Big Names, Big Dollars: ND Senate Candidates Get Donations From Rich, Famous
The competitive campaign for North Dakota’s U.S. Senate seat has attracted dozens of notable donors. Prominent business tycoons, politicians and celebrities – both near and far – have thrown their financial weight behind Republican Rep. Rick Berg and Democrat Heidi Heitkamp.By: Kristin Daum, Forum Communications
The competitive campaign for North Dakota’s U.S. Senate seat has attracted dozens of notable donors.
Prominent business tycoons, politicians and celebrities – both near and far – have thrown their financial weight behind Republican Rep. Rick Berg and Democrat Heidi Heitkamp.
While most of these donations came directly from the individuals listed, a handful in Heitkamp’s case came by way of joint fundraising events with other Democratic Senate candidates.
Such donations were divided up among Heitkamp and the other beneficiaries of those fundraisers. That’s the case in the donations that came from Microsoft founder Bill Gates, film director and producer Rob Reiner and “Lost” producer J.J. Abrams.
This data was compiled by The Forum after an analysis of the candidates’ campaign finance reports for the 2012 election through June 12.
The figures cover personal contributions from these individuals and do not include donations made through political action committees that also might be tied to some of these same individuals.
Rick Berg
Total raised as of May 23: $3.2 million
Cash on hand, as of May 23: $1.6 million
Reported campaign debt: $105,000
LOCAL/REGIONAL
Timothy Corwin, president of Corwin Toyota: $10,000
Jim Ingstad, owner of Radio Fargo-Moorhead (and wife, Victoria): $10,000
David Meyer, founder, CEO and chairman of Titan Machinery (and wife, Candace): $10,000
Gregory Page, CEO of Cargill, Inc. (and wife, Cynthia): $7,000
Ace Brandt, developer of Fargo’s Urban Plains subdivision and owner of the Fargo Force junior hockey team: $5,000
Doug Burgum, chairman of the Kilbourne Group: $5,000
Jack Dalrymple, North Dakota governor (and wife, Betsy): $5,000
Ron Offutt, founder and CEO of RDO Equipment (and wife, Karen): $5,000
Steve D. Scheel, CEO and chairman of Scheels All-Sports: $2,500
Steve Swiontek, president and CEO of Gate City Bank: $2,500
Bruce Furness, former Fargo mayor: $2,000
David Berg, president and CEO of American Crystal Sugar Co.: $1,000
Roger Gjellstad, CEO of Stanley Equipment: $1,000
NATIONAL
Riley P. Bechtel, CEO and chairman of Bechtel Corp.: $5,000
William B. Hilton, chairman of Hilton Hotels Corp.: $5,000
Sam Zell, chairman of the Tribune Co.: $2,500
Matthew Rose, CEO of Burlington Northern Sante Fe Railway: $1,000
David Holl, president of Mary Kay, Inc.: $500
Adam Goodman, president of Paramount Pictures: $250
Heidi Heitkamp
Total raised as of May 23: $1.7 million
Cash on hand, as of May 23: $759,000
Reported campaign debt: $0
LOCAL/REGIONAL
Kent Conrad, North Dakota U.S. senator (and wife, Lucy Calautti): $10,000
Joel Heitkamp, Fargo radio personality (also, brother of Heidi Heitkamp): $2,750
Byron Dorgan, retired North Dakota U.S. senator (and wife, Kimberly): $2,000
Christi Offutt, CEO of RDO Equipment: $2,000
Garrison Keillor, Minnesota Public Radio host: $1,250
Jon Lindgren, former Fargo mayor: $1,000
Earl Pomeroy, former North Dakota U.S. representative: $1,000
David Berg, president and CEO of American Crystal Sugar Co.: $250
NATIONAL
Warren Buffett, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway: $2,500
Jennifer Granholm, “Current” TV host and former Michigan governor: $2,500
J.J. Abrams, film/TV director and founder of Bad Robot Productions: $2,000
Barbra Streisand, actress and singer: $1,000
Eliot Spitzer, “Current” TV personality and former New York governor: $500
Bill Gates, founder and chairman of Microsoft: $571.43
Rob Reiner, film director and producer: $222.22
Tags: north dakota, news, politics, election, senate, heitkamp, berg, updates
More from around the web
RSS Feeds