U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole's political action committee has received $848,615 in the last three years.

The Leadership Circle PAC is separate from Dole's campaign committee, so it can receive bigger contributions from donors. As a recent report and database from NPR's Marketplace shows, leadership PACs like it are booming.

Many of Dole's contributors are familiar faces.

Between December of 2004 and December of 2007, her leadership PAC received $20,000 from lieutenant governor candidate Robert Pittenger and his wife, Suzanne; $16,750 from former gubernatorial candidate Bill Graham and his wife, Shari; and $10,000 from SAS co-founder Jim Goodnight.

Other donations came from Raleigh lawyer Kieran Shanahan, CaptiveAire owner Bob Luddy, her husband Bob, Luther Hodges Jr., billionaire resort builder Kirk Kerkorian, Raleigh developer John Kane, and former Dole running mate Jack Kemp.

The Leadership Circle PAC also received money from other PACs, including the Progress Energy PAC, Wachovia Employees Good Government Fund, the N.C. Farm Bureau, and PACs for R.J. Reynolds, Lorillard Tobacco Co., Duke Energy and Federal Express.

Pat McCrory received $2.2 million in donations by the end of June.

The Republican gubernatorial nominee raised $1.1 million from donors in the second quarter of 2008, according to a report filed with the State Board of Elections.

Major donors included Belk executive John Belk, former U.S. Sen. Jim Broyhill, Bojangles owner Joseph Drury, Nascar team owner Rick Hendrick, Raleigh real estate executive John Kane, CaptiveAire Systems owner Bob Luddy, Variety Wholesalers executive James Pope and Duke Energy president Ellen Ruff.

He received only $450 in the second quarter from political action committees. 

His campaign has received no loans.

He had cash on hand of $709,448 at the end of the second quarter. 

Bill Daughtridge raised $150,870 by the end of 2007.

The Republican candidate for state treasurer raised $136,690 from larger donors, including Captive Aire president Bob Luddy, attorney Brent Barringer and petroleum marketer Rober Airey, according to a campaign finance report filed with the State Board of Elections today.

He also raised $930 from donors who gave less than $50, and $11,250 from political action committees, including the N.C. Automobile Dealers Association, the N.C. Restaurant Association and the N.C. Home Builders Association.

He also received $1,000 donations from the campaigns of state Rep. Danny McComas and former Rep. John Sauls. 

At the same time, Daughtridge spent $192,288 on office supplies, consulting, fundraisers, campaign signs and ad production.

That left him with $78,934 in cash on hand at the end of the year.

Tom Ellis will be honored next week in Raleigh.

Ellis, a Raleigh attorney who was chief architect of the Republican Party's rise in North Carolina, will receive the Freedom Leadership Award for at a dinner sponsored by Hillsdale College at the N.C. Museum of Art on Wednesday, Oct. 3.

As the chief strategist for former Sen. Jesse Helms and his political organization, the National Congressional Club, Ellis helped rescue the career of Ronald Reagan as well as elevate John East and Lauch Faircloth to the Senate, Rob Christensen reports.

Among the sponsors of the event are former Raleigh Mayor Tom Fetzer; John Hood, president of the John Locke Foundation; businessman Bob Luddy and philanthropist Assad Meymandi.

Larry P. Arnn, president of Hillsdale College, will speak.