Champlin and Lakeland have the largest Republican tilts for U.S. House campaign contributions; Anoka, Elk River, and Minneapolis have the largest Democratic tilts

This is the sixth in a series of reports on campaign fundraising in Minnesota's U.S. House races. Previous reports examined which 6th CD candidate was raising more in-state money, which 6th CD candidate was receiving more contributions from Minnesota political elites, to which candidates Minneapolis residents have made campaign contributions, Michele Bachmann's fundraising in her home town of Stillwater, and the large contributions coming from Wayzata.

While yesterday's Smart Politics report revealed that the tiny city of Wazayta has left the biggest footprint in campaign fundraising to Minnesota U.S. House candidates - particularly for Republicans - the west metro suburb is not the city with the largest GOP tilt when it comes to which political party Minnesotans direct their campaign dollars.

Wayzata is a staple for GOP fundraising, to be sure. Republican congressional candidates have raised more money from Wayzatans ($289,020) than any other city in the state - including Minneapolis, which has approximately 100 times the number of residents ($288,893).

But Wayzata is also the fourth largest donor to DFL congressional candidates this election cycle, at $126,100 through mid-July, behind only Minneapolis ($758,457), St. Paul ($279,055), and Edina ($155,775).

Thus, while the GOP fundraising from Wayzatans is notable, the 70/30 percent split it enjoys over Democrats does not come close to the partisan tilt in campaign contributions seen in other cities around the Gopher State.

Smart Politics examined the partisan giving to Minnesota U.S. House candidates from the 44 cities in Minnesota that have contributed at least $20,000 in itemized individual contributions for the election cycle to date.

The donations from residents in these 44 cities tally $4.3 million, or 81 percent of the $5.3 million that has been donated to all Minnesota U.S. House candidates from some 599 cities and towns across the state.

The overall distribution of funds from these 44 cities is basically even between Republican candidates ($2,208,768) and DFLers ($2,111,660).

And what cities have the biggest partisan tilt when it comes to campaign contributions by its residents in Minnesota U.S. House races?

Twenty-nine of these 44 cities had a fundraising advantage in the favor of the Republican Party, but none more so than the City of Champlin in the 3rd Congressional District.

Champlin residents have given 100 percent of their $35,855 in large donor contributions to Republican U.S. House candidates this election cycle, without a single large donor sending money to a DFLer.

Although the city is represented by Republican Erik Paulsen in the U.S. House, the plurality of funds was directed to 6th CD GOPer Michele Bachmann ($9,755). Another $9,600 went to 2nd CD Representative John Kline, with $8,500 to Paulsen and $8,000 to 1st CD challenger Randy Demmer.

Champlin's $35K + in large donor contributions ranks 24th in the Gopher State overall this election cycle.

But the curious thing about the severe partisan tilt for Champlin's campaign contributions is that the City is not heavily Republican.

In the 2008 Presidential election, John McCain carried Champlin by just 4.7 points, 51.5 percent to 46.8 percent for Barack Obama.

And while Erik Paulsen carried each of the city's four precincts by between 9 and 19 points in his U.S. House race against Ashwin Madia, DFL State Representative Denise Dittrich carried each precinct by between 12 and 23 points.

The city with the second largest partisan advantage toward the GOP in campaign contributions to Minnesota's U.S. House candidates is the small town of Lakeland in the 6th CD.

With a 2000 Census population of just shy of 2,000 residents, Lakeland has donated $32,475 thus far to Minnesota's congressional candidates, which is good for 28th highest in the state. The city's $16.94 contribution-per-resident rate is 10th highest in the state.

Lakeland residents have donated a whopping 98.5 percent of their large donor funds to Republican candidates ($31,975) thus far in the election cycle, compared to just 1.5 percent to DFLers ($500).

Lakeland's Congresswoman Michele Bachmann has received over half of this money, at $16,575, with Kline next at $9,600 and then Paulsen at $5,800.

These lopsided donations from Lakeland residents to Republican U.S. House officeholders is odd, particularly those to Bachmann, considering DFLer Elwyn Tinklenberg carried the city by 7.1 points in the 2008 congressional race (47.9 to 40.8 percent over Bachmann).

Moreover, Lakeland residents also voted for Obama in the 2008 presidential election - defeating McCain 49.2 to 48.0 percent in the city.

Five other cities with substantial large donor contributions this election cycle have also given more than 90 percent of their funds to Republican candidates: Granite Falls (95.1 percent), Waconia (93.5 percent), Prior Lake (93.1 percent), Willmar (93.0 percent), and Medina (92.0 percent).

Minnesota Cities with Republican Tilt in Itemized Individual Contributions to Gopher State U.S. House Candidates

But some big donor cities in the Gopher State have also witnessed a clear Democratic advantage in their congressional campaign contributions this election cycle - and no more so than the north metro City of Anoka.

Anoka residents have given $41,677 to Minnesota's U.S. House candidates through mid-July, which ranks 21st highest in the state.

Of that total, 92.6 percent has been directed to DFL candidates ($38,600) with just 7.4 percent to Republicans ($3,077).

The majority of this money has gone to support the city's 6th CD DFL challengers: $9,900 to Tarryl Clark, $9,600 to Elwyn Tinklenberg, and $500 to Maureen Reed. Tim Walz also received a sizable $9,850 from Anoka residents.

Despite this imbalance in fundraising, the city did not break toward Democratic candidates in 2008 in large numbers. Barack Obama carried the city by just 3.9 points, 50.7 to 46.8 percent, with John McCain carrying the 3rd and 8th Precincts.

Moreover, Republican Norm Coleman carried five of the eight precincts in his U.S. Senate race against Al Franken, winning Anoka by a 2.4-point margin (42.3 to 39.9 percent).

Additionally, Republican State Representative Jim Abeler won all eight precincts, including seven of them by more than 20 points.

Despite the competitiveness of Republican candidates in the city, Anoka residents are not opening up their checkbooks to GOP U.S. House candidates.

But while Republicans are enjoying a more than 2:1 fundraising advantage in 21 cities among those that have contributed at least $20,000 in the election cycle to date, only three such cities have 2:1 Democratic tilts: Anoka, Elk River (84.7 percent) and Minneapolis (72.4 percent).

In fact, it is only because the DFL advantage is as strong as it is in Minneapolis, that the party remains competitive in the large-donor arena overall.

DFLers outgained Republicans by more than $469,000 in Minneapolis ($758,457 to $288,893), but only by $306,747 in the other 14 major cities combined in which they had a large donor contribution advantage for U.S. House races ($783,876 to $477,129).

In short, large donor support runs narrow but deep for the DFL and wider and more shallow for the Republicans.

Minnesota Cities with Democratic Tilt in Itemized Individual Contributions to Gopher State U.S. House Candidates

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Small western suburban city of less than 5,000 residents has given $415,000+ to Minnesota U.S. House candidates - third highest in the state and less than $30,000 behind St. Paul

This is the fifth in a series of reports on campaign fundraising in Minnesota's U.S. House races. Previous reports examined which 6th CD candidate was raising more in-state money, which 6th CD candidate was receiving more contributions from Minnesota political elites, to which candidates Minneapolis residents have made campaign contributions, and Michele Bachmann's fundraising in her home town of Stillwater.

As candidates head into the final two months before Election Day, there is one small Minnesota city to which congressional candidates will continue to turn as they seek to refill their campaign coffers.

Despite a population of a little more than 4,000 residents, the wealthy western suburb of Wayzata remains a big player in funding congressional hopefuls in the Gopher State.

A Smart Politics analysis of itemized individual contributions for the 2010 election cycle through July 21st finds that residents of Wayzata have donated over $100 per resident to Minnesota's U.S. House candidates, a tally that is nearly twice the rate of the next closest city.

Even more impressive, at $415,120 in contributions, Wayzata ranks as the third largest absolute donor of funds to House candidates in the state, behind only the behemoth cities of Minneapolis ($1,047,405) and St. Paul ($444,795).

Through mid-July of this year, residents from 599 cities and townships across the Gopher State have contributed more than $5.3 million in itemized funds to the state's eight U.S. Representatives and their various challengers.

Donations have exceeded $5,000 in 113 of these cities, totaling over 93 percent of all contributions ($4.98 million).

Naturally, several of the state's largest cities lead the way in total contributions made to congressional campaigns.

However, Wayzata and its fellow 3rd Congressional District city Excelsior stand out in terms of per resident contributions. In total, five 3rd CD cities crack the Top 10.

Top 10 Cities Contributing Itemized Individual Donations to Minnesota U.S. House Candidates in 2010 Election Cycle

While Wayzata's population is less than one-tenth of one percent of the state's population, the more than $415,000 it has donated to congressional campaigns represents 7.8 percent of large donor contributions from across the state.

In other words, Wayzata gives more than 97 times its proportional share of itemized contributions to Minnesota's congressional candidates.

When adjusting for population, the City of Wayzata has given an average of $100.93 per resident to Minnesota's U.S. House candidates this election cycle, which is nearly two times the rate of the next closest city, Woodstock ($52.42) - a small city in Pipestone County in the southwestern part of the Gopher State.

With the exception of Wayzata and Excelsior, the Top 10 list looks quite different when calculating contributions on a per resident basis.

Top 10 Cities Contributing Itemized Individual Donations to Minnesota U.S. House Candidates in 2010 Election Cycle (Per Resident)

And what candidates are the recipients of all this money coming out of Wayzata?

Overall, Republican candidates received $289,020, or 69.6 percent of its large donor contributions. DFLers received $126,100, or 30.4 percent.

Erik Paulsen, who represents the city in the 3rd Congressional District, received $168,140 from residents of Wayzata, or 40.5 percent of such funds.

Meanwhile, only $18,200 (4.3 percent) has been targeted to 3rd CD DFL nominee Jim Meffert and former 3rd CD DFL candidate Maureen Hackett.

Michele Bachmann has received the second largest amount of money from Wayzata residents, at $63,830 (15.4 percent), followed by former 6th CD DFL candidate Maureen Reed at $43,550 (10.5 percent).

Itemized Individual Contributions from Wayzata Residents to Minnesota U.S. House Candidates in 2010 Election Cycle

But Wayzata doesn't have the largest partisan tilt for political donations in the Gopher State.

The next report in this series will reveal the Minnesota cities with the biggest imbalance in giving to Democratic and Republican congressional candidates.

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Clark even with Bachmann in per-day fundraising from Stillwater; Congresswoman has shed top of the ticket GOP vote in the City in both 2006 and 2008

This is the fourth in a series of reports on campaign fundraising in Minnesota's U.S. House races. Previous reports examined which 6th CD candidate was raising more in-state money, which 6th CD candidate was receiving more contributions from Minnesota political elites, and to which candidates Minneapolis residents have made campaign contributions.

While Michele Bachmann's fundraising within the state of Minnesota has been equal to that of her DFL rival Tarryl Clark, she has not yet enjoyed much success in finding contributors in Stillwater, where she launched her political career as a state senator.

Although only boasting a population of a little more than 15,000 residents, Stillwater has been a key fundraising city for U.S. House candidates in the 2010 election cycle.

A Smart Politics analysis of FEC itemized individual contributions from January 1, 2009 through the July 21, 2010 primary reporting period finds Stillwater residents to have donated the 10th most money to Minnesota U.S. House candidates of any city in the Gopher State, with $82,145 across 255 contributions.

At $5.42 per resident, the only other city across the state besides Stillwater with a 2000 U.S. Census population of more than 5,000 residents that has a higher rate of giving to congressional campaigns this election cycle is Edina, at $7.07 per resident ($335,157).

However, of the $82,145 in itemized individual contributions from Stillwater that have been given to Minnesota congressional candidates through mid-July, only $18,495 has been directed to Representative Bachmann, or 22.5 percent of such funds.

By contrast, even though she didn't launch her campaign until late July 2009, Clark has received $61,249 of the $105,862 raised in her home city of St. Cloud, or 57.9 percent of all funds. (St. Cloud ranks 9th on the statewide funding list - just ahead of Stillwater).

Which raises the question: to what candidates are Stillwater residents opening their checkbooks?

The plurality of funds has actually gone to another Stillwater resident, former 6th CD DFL candidate Maureen Reed.

Reed notched $33,150 in itemized individual contributions from Stillwater (40.4 percent of all U.S. House contributions) before dropping out of the race in early June of this year.

Reed, in fact, was dominating the hometown battle against Bachmann - raising an average of $83.70 per day from the 'Birthplace of Minnesota' while she was in the race, compared to just $32.61 per day for Congresswoman Bachmann.

The hometown support for Reed has helped propel donations from Stillwater to all DFL U.S. House candidates across the Gopher State to nearly double the amount ($54,300) that has been given to Republican candidates ($27,845).

Another $11,350 in donations from Stillwater was targeted to Tarryl Clark, or $31.70 per day for the 358 days she has been in the race through the July 21st reporting period.

In other words, Stillwater is giving virtually the same amount of funds to Clark ($31.70 per day) as they are to their hometown U.S. Representative Bachmann ($32.61 per day).

Money Raised Per Day from Stillwater Residents by 6th CD Candidates

So why isn't Stillwater getting behind Representative Bachmann?

An analysis of the voting behavior of the City over the past four election cycles demonstrates Stillwater residents to have frequently backed Republican candidates in high profile races:

· In the 2002 U.S. Senate race, Republican Norm Coleman won 51.3 percent of the vote in Stillwater, defeating Walter Mondale by 5.5 points.

· In his 2008 reelection bid, Coleman carried Stillwater by a 43.2 to 41.4 percent margin over Al Franken.

· In the 2002 gubernatorial race, Republican Tim Pawlenty cruised to a 10.5-point win over Roger Moe in Stillwater, winning 46.7 percent of the vote.

· In his 2006 gubernatorial reelection bid, Pawlenty maintained his support in Stillwater, winning 47.0 percent of the vote compared to 42.8 percent for DFLer Mike Hatch.

In short, Stillwater is not St. Paul on the St. Croix.

However, it would also be wrong to characterize the City as having a definite right tilt.

In the 2004 and 2008 presidential elections, John Kerry and Barack Obama both carried Stillwater, winning 51.6 and 56.0 percent of the vote respectively.

Amy Klobuchar also won the district with 60.0 percent of the vote during her 2006 rout of former 6th CD Representative Mark Kennedy.

But the success several Republicans have enjoyed in Stillwater over the past decade has yet remained elusive for its hometown Congresswoman.

For example, former GOP Congressman Mark Kennedy (who lived two counties over in Watertown) averaged 48.5 percent of the Stillwater vote during his successful 2002 (52.7 percent) and 2004 (44.2 percent) U.S. House bids.

Bachmann, however, has averaged only 35.5 percent of the Stillwater vote during her 2006 (35.3 percent) and 2008 (35.6 percent) campaigns.

Kennedy also ran 6.0 points better in the City during his 2002 U.S. House run than did Tim Pawlenty in that year's gubernatorial contest (52.7 vs. 46.7 percent). Meanwhile, Bachmann ran 11.7 points worse in Stillwater than the Governor in 2006 (35.3 vs. 47.0 percent).

And while Kennedy ran 1.4 points ahead of Norm Coleman in the City in 2002 (52.7 vs. 51.3 percent), Bachmann ran 1.1 points worse than Kennedy in 2006 in his Senate bid (35.3 vs. 36.4 percent) and 7.6 points worse than Coleman in his 2008 contest (35.6 vs. 43.2 percent).

Bachmann's tendency to shed top-of-the-ticket GOP support in her hometown was also apparent in the 2008 presidential race: the Congresswoman received 6.8 points less than fellow Republican John McCain (35.6 vs. 42.4 percent), whereas Mark Kennedy received just 3.1 points less in the City than George W. Bush in 2004 (44.2 vs. 47.3 percent).

Overall, Representative Bachmann has yet to carry even one of the eight precincts that comprise her hometown of Stillwater in either of her U.S. House victories.

Bachmann came closest in 2006 with Ward 3, Precinct 6 - losing to Patty Wetterling by a 458 to 445 vote margin.

By contrast, Pawlenty won five of the eight precincts in 2006, including Ward 4, Precinct 9 by 282 votes. Bachmann lost that precinct by 70 votes.

Norm Coleman won three precincts and tied in another in 2008, carrying Ward 4, Precinct 9 by 279 votes. Bachmann lost the 9th by 186 votes.

Perhaps tellingly, Congresswoman Bachmann launched her two-day bus tour this week not from Stillwater, but from Woodbury.

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Former 6th CD DFLer who suspended her campaign more than two months ago has still raised the most money from Minneapolis residents of any U.S. House candidate this election cycle

This is the third in a series of reports on campaign fundraising in Minnesota U.S. House races. Previous reports examined which 6th CD candidate was raising more in-state money and which 6th CD candidate was receiving more contributions from Minnesota political elites.

Although its population of just shy of 400,000 is approximately 7.3 percent that of the entire state, the City of Minneapolis does wield a much bigger punch when it comes to fundraising for political candidates.

While the City of Lakes is not the per capita leader in money contributed to candidates (see a future installment in this series on this topic), Minneapolis does contribute a disproportionate share.

A Smart Politics analysis of more than 14,500 itemized contributions to U.S. House candidates statewide, finds that with $1,047,405 in such donations through July 21, 2010, Minneapolis residents account for 19.6 percent of all such donations raised throughout the Gopher State ($5,344,913), or a 2.7 times higher rate than its population.

Given the prevalence of large corporations headquartered in Minneapolis and the Greater Metro region generally, it is natural that the individuals who run these corporations will make big donations to political campaigns disproportionately from this area.

However, a Smart Politics analysis of funds raised through the first 567 days of the current election cycle finds that the candidate who has received the most itemized individual contributions from Minneapolis is...Maureen Reed?

Despite dropping out of her 6th CD race against Tarryl Clark in early June for the right to challenge Michele Bachmann in November, Reed has received nearly 1 in 5 dollars Minneapolis residents have given to all DFL and GOP U.S. House candidates in this election cycle through July 21st.

But first, let's take a step back.

It should not come as a surprise that a DFLer leads the way for contributions gathered from Minneapolis residents. The 5th CD - which is mostly comprised of the City of Minneapolis - voted 74.1 percent for Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election, as well as 70.9 percent for DFLer Keith Ellison in the U.S. House race.

Overall, of the nearly $1.05 million in funds donated to U.S. House candidates from Minneapolis this election cycle, $758,457 have been given to DFLers (72.4 percent), with $288,893 to Republicans (27.6 percent).

In short, partisan giving from Minneapolis is virtually dead even with partisan voting.

The vast majority of this money, however, is not going to candidates in the 5th Congressional District race. And for good reason.

Keith Ellison won the 5th CD by 48.9 points in 2008 - which was the largest margin of victory posted by a one-term U.S. House incumbent in the history of the Gopher State and the second largest victory margin of all-time in the district.

Without a competitive race in the 5th to get behind, Minneapolis residents have therefore turned their pocketbooks out to candidates in other districts - particularly the 6th CD.

Through late July, over $469,000 of the $1.05 million in itemized individual contributions from Minneapolis has been directed to candidates in Michele Bachmann's 6th CD, or 44.8 percent.

This is more than twice the amount of the next closest districts, the 1st CD ($200,071; 19.1 percent) and 3rd CD ($175,443; 16.8 percent), and is more than six times the amount spent on candidates in the 5th ($74,130; 5.7 percent).

Overall, candidates in the 6th CD race have received more money from Minneapolis residents than all candidates in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th, and 8th districts combined.

Delivering over 61 percent of funds to the 6th and 3rd CDs makes particular sense for DFLers, as those were the two most competitive races in the state in 2008, with Republicans Bachmann and Erik Paulsen winning by 3.0 and 7.6 percent respectively.

Donating nearly 20 percent of contributions to 1st CD candidates also makes sense both for Democrats and Republicans - as Tim Walz is considered the most vulnerable DFLer in the Gopher State of the delegation's five safe seats.

Itemized Individual Contributions by Minneapolis Residents to U.S. House Candidates by Congressional District

But what is perhaps most curious about all the money that has been thrown into the 6th CD race from Minneapolis to date is that the candidate who has received the most is no longer even in the race.

DFLer Maureen Reed, who suspended her campaign in early June a couple months after losing her party's endorsement to State Senator Tarryl Clark, has received $202,666 from Minneapolis residents - more than candidates from both parties combined for any of the other seven congressional districts in the Gopher State.

Reed has received 19.3 percent of all itemized contributions from Minneapolis residents this election cycle - just edging out Clark, who has received $200,006 during this period, or 19.1 percent.

Although Reed did have a one quarter head start against Clark early in the campaign, her success in receiving financial support in Minneapolis comes even as Clark had outraised her by more than a 2:1 margin through June 2010 for all individual contributions, with $1.79 million to Reed's $882,480.

Although the extremely well-funded Michele Bachmann is outraising Clark within the State of Minnesota as a whole - receiving $1.02 for every $1.00 for Clark - she comes in at a distant 6th in funds received from the deep blue City of Lakes with $66,144, or 6.3 percent of total funds donated.

Ellison, who represents the 5th CD, comes in fifth on the list with $72,140, or 6.9 percent.

Itemized Individual Contributions by Minneapolis Residents to U.S. House Candidates by Candidate

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Clark has received 400+ times more money from current and former Minnesota politicians than Congresswoman Bachmann

Although Michele Bachmann is having no trouble raising funds for her reelection campaign, and is slightly outperforming her DFL rival Tarryl Clark with contributions from Minnesotans overall, Clark is besting the Republican incumbent by a huge margin in one regard: financial support from the state's political leaders.

A Smart Politics analysis of FEC data compiled through July 21st finds that Clark has received nearly $17,000 in itemized individual contributions from more than 20 current and former Minnesota officeholders and candidates, while Bachmann has received just $35 from only two.

State Senator Clark's financial backers include some very prominent names in Gopher State politics.

Former U.S. Senator and current DFL gubernatorial nominee Mark Dayton has contributed $2,400 to Clark thus far in her campaign.

Former DFL U.S. Senate candidates David Lillehaug (in 2000), Rebecca Yanisch (2000), and Priscilla Lord Faris (2008) also have given $3,300 collectively to the State Senator.

But Dayton is just one of several current and former gubernatorial candidates to give money to Clark in her bid to upset Bachmann this November.

Matt Entenza, whose 2010 bid ended on primary night last Tuesday, donated $2,400 to Clark at the end of June. Former Attorney General and 2006 DFL gubernatorial nominee Mike Hatch gave $250 to the Clark campaign, as did former Senate Majority Leader and 2002 gubernatorial nominee Roger Moe ($700).

Two former DFL Congressmen have also provided financial support to Clark - including one of Bachmann's 6th CD seat predecessors.

Bill Luther (pictured), who represented the 6th District from 1995-2003, contributed $500 to Clark, as did former longtime 5th CD Representative Martin Sabo.

Patty Wetterling, who vied for the 6th CD seat against Mark Kennedy in 2004 and Bachmann in 2006, has put up $1,500 of her own money in 2010 to help Clark defeat the two-term GOP Congresswoman.

Maureen Hackett, who campaigned for the 3rd CD DFL endorsement to take on Republican Erik Paulsen in 2010, donated $1,200 to Clark in late 2009.

In addition to Entenza and Moe mentioned above, several other current and former state legislators have donated to the Clark campaign, to the tune of more than $4,400 collectively.

From the Senate, Clark has received money from Linda Higgins (SD 58-Minneapolis), Terri Bonoff (SD 43-Minnetonka), and Tony Lourey (SD 08-Kerrick). Former State Senator and Representative Steve Kelley has also contributed to Clark.

From the House, contributions have come in from Phyllis Kahn (HD 59B-Minneapolis), Frank Hornstein (HD 60B-Minneapolis), and Paul Thissen (HD 63A-Minneapolis).

Former longtime Republican lawmaker (and 2008 Moderate Independent candidate) Ron Erhardt also made two contributions to Clark during the last few months.

And at the local level, Clark has received money from officeholders such as Edina Mayor James Hovland and Wright County Commissioner Rosemary Thelen.

But while the total amount of money raised by Clark from these notable political figures is but a small fraction of the more than $775,000 she has received in itemized contributions thus far in the election cycle, it still towers over the amount of money political elites have given to Congresswoman Bachmann.

Although Representative Bachmann has amassed nearly $1,000,000 in itemized funds from Minnesotans through mid-July, only $25 has come from a prominent current political officeholder.

That distinction is held by first term GOP Representative Peggy Scott (HD 49A-Andover, pictured), who donated $25 to Bachmann in the 4th Quarter of 2009.

Bachmann also received a small contribution from former six-term GOP Representative Sondra Erickson from District 16A, who was defeated at the ballot box in 2008. According to the FEC report, Erickson gave $10 to Bachmann's campaign in December of 2009.

Of course, this striking imbalance in contributions from Gopher State political elites may be a badge of honor for Bachmann, who has prided herself in not being an 'establishment candidate' through her nearly four years in Congress.

In fact, though she is an incumbent and well-funded, there is telling evidence of Bachmann's "outsider" status: the only area of the country in which Clark holds a decisive fundraising advantage over Bachmann is none other than the Congresswoman's workplace, Washington D.C.

This imbalance in financial support from political elites raises a key political question.

Are political elites from the GOP not donating money to Bachmann because they know the well-funded incumbent does not need their donation, because they do not support her candidacy, or because they believe there is too great of a political risk in supporting such a controversial candidate?

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Bachmann raising $1.02 for every $1.00 Clark raises in Minnesota; Congresswoman outraising Clark in 48 of 50 states overall

Despite facing nearly a 2:1 disadvantage in campaign fundraising from her rival Michele Bachmann over the course of the election cycle to date, and more than $700,000 last quarter alone, DFL 6th CD candidate Tarryl Clark is virtually tied with the two-term Republican Congresswoman on one metric: money raised in their home state of Minnesota.

A Smart Politics analysis of itemized individual contributions from January 1, 2009 through July 21, 2010 finds that Bachmann has raised $1,689.04 per day in such contributions from Minnesotans compared to $1,658.49 per day for Clark since she launched her campaign in July 2009.

To be sure, the Bachmann-Clark matchup is not simply of interest to 6th CD constituents, but also to residents across the Gopher State and the nation, where many Republicans see the Congresswoman as a champion of true conservative principles on Capitol Hill, while many liberals see her as tone deaf to her district and a top target to defeat at the ballot box this November.

But while Bachmann and Clark may be miles apart on policy, their fundraising campaigns are following similar tracks by some measures.

For example, through the second quarter of 2010, Clark had raised 88.7 percent of her total funds from individuals with just 11.2 percent from PACs. Bachmann, meanwhile, had raised 91.9 percent of her funds from individuals and only 8.1 percent from PACs.

Secondly, of the funds Clark has raised from individuals, 61.3 percent are small donors, or unitemized contributions, compared to a very similar 55.8 percent for Bachmann.

In Minnesota, Congresswoman Bachmann has raised $957,687 in itemized funds through July 21st, compared to $593,380 for Clark. But this statistic is misleading.

Although Bachmann has received $364,307 more from in-state contributors than Clark for the campaign cycle to date, the DFL State Senator did not enter the race until late July of 2009 and has thus had 209 fewer days to raise money during the past one and a half years.

When adjusting for the number of days on the campaign trail, the numbers are almost even, with just a slight in-state edge to Bachmann: $1,689.04 raised per day for the Congresswoman and $1,658.49 per day for Clark.

This $31.55 daily advantage for Bachmann is not significant considering the total amount of money being raised by the two candidates in-state: Bachmann is raising $1.02 for every $1.00 raised by Clark in itemized contributions from Minnesotans.

Per Day Itemized Individual Contributions to Bachmann and Clark from Minnesotans

But while Clark is virtually even with Bachmann for in-state large donor fundraising, a tie probably isn't good enough for the State Senator.

Because Congresswoman Bachmann has become such a national phenomenon during the last two years, a significant amount of her fundraising comes from out of state.

The $957,687 raised by Bachmann in-state amounts to just 39.7 percent of her itemized contributions raised nationwide. For Clark, the $593,380 she has raised in Minnesota totals 76.4 percent of such contributions she has received.

Overall, Representative Bachmann is outraising Clark in 48 of 50 states, including $365 per day in California, $296 per day in Florida, and $289 per day in Texas.

After also including New York and Illinois, Bachmann is raising $1,344 per day from these five states for the election cycle to date, compared to $220 per day for Clark since she launched her candidacy one year ago.

For every $1.00 Clark raises in these heavily populated states, Bachmann is raising $6.11.

The Congresswoman is raising more than 10 times that of the Clark campaign per day in 11 states across the country: Indiana (160x), Florida (25x), North Dakota (19x), South Carolina (15x), Ohio (15x), Texas (15x), Alabama (15x), Wisconsin (14x), Hawaii (12x), Oklahoma (11x), and Idaho (11x).

This does not include another seven states in which Clark has yet to raise money from an itemized individual donor: Nevada, Wyoming, Rhode Island, Utah, Mississippi, Delaware, and West Virginia. (Bachmann has raised large donor money from all 50 states).

And what are the two states in which Clark has a fundraising advantage over Bachmann?

Conservatives will nod knowingly to learn that Clark is outraising Bachmann in two of the nation's most liberal states: Massachusetts and Vermont.

Clark is raising $24.36 per day in Massachusetts compared to $23.87 for Bachmann, or for every $1.00 raised by Clark, the Congresswoman is raising $0.98.

In Vermont neither candidate is bringing in a haul, but Clark holds a $2.86 per day to $2.37 advantage.

However, the place where Clark has the biggest advantage is actually where Bachmann works, Washington, D.C.

Clark is raising $5.51 more per day ($21.73) than Bachmann ($16.22) at the nation's capital, or, for every $1.00 raised by Clark in D.C., the Congresswoman is raising just $0.75.

Itemized Individual Contributions to Bachmann and Clark Campaigns by State Per Day

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