How much did labor groups spend in 2008?

We're still working through the campaign finance reports, but here are the numbers Dome has collected so far on spending in state races by unions and employee associations:

National Education Association: $1,935,703

Service Employees International Union: $1,810,569

International Brotherhood of Teamsters: $334,117

N.C. Association of Educators: $267,230

State Employees Association of N.C.: $194,800

United Food and Commercial Workers Union: $116,500

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers: $41,500

Communications Workers of America: $18,750

UNITE HERE: $16,500

United Auto Workers: $9,000

N.C. Chapter of the AFL-CIO: $4,000

That adds up to $4.7 million for the 2008 cycle. However, it does not take into account money given by unions to groups such as the Democratic Governors Association, which also spent heavily here.

It also does not include spending in the U.S. Senate race.

The National Education Association spent $1.8 million in 2008 races.

The national teachers union, which is affiliated with the N.C. Association of Educators, gave $250,000 to the Alliance for North Carolina, $300,000 to the N.C. Democratic Party and $9,500 to Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue's campaign.

It also spent $1.3 million on research, polling and advertising on behalf of Perdue, including some administrative costs.

Update: Contributions to the Democratic Party updated to include two last-minute filings. 

Second update: Independent expenditures updated as well. 

SEANC gave $194,800 in North Carolina races this year.

The State Employees Association of North Carolina gave $89,300 to 53 state House candidates, $79,000 to 28 Senate candidates an $16,000 to four statewide candidates. Seventy-six recipients were Democrats, and nine were Republicans.

The largest donations went to House challenger Jimmy Garner and Sen. Floyd McKissick, who each received $8,000; and House challenger Betty Mangum and Sens. Fletcher Hartsell, Steve Goss, Ellie Kinnaird, who received $5,000 apiece.

Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue, Lt. Gov.-elect Walter Dalton, agriculture commissioner candidate Ronnie Ansley and labor commissioner candidate Mary Fant Donnan, all Democrats, each received $4,000.

Fifty-five of the candidates were incumbents, 19 were challenging an incumbent and 11 were running for open seats. 

The state workers group also gave $4,000 to the state House Republican committee, $1,000 to the Senate Democratic committee and $500 to the House Democratic committee.

In addition, SEANC gave $5,000 to the Alliance for North Carolina. 

The SEIU PAC gave $1.2 million to the N.C. Democratic Party in 2008.

Reviews of the campaign finance reports for the party's state committee show four major donations from the Service Employees International Union's political action committee:

Sept. 16: $250,000
Oct. 15: $250,000
Oct. 21: $600,000
Oct. 31: $50,000

The contributions are not listed among the SEIU's spending in the state, which includes only a $4,000 donation to the party on April 21.

As noted previously, the PAC spent $410,569 on state races in 2008. The donations to the state party brings its total state spending to $1.6 million.

Update: The SEIU also gave $250,000 to the Alliance for North Carolina, bringing its total spending to $1,810,569.

Hat Tip: Chris Hayes

The Alliance for North Carolina may not be going away.

A spokesman for the independent 527 group, which ran five ads against Republican gubernatorial candidate Pat McCrory during the fall campaign, said that it may still play a role in state politics.

"As issues present themselves where we feel the need to take a stand, we will," said Scott Falmlen, a Democratic political consultant.

That would be fairly unusual for a group that got its start essentially as a hit-and-run organization against a GOP candidate for governor in Oklahoma. It would also require more fundraising, since the group appears to have about $350,000 left.

About 88 percent of the Alliance's funding this year came from the Democratic Governors Association, or $3.7 out of $4.2 million dollars it received, according to reports filed with the State Board of Elections.

Another $250,000 apiece came from two unions, the National Education Association and the Service Employees International Union, while the Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association gave $15,000.

The State Employees Association of N.C., which is affiliated with SEIU, also gave $5,000. 

While labor made gains in North Carolina this year, big business got a little less organized.

At the same time that the SEIU and SEANC were playing a stronger role in state elections, the biggest advocacy group for corporate interests essentially disbanded.

But John Davis, the former head of N.C. FREE, said that doesn't mean business is any less powerful.

"Business still has the upper hand in this state," said Davis, now an independent consultant. "I think what you're seeing with labor is the beginnings of them becoming a serious player in North Carolina. They're a serious player at the state legislative level, but I think you're going to see them grow exponentially."

As head of N.C. FREE for 23 years, Davis said he didn't see labor spending begin in earnest here until the 2004 and 2006 elections, in part because of the growing role of so-called 527 groups, which can run independent political campaigns.

He cited SEIU's contributions to FairJudges.net in 2006 and to the Alliance for North Carolina this year as evidence of their growing role. While N.C. FREE is not around to represent business interests, he said groups like the N.C. Chamber may play a larger role, as will ad hoc groups like the one that opposed the transfer tax.

"I don't expect business to do anything but man up to labor," he said. "They have the resources to do battle politically, and they'll find some way to do it."

Outside groups have spent more than $20 million on North Carolina campaigns.

Most of the third-party spending has gone to the U.S. Senate race. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spent $6.6 million attacking Sen. Elizabeth Dole, while the National Republican Senatorial Committee spent $2.8 million against Kay Hagan.

Freedom's Watch and the National Rifle Association are also spending against Hagan, while the League of Conservation Voters and Citizens for Strength and Security are spending against Dole. At least 11 groups have bought TV ads in the Senate race.

Meanwhile, the Republican Governors Association has spent $4 million against Democraic gubernatorial candidate Beverly Perdue and the Alliance for North Carolina has spent $2.4 million against Republican Pat McCrory. 

National Democrats, Realtors and a gun-rights group have spent money on other state races. (Char-O) 

A new ad from the Alliance for North Carolina criticizes Republican gubernatorial candidate Pat McCrory over his ties to President Bush.

Pat McCrory vetoed the proposed 2006 Charlotte budget.

The veto has been cited in a recent ad by the Alliance for North Carolina, which said that he vetoed "a pay raise for police and firefighters."

In 2006, the Charlotte City Council split along party lines on the budget. Republicans proposed a budget without a tax hike; Democrats proposed the first property tax increase in 10 years. After voting down the GOP proposal, the Democratic majority passed its version.

The Democrats' budget included a three percent pay raise for city workers, plus an additional five percent for certain police officers and firefighters.

McCrory vetoed it, saying among other things that the tax increase was not necessary.

According to city council minutes from June 19 of that year, he also said he had a "respectful disagreement" over giving one group of city employees higher raises than others.

"We saw fire uniforms, we saw sanitation uniforms, we saw police uniforms in here, yet we took one select group of good people and said you are going to get more across the board," he said, according to the minutes.

   Comments (0)