Romney's Strongest 2012 Fundraising Locales Identical to 2008: UT, CT, DC, MA, ID

Per capita itemized donations to Mitt Romney's presidential campaign are led by the same five locales in each of his White House bids

While he is battling against an almost entirely new crop of Republican presidential contenders compared to his bid four years ago, one thing that hasn't changed for Mitt Romney in the new election cycle is the geographic location of his most passionate financial supporters.

A Smart Politics study of contributions to Romney's 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns finds the same five states sit atop the list in itemized per capita giving to the former Bay State governor across both cycles: Utah, Connecticut, Washington, D.C., Massachusetts, and Idaho.

These five states account for nearly one-quarter of Romney's gross itemized receipts through the second quarter of 2011, despite accounting for just 4.9 percent of the nation's population.

The five states have donated $3.9 million to Romney in itemized contributions through June, or 23.2 percent of his $16.9 million haul in such donations.

That percentage is nearly identical to 2008, when these same five states tallied 24.8 percent of Romney's itemized contributions for the entire cycle.

Utah, where Romney enjoys strong ties with the business and Mormon communities, has come in at #1 in both election cycles - far outpacing any other state.

In the current campaign through June, Utah residents have given Romney $47,066 per 100,000 residents in itemized contributions, or 78 percent higher than the next closest state, Connecticut ($26,383).

After Utah and Connecticut, the next most generous locale in per capita giving to Romney this cycle is Washington, D.C. at $22,178 per 100,000 residents, followed by Massachusetts at #4 ($20,379) and Idaho at #5 ($13,691).

The same five states set the pace for Romney four years ago.

By the end of the 2008 campaign, Utah donated at a rate of $197,397 per 100,000 individuals to Romney, or 179 percent greater than Washington, D.C. at #2 ($70,754), followed by Massachusetts at #3 ($58,817), Idaho at #4 ($43,100), and Connecticut at #5 ($40,530).

Rounding out the Top 10 for Romney in the current cycle to date are New York at #6 ($10,938 per 100,000 residents), Missouri at #7 ($9,274), his birth state of Michigan at #8 ($8,945), Florida at #9 ($7,934), and New Hampshire at #10 ($7,503).

Romney's 2012 per capita fundraising prowess is most evident in states carried by Barack Obama, which land seven of the Top 10 per capita fundraising slots and 11 of the Top 15.

In stark contrast, McCain states populate 8 of the Bottom 10 slots in per capita itemized giving to Romney with North Dakota at #51, Oklahoma at #50, Kansas at #49, Mississippi at #47, Kentucky at #46, South Carolina at #45, South Dakota at #44, and Arkansas at #43.

The only Obama states at the bottom of Romney's per capita fundraising list are Minnesota at #48 and New Mexico at #42.

Overall, Romney is raising money at a 20.4 percent greater adjusted rate in Obama states ($5,798 per 100,000 residents) than in McCain states ($4,814).

Compare that to 2008, when Romney's fundraising numbers were evenly split by the end of the cycle: $15,534 per 100,000 residents in Obama states versus $15,401 in McCain states, or a difference of less than 1 percent.

Interestingly, Romney receipts in the 2012 cycle still have an Obama state tilt even after eliminating the wealthy donor states of California and New York.

Excluding the Golden and Empire States finds Romney collecting an average of $5,032 per 100,000 residents in the remaining Obama states - still 5 percent higher than his adjusted rate in McCain states.

The other alumnus from 2008 in the current GOP field, Texas Congressman Ron Paul, also finds the same states atop his strongest per capita fundraising list in 2012 as in 2008 (Wyoming, New Hampshire, Nevada, and Alaska).

Per Capita Itemized Contributions to Mitt Romney's Presidential Campaign by State, 2012 vs. 2008 Cycles

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