Outsiders fund Utah incumbents' campaigns
In the case of incumbents, it is outsiders — 87 cents of every dollar they have raised this two-year cycle has come from outside of Utah.
In the case of their challengers, their money is coming largely from their own pockets — 69 cents of every dollar they raised, according to Deseret News analysis of Federal Election Commission data for the current election cycle through the end of March.
Is the situation healthy or does it mean that members of Congress from Utah could be too beholden to someone besides Utah voters for their jobs?
"Political scientists have for years studied any connection between donations (from Political Action Committees) and voting," said Kelly Patterson, a Brigham Young University political science professor.
He believes that connection is at best weak and is only a factor if a congressional member's vote in favor of a special-interest position is seen as harmful to his or her core constituency.
Federal campaign finance "is a tough issue," said Patterson.
The Founding Fathers wanted U.S. House members to run every two years, so they would be close to their voting constituency, Patterson said. But the cost of elections is now so high, that means U.S. House members are constantly raising campaign money and working on the next election.
Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, known for his fundraising prowess, said he historically raises a greater percent of his campaign cash from Utahns than do others in the congressional delegation. But Matheson doesn't apologize from getting a lot of PAC money, as well.
"You get a lot of D.C. addresses on groups that give to me," said Matheson. "But in many of those cases these are PACs that represent groups in Utah — like firefighters, teachers, auto dealers — and their Utah members then advocate with the national (PACs) to donate to me. I raise money from a wide range of people, and that is good."
So, believes Matheson, a chunk of the political action dues that Utahns are paying into their national organizations find their way back into Matheson's coffers. But he said he has no idea what percent of his overall PAC donations that could be.
Utah individuals and groups provided only 7.5 cents of every dollar raised by Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah, and 12 cents of every dollar raised by Matheson.
In fact, Utah is not even the top state or territory to give to that pair. Utah comes in No. 3 for both, behind the District of Columbia and Virginia. Those places, of course, are home to many special interest groups that lobby Congress.
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