% | 62% |
| DASH PAC (Democratic) | $25,000 | 100% | 0% |
| Phillipe O. Escaravage (technology executive, Princeton, N.J.) |
$25,000 | 100% | 0% |
| Household Financial Group (lending, credit) | $24,795 | 48% | 52% |
| Washington Gas Light Co. (natural gas) | $24,761 | 43% | 57% |
| Capital One | $24,475 | 33% | 66% |
| Virginia Gas Storage Co. (natural gas) | $24,100 | 49% | 51% |
| Virginia Committee for Republican Leadership | $24,000 | 0% | 100% |
| International Brotherhood of Teamsters | $23,500 | 100% | 0% |
| Mobil Oil Corp. | $23,426 | 55% | 45% |
| ESG Enterprises Inc. (real
estate developer, Virginia Beach) |
$23,100 | 61% | 39% |
| HCA for Good Government (hospitals and health systems) |
$22,570 | 42% | 58% |
| Coastal States Management
Corp. (oil company, Houston) |
$22,276 | 67% | 33% |
| Loren W. Hershey (attorney, Oakton, Va.) | $22,250 | 100% | 0% |
| Friends of Marty Williams (Republican senator) | $22,240 | 0% | 100% |
| Peach Tree of McLean (property manager, Alexandria) |
$22,050 | 82% | 18% |
| Ford Motor Co. | $21,800 | 47% | 53% |
| Williams Mullen Clark &
Dobbins (Richmond attorneys) |
$21,291 | 44% | 54% |
| Virginia Mortgage Bankers PAC | $20,800 | 44% | 56% |
| Democrats 2000 | $20,781 | 100% | 0% |
| Glaxo Wellcome Inc. (pharmaceuticals) | $20,550 | 36% | 64% |
| East Coast Oil Co. (service stations) | $20,350 | 38% | 62% |
| Firefighters - Roanoke | $20,350 | 84% | 16% |
| Reynolds Metal PAC | $20,340 | 14% | 86% |
| Reciprocal Group (insurance) | $20,223 | 26% | 74% |
| Mark R. Warner (investments, Alexandria) | $20,200 | 100% | 0% |
| Apartment & Office Building
Association (Metro PAC) |
$20,112 | 69% | 31% |
| Golden Rule Financial Corp. (insurance) | $20,100 | 49% | 51% |
| Americans for a Republican Majority PAC | $20,000 | 0% | 100% |
| Virginia Independent Insurance Agents | $19,801 | 26% | 74% |
| William A. Hazel Sr. (excavation
contractors, Broad Run, Va.) |
$19,650 | 0% | 100% |
| Circuit City Stores Inc. | $19,649 | 4% | 96% |
| Professional Insurance Agents of Virginia | $19,590 | 28% | 72% |
| American General Finance Management Inc. | $19,575 | 32% | 68% |
| R. Jerry Parker Jr. (investments, Richmond) | $19,500 | 0% | 100% |
| Virginia Democratic 20th District Advisory | $19,500 | 100% | 0% |
| Virginia Transporation Construction PAC | $19,300 | 29% | 71% |
| Realtors PAC of Virginia -
NOVA (Northern Virginia) |
$19,125 | 64% | 36% |
| Totals for top 150 donors | $9,474,120 | 50% | 50% |