Raising Money in the Pre-Campaign Period

A leadership PAC is a good way for a potential presidential candidate to support candidates and party committees around the country and at the same time spread his or her own message. The process of raising and contributing money provides a foundation for networking, helps curry favor among party influentials, and allows a prospect to demonstrate fundraising ability. In addition to federal PACs, some prospects established state PACs. These allow for activity in local races and may have less stringent rules on contributions and disclosure. There are other entities; former Speaker Newt Gingrich's 527-group American Solutions for Winning the Future raised millions; Gov. Haley Barbour headed the Republican Governors Association, which put together a political budget of $102 million in 2010; Sen. John Thune, unchallenged in his 2010 re-election campaign, ended with cash on hand of more than $7.1 million (1, 2), which can be applied to a presidential campaign should he decide to run; and former Gov. George Pataki's Revere America was formed as a 501(c)(4) but did end up doing a filing with the FEC.

Federal PACs - Receipts and Disbursements 2009-10¹

FEC Filings Electr. (Paper)	Open Secrets		Formed	Total Receipts	Total Disbursements
BARBOUR (x)	x	Haleys PAC	09/04	$1,081,643	$   704,824
DeMINT (x)	x	Senate Conservatives Fund	04/08	$9,253,507	$8,220,120
GINGRICH (x)	x	American Solutions PAC	12/09	$   736,729	$   672,012
HUCKABEE (x)	x	Huck PAC	04/08	$1,803,030	$1,745,459
PALIN (x)	x	Sarah PAC	01/09	$5,685,213	$4,356,362
PATAKI (x)	x	Revere America			$2,265,814
PAWLENTY (x)	x	Freedom First PAC (1, 2)	10/09	$3,376,545	$3,221,556
PENCE (x)	x	Win Back America PAC	12/02	$   630,173	$   580,529
ROMNEY (x)	x	Free and Strong America PAC (1, 2, 3, 4)	04/08	$9,133,778	$8,675,546
SANTORUM (x)	x	America's Foundation	09/95	$2,813,395	$2,788,808
THUNE (x)	x	Heartland Values PAC	01/05	$   877,649	$   863,493
CAIN (x)	x	Hermanator PAC	05/10	$   221,946	$   219,700

1. These numbers from from FEC Summary Reports through 12/31/10 only. 


State PACs - Receipts

			2009	2010
BARBOUR	Haleys PAC	MS	$67,900.00 [PDF]
	Haley's Leadership PAC 2	GA
DANIELS	Aiming Higher PAC	IN	$517,920.44	$2.124,072.74 ...through 10/20
PAWLENTY	Freedom First PAC	IA >, NH
ROMNEY	Free and Strong America PAC	AL, IA >, MI, NH, SC		SC $171,899 ...through 10/8
SANTORUM	Iowa Keystone PAC	IA >

2. See: Kenneth P. Vogel and Catherine Cheney. "Barbour fundraising takes off." POLITICO, June 24, 2010. >


527 Organization +

			Total Receipts YTD
GINGRICH	American Solutions for Winning the Future		$8,134,750	(mid-year report through June 30)