New Faces at the Table Fill Campaign Coffers

A vibrant political climate and booming economy are combining to create a whole new universe of campaign contributors--adding new faces to crowds at exclusive mixers and infusing huge amounts of new money into the coffers of Republicans and Democrats alike.

One big reason for the windfall is a series of strongly competitive contests nationwide, from Texas Gov. George W. Bush’s spirited attempt to win back the White House for Republicans to Democratic efforts to regain control of the House.

New technologies, which expand access to donors through the Internet and more sophisticated campaign mailings, have also boosted receipts. Then there is the Dow factor: A surging stock market has produced a bigger supply of people who can make hefty contributions to their favorite candidates.

The money surge is starkly evident in the race for president. Four years ago, President Clinton and his nine would-be opponents had amassed roughly $60 million up to this point in the campaign. This year, according to recently released figures, 12 candidates raised more than $103 million in a comparable period.

Contributing to that staggering increase are donors such as Rex Rust, a financial analyst in Richmond, Va. Last month he joined the ranks of corporate titans, Hollywood actors and pro athletes by writing a $1,000 check--the maximum allowed in federal elections--to the George W. Bush Presidential Exploratory Committee.

“As I’m getting older, I’m getting more disposable income,” said Rust, a 29-year-old Republican who had given to his church and his alma mater but never before donated to a politician. “I’ve watched the individual in the White House for the last eight years and I’ve been frustrated. I’ve wanted to do something.”

Political veterans scan donor lists, spot names like Rex Rust and ask themselves: Who are all these people? Major contributors--lawyers, lobbyists and other deep-pocket donors--now find themselves at fat-cat dinners seated next to software designers young enough to be their children.

Hot Local Races Bringing in Cash

“Money is rolling in,” said Dan Morgan, who raises cash for numerous Republican members of Congress. “Democrats are raising more money than ever. Republicans are raising more money than ever. George W. is setting a level which has never even been thought of before . . . There’s just more money in the system across the board.”

Receipts are also rising as local contests draw national attention.

Hillary Rodham Clinton’s attempt to become New York’s junior senator reverberates far beyond Brooklyn and Batavia. Setting $25 million as a fund-raising goal, the first lady’s campaign recently mailed more than 1 million solicitations to prospective donors across the country. Her likely opponent, New York City Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, has pledged to match that record sum.

Hundreds of thousands of dollars are also flowing to several of the Republican congressmen who played key roles in the impeachment drive against President Clinton, including Glendale’s James E. Rogan. Their Democratic foes are raising considerable amounts as well, among them Rogan’s likely challenger, State Sen. Adam Schiff of Burbank.

Political Parties Raising Record Sums

Lingering animosity over impeachment is not the only incentive for donors. The tiny Republican majority in the House is also fueling contributions.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee collected a record $17 million in the first half of 1999, a 150% increase over two years before. The National Republican Campaign Committee raised $26 million over the same period, representing a 66% rise.

Much of the money being raised simply covers the rising costs associated with campaigning, such as television ads, travel expenses and consultant fees. “Campaigns are getting more and more expensive,” said Morgan, “and so candidates have to raise more and more money just to keep a decent campaign running.”

But cash is also a weapon. When one candidate raises more of it, rivals feel compelled to follow, spurring a sort of political arms race--heightened whenever multimillionaires such as presidential hopeful Steve Forbes start to crack open their checkbooks.

Given the intense competition, candidates need not only new money, but a creative hook to snag donors.

In the presidential arena, Elizabeth Hanford Dole is trying to motivate donors--particularly women and first-time contributors--to support her bid to become the first-ever female chief executive. One of those new givers is Bonnie McElveen-Hunter, who became so smitten by Dole’s candidacy she signed on as national finance chairwoman.

“Not everyone is receptive, but enough people are,” said McElveen-Hunter, who owns a North Carolina publishing firm and has raised money previously for Habitat for Humanity and the United Way. “When someone tells me they’ve already supported George W., I say, ‘Well, I’ve never seen a pair of pants with only one pocket.’ ”

In the Silicon Valley, a particularly rich vein of new cash, John Roos raises money for former Sen. Bill Bradley’s presidential bid by employing the language of the entrepreneurs he solicits. “The majority of the people I’ve come across are first-time givers,” Roos said. “They want to know if Bradley has a shot against Gore. The answer is, ‘Only if people like you invest in his candidacy.’ We want them to think of it as political venture capital.”

Other campaigns are pursuing the bits-and-bytes crowd with equal vigor. Vice President Al Gore has been courting high-tech audiences for years, and Bush has already made one high-profile fund-raising pass through Silicon Valley, as has Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). In the technology centers of Northern Virginia, Bush fund-raiser Rob Hartwell gives neophyte donors a quickie seminar on the ways of Washington.

“This new computer revolution is going to result in federal regulation and they have to be engaged at the federal level,” said Hartwell, a lobbyist who has raised about $60,000 for Bush. “Contributing is a way to sit at the table with the decision-makers.”

And thanks to the Internet, contributing is now just a mouse-click away. For the first time--and after years of premature hype--campaign Web sites are beginning to bring in significant sums: $250,000 in the case of Bradley. Boosting the Internet as a fund-raising tool, the Federal Election Commission ruled last month that contributions collected in cyberspace are eligible for the federal matching funds that presidential candidates can receive.

The money usually comes in dribs and drabs--$25 here, $50 there--but the result is more people with a financial stake in the political system. “It’s a new way for the average citizen to have an impact,” said Wes Boyd, who runs a political Web site in the San Francisco Bay Area.

New technologies have also boosted fund-raising by generating more precise phone and mailing lists, helping campaigns better target likely givers--the first step in fruitful fund-raising. “What I’ve discovered is . . . people, when they are asked, will usually give money,” said Gary Hunt, a veteran GOP fund-raiser in Orange County who is one of Bush’s state co-chairmen. “But you have to ask them and you have to know who they are and where they are before you can ask them.”

But fancy technology only helps so much.

For most, giving remains a highly personal transaction, requiring a certain level of individual attention.

“Just because people can make a contribution through a Web site doesn’t mean they will,” said Jonah Seiger, a Washington consultant who helps campaigns raise money on-line. “There’s still something substantial about being a part of a political equation, being part of a transaction for your political dollar--like buying a seat at a political dinner, or getting to shake a candidate’s hand. That’s worth something,” said Jonah Seiger, a Washington consultant who helps campaigns raise money on-line.

Indeed, new givers tend to write their checks for the same reasons veterans do. Many are idealists, eager to see political power swing further right or left. For some, a $1,000 check is an ultra cover charge that opens doors to exciting events.

“It’s really a small price to pay for your future,” said Bob Bedingfield, an exterminator from Kingsville, Texas, who has given small amounts to politicians in the past but opened his wallet to the tune of $1,000 for Bush. “I figure it may take months to make up $1,000, but if I didn’t give I’d be blaming myself for a lot longer than that.”

Marcus Crouch wanted to help his country as well, but lacked enough to give $1,000 to GOP activist Gary Bauer when a mail solicitation arrived. But Crouch, a devoutly religious auto worker from Kentucky, prayed that everything would work out.

“I said, ‘Lord, I don’t have $1,000, so if you want me to support him, then tomorrow you gotta let me have $1,000,’ ” Crouch recalled.

The next day, he said, he got a call from H&R; Block. His refund was in. He would have more than enough to give.

Chalk up another grand for politics.

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Times staff writer Blair Gordon contributed to this story.