THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 6, 1996 TAG: 9610060059
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 103 lines
Just as in 1990, out-of-state money is pouring into North Carolina for the senatorial contest between incumbent Republican Jesse Helms and his Democratic rival, former Charlotte Mayor Harvey Gantt.
Based on the Federal Election Commission's most recent data, as of July the two candidates had raised almost $3 million in individual contributions, nearly half of it from outside North Carolina.
An analysis of candidates' FEC reports revealed that Gantt has received $1,223,279 in individual contributions. Of that, $758,944, or 62 percent, came from outside the state.
Helms has generated $1,739,594 in individual donations. Some $710,311, or 41 percent, from elsewhere.
Gantt has raised $363,251 from political action committees. Of Gantt's PAC funding, only $7,500 came from North Carolina: $5,000 from the Charlotte-based People! Peace! Progress! organization; $1,500 from Wachovia Bank; and $1,000 from the Eva Clayton For Congress Committee in Warrenton.
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is Gantt's largest PAC contributor, pumping $161,500 into what is considered one of the Democrats' key races in their drive to regain control of the Senate.
Many of Gantt's largest contributions come from organized labor. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, The AFL-CIO Committee on Political Education /Political Contributions Committee, the Transportation Political League, the Laborers' Political League and The Machinists Non-Partisan Political League all gave thousands to the Gantt effort.
$802,451 total PAC contributions.
On the Helms side of the ledger, conservative and tobacco interests were among the biggest boosters. The overwhelming majority of Helms' PAC contributions - which totaled $802,451 - were from out-of-state sources. Only $147,892 - 18.4 percent - of the Republican's special interest money came from North Carolina.
The conservative Raleigh-based ``Clean Up Congress'' gave $45,927 to the Helms campaign, followed by the National Republican Senatorial Committee with $17,500.
Helms also received large contributions from the anti-Castro Human Rights Campaign Fund PAC and the Miami-based Free Cuba PAC.
Tobacco giants RJR Nabisco, Philip Morris and Brown & Williamson each gave $10,000 to the Helms re-election bid.
North Carolinians go to the polls Nov. 5. ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
Color photos
SOURCE: Federal Election Commission
Helms' top PAC givers
Jesse Helms' Top PAC Contributors
1. Clean Up Congress, Raleigh, N.C. $45,927
2. National Republican Senatorial Committee, Washington, D.C.
$17,500
3. Human Rights Campaign PAC, Washington, D.C. $11,467
4. Free Cuba PAC, Miami, Fla. $10,000
4. Lockheed Martin Employees PAC, Arlington, Va. $10,000
4. NationsBank PAC, Atlanta, Ga. $10,000
4. RJR PAC, Winston-Salem, N.C. $10,000
4. Dominion Resources Committee For Responsible Govt., Richmond, Va.
10,000
4. Glaxo Wellcome PAC Research, Triangle, N.C. $10,000
4. Brown and Williamson, Louisville, Ky. $10,000
4. Philip Morris PAC, New York, N.Y. $10,000
Gantt's top PAC givers
1. Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Washington, D.C.
$161,500
2. International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Washington, D.C.
$10,000
2. AFL-CIO Committee on Political Education/Political Contributions
Committee, Washington, D.C. $10,000
2. Democratic Republican Independent Voter Education Committee,
Washington, D.C. $10,000
2. Transportation Political Education League, Cleveland, Ohio
$10,000
2. Association of Trial Lawyers PAC, Washington, D.C. $10,000
7. Laborers' Political League, Washington, D.C. $8,000
8. Machinists Non-Partisan Political League, Upper Marlboro, Md.
$7,500
9. United Food and Commercial Workers Active Ballot Club,
Washington, D.C. $6,000
10. CWA-COPE PAC, New York, N.Y. $5,000
10. Greenvote Cambridge, Mass. $5,000
KEYWORDS: U.S. SENATE RACE NORTH CAROLINA PACS CAMPAIGN
CONTRIBUTIONS by CNB