Top 10 Candidates & Committees on ActBlue, Aug. 18-24, 2008

Editor's Note: Each week, ActBlue will release key statistics from campaigns across the country, along with brief biographical notes on the week's Top 10 Candidates and Committees.* When we have information that may help to explain why a candidate or candidate has had increased activity on ActBlue, we will provide it in italics below the biography. Descriptive content reproduced in the ActBlue Campaign Newswire is collated from publicly available sources. ActBlue does not take sides in any Democratic primary. You can subscribe to the RSS feed of the Campaign Newswire at http://feeds.feedburner.com/ActBlueCampaignNewswire.

**This week's list is condensed to include only brief biographical notes of our Top 10 Candidates and Committees because of ActBlue's scaled down staff due to the Democratic National Convention. Next week, the Campaign Newswire will return to its regular format.**

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1. Eric Massa | NY-29 | $32,976.94

2. Campaign For Our Country | $28,156.08

3. Kay Hagan | NC-Sen | $25,444.86

4. Equality for All | $25,137.50

5. Gavin Newsom | CA-Gov | $24,280.00

6. Rick Noriega | TX-Sen | $22,089.12

7. Scott Kleeb | NE-Sen | $16,918.58

8. Russ Warner | CA-26 | $15,802.55

9. Martin Heinrich | NM-01 | $14,348.04

10. Mark Warner | VA-Sen | $13,157.50

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1. Eric Massa (NY-29)

Naval veteran Eric Massa is a candidate for Congress in New York's 29th District. He is challenging Republican incumbent Randy Kuhl for the second time. Massa is a vocal supporter of the "Responsible Plan for Iraq." This is Massa's second cycle with ActBlue.

Massa's ActBlue hubpage: http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/17761
Massa's campaign site: http://www.massaforcongress.com/index.asp

2. Campaign for Our Country

Campaign for Our Country is Senator John Kerry's leadership PAC that has raised over $15 million for candidates and committees up and down the ballot in 46 states. The group states that it will "defend Democrats who are smeared by the right-wing smear machine, and ... point out ways the Republicans have failed this country." Two weeks ago, the PAC launched TruthFightsBack.com, a new, innovative website that empowers activists to track and fight back against the rightwing smear machine. The overwhelming success of this launch put the PAC on our list for the first time last week, and bumped it up to number 2 this week.

Campaign for Our Country's ActBlue hubpage: http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/9487
Campaign for Our Country's website: http://www.campaignforourcountry.com/

3. Kay Hagan (NC-Sen)

Kay Hagan is a Campaign Newswire regular and is in the top 3 for the ninth week in a row. Hagan is running against Republican incumbent Elizabeth Dole and was named one of the "top ten most effective state senators" by the North Carolina Center for Public Policy Research (NCCPPR). After winning the Democratic primary in May with 60 percent of the vote, the five-term North Carolina state senator continues to pick up high-profile endorsements.

Hagan's ActBlue hubpage: http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/18560
Hagan's campaign site: http://kayhagan.com/welcome

4. Equality for All

Equality for All is a diverse coalition encouraging Californians to vote against a ballot initiative ("Prop 8") that would rewrite the California Constitution to define marriage as a valid union between only a man and a woman. Equality for All is comprised of nearly 50 organizations, including LGBT, pro-choice and civil rights organizations, and organized labor and religious groups. California supporters can take the "Vow to Vote No" on Prop 8 at http://eqfed.org/campaign/vow.

No Prop 8, Equality for All website: http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/19788
No Prop 8, Equality for All campaign hubpage: http://noonprop8.com

5. Gavin Newsom (CA-Gov. Exploratory Committee)

Gavin Newsom is the first-term Mayor of the City and County of San Francisco and is currently exploring a run for governor of California in 2010. The contributions this week for Newsom, the youngest San Franciscan mayor in 100 years, are for his exploratory committee, which he launched in July 2008. Newsom made international headlines in 2004 when the city-county clerk began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples under his instruction. The Mayor continues to attract national media attention after implementing a universal health care system for all San Franciscans and signing the City onto the Kyoto Protocol, an environmental agreement in which signatories pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2012.

Newsom's exploratory committee hubpage: http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/20517
Newsom's exploratory committee website: http://www.gavinnewsom.com

6. Rick Noriega (TX-Sen)

Noriega is certainly no newcomer to ActBlue success, and has appeared on every Top 10 List since ActBlue launched the Campaign Newswire in June 2008. After Noriega's Army tour in Afghanistan, the two-term Texas state representative and Lieutenant Colonel was appointed Incident Commander of Hurricane Katrina relief efforts in Houston, Texas. He's now running against Republican incumbent John Cornyn for the Texas Senate seat.

Noriega's ActBlue hubpage: http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/18187
Noriega's campaign site: http://www.ricknoriega.com/

7. Scott Kleeb (NE-Sen)

Kleeb is a fourth generation Nebraskan, who lived in military bases overseas as a child and has worked in the Sandhills of Nebraska and as a ranch hand in eastern Colorado. While working on the dissertation for his Ph.D. from Yale, Kleeb traveled all over the Western United States and saw firsthand the difficulties that farmers, ranchers and small business owners were facing as part of a shrinking middle class. Kleeb now works to promote locally-grown food and responsible business practices as Director of Operations for Morgan Ranch, a Nebraska-based beef company.

Kleeb's ActBlue hubpage: http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/18920
Kleeb's campaign site: http://www.scottkleeb.com

8. Russ Warner (CA-26)

Russ Warner is a candidate for Congress in California's 26th Congressional District, which encompasses the San Gabriel Valley from La Crescenta to Rancho Cucamonga. Warner is a veteran of the magazine distribution trade, and is the father of three sons, one of whom recently returned from service in Iraq. Warner is running against Republican Congressman David Dreier.

Warner's ActBlue hubpage: http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/16419
Warner's campaign site: http://www.warnerforcongress.com/

9. Martin Heinrich (NM-01)

Albuquerque City Councilor Martin Heinrich is running for Congress in New Mexico's 1st District. Heinrich, once director of a foundation dedicated to science and environmental education, has served on several boards focused on environmental, open space, and urban issues, and has used his time on the City Council to work toward making New Mexico a leader in alternative energy and energy efficiency. Heinrich is running against Republican Darren White, who was recently aided by a George W. Bush fundraiser in Albuquerque.

Heinrich's ActBlue hubpage: http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/18006
Heinrich's campaign site: http://www.martinheinrich.com

10. Mark Warner (VA-Sen)

During his tenure as Virginia Governor from 2002-2006, Warner was hailed by Time Magazine as one of "America's 5 Best Governors" in 2005 and was featured in Newsweek's "Who's Next" issue in 2006. Warner is running for what will be Republican John Warner's vacated Senate seat.

Warner's ActBlue hubpage: http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/18420
Warner's campaign site: http://markwarner2008.com/welcome

* All fundraising totals represent the amount raised from 12:00 a.m. on August 18 until 11:59 p.m. on August 24, 2008.

Top 10 Candidates & Committees on ActBlue, Aug. 11-17, 2008

Editor's Note: Each week, ActBlue will release key statistics from campaigns across the country, along with brief biographical notes on the week's Top 10 Candidates and Committees.* When we have information that may help to explain why a candidate or candidate has had increased activity on ActBlue, we will provide it in italics below the biography. Descriptive content reproduced in the ActBlue Campaign Newswire is collated from publicly available sources. ActBlue does not take sides in any Democratic primary. You can subscribe to the RSS feed of the Campaign Newswire at http://campaignnewswire.blogspot.com.

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1. Kay Hagan | NC-Sen | $26,679.37

2. Rick Noriega | TX-Sen | $25,072.95

3. Campaign for Our Country | $24,851.83

4. Russ Warner | CA-26 | $14,773.41

5. Jewish Council for Education & Research | $14,175.00

6. Jon Powers | NY-26 | $12,420.19

7. Eric Massa | NY-29 | $12,094.99

8. Matthew 25 Network | $11,644.70

9. Mark Warner | VA-Sen | $11,515.44

10. Chris Bell | TX-SD-17 | $10,567.00

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1. Kay Hagan (NC-Sen)

Kay Hagan is a Campaign Newswire regular and is back in the number 1 spot for the third time in four weeks. Hagan is running against Republican incumbent Elizabeth Dole and was named one of the "top ten most effective state senators" by the North Carolina Center for Public Policy Research (NCCPPR). After winning the Democratic primary in May with 60 percent of the vote, the five-term North Carolina state senator continues to pick up high-profile endorsements.

Hagan's fundraising total this week reflects efforts by Virginia Senator Jim Webb's leadership PAC Born Fighting, and continued efforts by her campaign to connect with North Carolina voters. Born Fighting's new ActBlue page, Two Outstanding Women, lists Hagan and New Hampshire's Democratic Senate candidate Jeanne Shaheen and includes a message from Senator Webb, stating, "I want them by my side in Washington." A breakfast held yesterday with business leaders and Dr. Nido Qubein, President of High Point University in North Carolina, also helped boost Hagan into the number 1 seat this week.

Hagan's ActBlue hubpage: http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/18560
Hagan's campaign site: http://kayhagan.com/welcome

2. Rick Noriega (TX-Sen)

Noriega is certainly no newcomer to ActBlue success, and has appeared on every Top 10 List since ActBlue launched the Campaign Newswire in June 2008. After Noriega's Army tour in Afghanistan, the two-term Texas state representative and Lieutenant Colonel was appointed Incident Commander of Hurricane Katrina relief efforts in Houston, Texas. He's now running against Republican incumbent John Cornyn for the Texas Senate seat.

High-profile Democrats such as California Senator Barbara Boxer (http://actblue.com/page/boxer4noriega), Montana Senator Jon Tester (http://actblue.com/page/tester4noriega), Virginia Senator Jim Webb (http://actblue.com/page/webb4noriega), and General Wesley Clark (http://actblue.com/page/clark4noriega) continue to fundraise for Noriega on ActBlue. Through the campaign's "Fill Rick's Boots" effort, Noriega also continues to receive recurring small-dollar contributions, a traditional marker of sustainability in campaigns. Noriega is also prominently featured on a number of slate pages sponsored by major bloggers, including one created by the Blue America PAC, a group formed by the blogs Crooks & Liars, Firedoglake, Digby, and Down With Tyranny. Daily Kos, another prominent political blog, also actively fundraises for Noriega and others on its 'Orange to Blue' page. Noriega's fundraising total this week reflects ticket sales for a fundraiser in South Denton County, organized via ActBlue at http://actblue.com/page/denton.

Noriega's ActBlue hubpage: http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/18187
Noriega's campaign site: http://www.ricknoriega.com/

3. Campaign for Our Country

Campaign for Our Country is Senator John Kerry's leadership PAC that has raised over $15 million for candidates and committees up and down the ballot in 46 states. The group states that it will "defend Democrats who are smeared by the right-wing smear machine, and ... point out ways the Republicans have failed this country." Last week, the PAC launched TruthFightsBack.com, a new, innovative website that empowers activists to track and fight back against the rightwing smear machine. The overwhelming success of this launch drove the fundraising for the PAC last week into the number 3 slot.

The median contribution for Campaign for our Country last week was only $25--an impressively low amount that evidences the widespread support for the goals of Senator Kerry's leadership PAC during this election cycle.

Campaign for Our Country's ActBlue hubpage: http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/9487
Campaign for Our Country's website: http://www.campaignforourcountry.com/

4. Russ Warner (CA-26)

Russ Warner is a candidate for Congress in California's 26th Congressional District, which encompasses the San Gabriel Valley from La Crescenta to Rancho Cucamonga. Warner is a veteran of the magazine distribution trade, and is the father of three sons, one of whom recently returned from service in Iraq. Warner is running against Republican Congressman David Dreier.

Warner is a Blue America candidate, who has attracted continuous support on ActBlue since winning the Democratic Primary on June 6th. Over 15 California Congressmen and women have endorsed Warner, as well as General Wesley Clark, current California Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi, and numerous Labor Unions and Democratic organizations. After previous appearances in the Campaign Newswire, the efforts of his campaign to connect with Californians in the 26th District catapulted Warner into the top 5 candidates on our list for the first time.

Warner's ActBlue hubpage: http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/16419
Warner's campaign site: http://www.warnerforcongress.com/

5. Jewish Council for Education & Research

The JCER works to "develop and communicate information to voters in the United States around issues of concern to the Jewish community." By providing tools to its supporters such as phone and email banks, and developing a campaign to identify and persuade Jewish swing voters, JCER is hoping to mobilize support in the Jewish community "to deliver three out of four Jewish votes" to Barack Obama.

JCER brought in more contributions last week than any other week since creating an ActBlue hubpage at the end of July 2008.

JCER's ActBlue hubpage: http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/20799
JCER's website: http://www.actblue.com/page/jcer

6. Jon Powers (NY-26)

Jon Powers, running for Congress in New York's 26th District, is an Army Captain and decorated Iraqi War veteran, schoolteacher, and nonprofit leader. On returning from Baghdad and Najaf, Powers returned to New York planning to become a social studies teacher in the Clarence, NY public schools. But he felt compelled to return to Iraq, and founded War Kids Relief, a nonprofit youth services group in Baghdad that was recognized by NBC Nightly News. Hailed by his fellow troops as a "very passionate" and "exceptional leader," Powers has been endorsed by General Wesley Clark and Senator John Kerry, among other national leaders and local and national unions. Powers will face New York attorney Alice Kryzan and manufacturer Jack Davis in a September 9th primary.

Powers's fundraising success on ActBlue is driven by recurring contributions to his trademark 'Club 26,' named for his district, wherein members commit to contributing $26 each month through victory in November. Beyond giving, members participate in monthly conference calls to exchange ideas and hear about the campaign's progress.

Powers's ActBlue hubpage: http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/18111
Powers's campaign site: http://www.powersforcongress.com

7. Eric Massa (NY-29)

Naval veteran Eric Massa is a candidate for Congress from New York's 29th District. He is challenging Republican incumbent Randy Kuhl for the second time. Massa is a vocal supporter of the "Responsible Plan for Iraq." This is Massa's second cycle with ActBlue.

Massa raised more than $14,000 this week on ActBlue, with the majority of contributions coming through his campaign's main ActBlue page, http://www.actblue.com/page/massa2008. Massa continues to receive strong support from the netroots, through OpenLeft's candidate page, the Daily Kos 'Orange to Blue' page, and the Blue America page.

Massa's ActBlue hubpage: http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/17761
Massa's campaign site: http://www.massaforcongress.com/index.asp

8. Matthew 25 Network

The Matthew 25 Network is a community of Christians-- Catholic, Protestant, Pentecostal, and Evangelical-- who believe that "people of faith should actively participate in the political process as an important avenue for social change." A federal PAC, the Matthew 25 Network engages in grassroots mobilization and media activism to promote progressive candidates.

The Matthew 25 Network has been collecting donations through their ActBlue hubpage.

Matthew 25's ActBlue hubpage: http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/19684
Matthew 25's website: http://www.matthew25.org/

9. Mark Warner (VA-Sen)

During his tenure as Virginia Governor from 2002-2006, Warner was hailed by Time Magazine as one of "America's 5 Best Governors" in 2005 and was featured in Newsweek's "Who's Next" issue in 2006. Warner is running for what will be Republican John Warner's vacated Senate seat.

Mark Warner has had another banner week on ActBlue, driven by the campaign itself. The Warner campaign has made particularly good use of ActBlue web links, choosing a different link for each part of the campaign's website, so the campaign can track how supporters arrived at the donation page. As with RefCodes, words appended to the end of a web link let the campaign know which part of the page a donor clicked to donate. Distinctive links give campaigns information about what issues are motivating their donors, what language works best, and how to arrange donation buttons.

Warner's ActBlue hubpage: http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/18420
Warner's campaign site: http://markwarner2008.com/welcome

10. Chris Bell (TX-SD-17)

Former Congressman Chris Bell of Houston recently announced his campaign for Texas Senate. Bell is running to replace Kyle Janek, who resigned from his seat after serving two years of a six-year term, in a special election this November. Bell gained attention in Congress by filing an ethics complaint against Tom Delay. Bell lost his seat after Republican-led redistricting in Texas.

Bell's fundraising momentum continues to be driven by an effort called "$20,000 in 20 days for Chris Bell." The campaign set out to raise $10,000 and upped the goal to $20,000 after meeting its target. Bell's is a strong example of using revised goals-- and goal thermometers-- to motivate donors. Bell is also being promoted by Burnt Orange Report, the largest blog in Texas. Burnt Orange's page is one example of an innovative fundraising ask, wherein the bloggers stopped producing content until they raised their goal:

Burnt Orange Report is on strike until our $1,000 BOR community fundraising goal for Bell is met. All front page writers have been demoted and even the senior staff, both Phillip and Matt, have been stripped of their administrative powers. Only you can put us back to work. Only you can put Chris Bell in the Texas Senate.

Did they succeed? Absolutely. In one day.

Bell's ActBlue hubpage: http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/20795
Bell's campaign site: http://www.chrisbell.com

* All fundraising totals represent the amount raised from 12:00 a.m. on August 11 until 11:59 p.m. on August 17, 2008.

Top 10 Candidates & Committees on ActBlue, Aug. 4-10, 2008

Editor's Note: Each week, ActBlue will release key statistics from campaigns across the country, along with brief biographical notes on the week's Top 10 candidates. When we have information that may help to explain why a candidate has had increased activity on ActBlue, we will provide it in italics below the biography. Descriptive content reproduced in the ActBlue Campaign Newswire is collated from publicly available sources. ActBlue does not take sides in any Democratic primary. You can subscribe to the RSS feed of the Campaign Newswire at http://campaignnewswire.blogspot.

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1. Accountability Now | $146,210.97

2. Kay Hagan | NC-Sen | $36,083.47

3. Martin Heinrich | NM-01 | $20,475.90

4. Al Franken | MN-Sen | $19,652.58

5. Rick Noriega | TX-Sen | $14,786.13

6. Scott Kleeb | NE-Sen | $12,856.81

7. Jon Powers | NY-26 | $11,523.75

8. Gary Peters | MI-09 | $10,860.60

9. Russ Warner | CA-26 | $9,947.26

10. Annette Taddeo | FL-18 | $9,185.67

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1. Accountability Now PAC

The Accountability Now PAC is an organization aiming to increase Washington's responsiveness and public accountability. In particular, the group is "devoted to a defense of our basic constitutional framework, restoring core political liberties, enforcing the equal application of the rule of law to the political class, replacing America's spiraling imperialism with a return to the values of a Republic, and imposing the genuine checks and limits on government power designed by the Founders," and intends "to remove from office those who trample upon those values, support those who defend these values, and coordinate campaigns to influence the public debate over these vital issues of liberty and accountable government."

This is Accountability Now PAC's first time on the ActBlue Top 10 list. Firedoglake's fundraising push for the PAC helped it clinch the number 1 spot this week.

Accountability Now PAC's ActBlue hubpage: http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/20432

Accountability Now PAC's web site: http://accountabilitynowpac.com

2. Kay Hagan (NC-Sen)

Hagan is running against Republican incumbent Elizabeth Dole and was recently named one of the "top ten most effective state senators" by the North Carolina Center for Public Policy Research (NCCPPR). After winning the Democratic primary in May with 60 percent of the vote, the five-term North Carolina state senator continues to pick up high-profile endorsements.

A continually strong fundraiser on ActBlue, Kay Hagan recently announced fundraising totals topping $1.6 million in the second quarter of the year, narrowing the fundraising gap with Republican incumbent Elizabeth Dole and attracting national media attention. Hagan's totals this week reflect high traffic to Hagan's website and continuing efforts by the campaign to expand its fundraising base.

Hagan's ActBlue hubpage: http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/18560

Hagan's campaign site: http://kayhagan.com/

3. Martin Heinrich (NM-01)

Albuquerque City Councilor Martin Heinrich is running for Congress in New Mexico's 1st District. Heinrich, once director of a foundation dedicated to science and environmental education, has served on several boards focused on environmental, open space, and urban issues, and has used his time on the City Council to work toward making New Mexico a leader in alternative energy and energy efficiency. Heinrich is running against Republican Darren White, who was recently aided by a George W. Bush fundraiser in Albuquerque.

The Heinrich campaign is once again leading the way in terms of innovative fundraising asks. This week, we noticed that one of Heinrich's mentees, Javier Benavidez, created a page, as he says, in the spirit of Sam Cooke. On the page, called "A Change is Gonna Come," Benavidez explains what he saw in Heinrich as a boss and mentor, and asks his closest friends for help. See the ask at http://www.actblue.com/page/achangeisgonnacome.

Heinrich's ActBlue hubpage: http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/18006

Heinrich's campaign site: http://www.martinheinrich.com

4. Al Franken (MN-Sen)

Al Franken is an award-winning satirist and author, host of Air America's "The Al Franken Show," and a candidate for Senate in Minnesota, running to replace Republican Norm Coleman. In 2003, Franken served as a Fellow at Harvard's Shorenstein Center, part of the Kennedy School, and later became the first nationally syndicated radio talk show host to visit Iraq. He has visited the troops seven times with the USO. Franken has written for the Huffington Post since 2005, and is the author of, among others, The Truth (With Jokes). Franken will face Minnesota attorney Priscilla Lord Faris in the state's September 9th primary.

Franken's totals on ActBlue are driven by enthusiastic support from the Daily Kos community (http://www.actblue.com/page/orangetoblue) and by friends of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, reaching ActBlue through GiveEmHellHarry.com.

Franken's ActBlue hubpage: http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/16471

Franken's campaign site: http://www.alfranken.com/

5. Rick Noriega (TX-Sen)

Noriega is certainly no newcomer to ActBlue success, and has once again taken a spot on our Top 10 list. After Noriega's Army tour in Afghanistan, the two-term Texas state representative and Lieutenant Colonel was appointed Incident Commander of Hurricane Katrina relief efforts in Houston, Texas. He's now running against Republican incumbent John Cornyn for the Texas Senate seat.

In addition to high-profile endorsements (Senator Barbara Boxer at http://actblue.com/page/boxer4noriega and General Wesley Clark at http://actblue.com/page/clark4noriega, e.g.), the Noriega campaign is the beneficiary of innovative fundraising efforts like "Two for Tuesdays," sponsored by the Progressive Electorate, wherein donors are asked to give $2 to one candidate each Tuesday until November. Noriega continues to receive recurring small-dollar contributions through the "Fill Rick's Boots" effort and others, a traditional marker of sustainability in campaigns. Noriega also features prominently on a number of slate pages sponsored by major bloggers, including Daily Kos, and Senate Guru. This week, fundraising totals also reflect ticket sales to a fundraiser in South Denton County, organized via ActBlue at http://actblue.com/page/denton.

Noriega's ActBlue hubpage: http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/18187

Noriega's campaign site: http://www.ricknoriega.com/

6. Scott Kleeb (NE-Sen)

Kleeb is a fourth generation Nebraskan, who lived in military bases overseas as a child and has worked in the Sandhills of Nebraska and as a ranch hand in eastern Colorado. While working on the dissertation for his Ph.D. from Yale, Kleeb traveled all over the Western United States and saw firsthand the difficulties that farmers, ranchers and small business owners were facing as part of a shrinking middle class. Kleeb now works to promote locally-grown food and responsible business practices as Director of Operations for Morgan Ranch, a Nebraska-based beef company.

The Kleeb campaign launched its first television ad campaign last week, and asked supporters to pitch in and raise the $15,000 needed to "bring this ad's powerful message to every Nebraskan home." Like many other candidates on our Top 10 list this week, the Daily Kos community has had a huge impact on the Kleeb campaign's ActBlue fundraising total. The prominent blog's ActBlue page, 'Orange to Blue,' has brought in a total of over $14,500 for the Kleeb campaign, giving the candidate a strong debut on our list this week.

Kleeb's ActBlue hubpage: http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/18920

Kleeb's campaign site: http://www.scottkleeb.com

7. Jon Powers (NY-26)

Jon Powers, running for Congress in New York's 26th District, is an Army Captain and decorated Iraqi War veteran, schoolteacher, and nonprofit leader. On returning from Baghdad and Najaf, Powers returned to New York planning to become a social studies teacher in the Clarence, NY public schools. But he felt compelled to return to Iraq, and founded War Kids Relief, a nonprofit youth services group in Baghdad that was recognized by NBC Nightly News. Hailed by his fellow troops as a "very passionate" and "exceptional leader," Powers has been endorsed by General Wesley Clark and Senator John Kerry, among other national leaders and local and national unions. Powers will face New York attorney Alice Kryzan and manufacturer Jack Davis in a September 9th primary.

Powers's fundraising success on ActBlue this week was driven by the Daily Kos community. After introducing Powers to the Daily Kos community as part of its 'Orange to Blue' page, Daily Kos diarists have been enthusiastically supporting Powers and encouraging readers to donate to his campaign. One of these diarist is no other than Senator John Kerry, who met Powers nearly three years ago and said of Powers that "there isn't a more impressive young man getting involved in public life today." The work of this blogging community has not gone unnoticed by the candidate: Powers has had a diary on Daily Kos since January 2008, and last week thanked his online supporters for their dedication to his campaign.

Powers's ActBlue hubpage: http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/18111

Powers's campaign site: http://www.powersforcongress.com

8. Gary Peters (MI-09)

Gary Peters is running against Republican incumbent Joe Knollenberg for Michigan's 9th District congressional seat. While serving in the state Senate, Peters was the Chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus, and the ranking Democrat on many prominent Senate committees, including the Finance and the Judiciary committees. Peters won accolades for his success as Commissioner for the Michigan State Lottery, a post he was appointed to in 2003. Peters has also managed branches for two major Wall Street firms, and served as a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve.

This week is Peters's fourth appearance on the Campaign Newswire. The former Michigan state Senator has been the beneficiary of big name fundraisers on ActBlue, including Michigan Senator Carl Levin, the DCCC, and Blue America. His weekly total reflects the efforts of his campaign and the commitment of his donors, many of whom have pledged to make recurring contributions to his campaign until the November election.

Peters's ActBlue hubpage: http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/18229

Peters's campaign site: http://petersforcongress.com/

9. Russ Warner (CA-26)

Russ Warner is a candidate for Congress in California's 12th Congressional District, which encompasses the San Gabriel Valley from La Crescenta to Rancho Cucamonga. Warner is a veteran of the magazine distribution trade, and is the father of three sons, one of whom recently returned from service in Iraq. Warner is running against Republican Congressman David Dreier.

Warner is a Blue America candidate, who has attracted continuous support on ActBlue since winning the Democratic Primary on June 6. Over 15 California Congressmen and women have endorsed Warner, as well as General Wesley Clark, current California Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi, and numerous Labor Unions and Democratic organizations.

Warner's ActBlue hubpage: http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/16419

Warner's campaign site: http://www.warnerforcongress.com/

10. Annette Taddeo (FL-18)

Taddeo is seeking the Democratic nomination to challenge incumbent Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.). For over 15 years, Taddeo has run LanguageSpeak, a comprehensive language services company that she started to offer translations, conference interpretations and private tutoring in more than 100 different languages. In 2007, DiversityBusiness.com named her company one of the Top 500 Diversity Owned Businesses in the country. The continued success of her company and her leadership in the community has earned Taddeo many accolades and honors, including the "Latina Excellence Award" from Hispanic
Magazine and a spot in their list of the "Top 50 Latina Entrepreneurs in the US." Taddeo currently serves as Chair of the Women's Enterprise Nation Council's Leadership Forum and was a former Chairwoman of the Coalition of Dade-County Chambers of Commerce and the Women's Chamber of Commerce of Miami-Dade County. The primary for the Democratic nomination will take place on August 26, 2008.

After a busy week picking up endorsements from Emily's List, Blue America, and Daily Kos, Taddeo is making her Campaign Newswire debut. Taddeo live blogged with DownwithTyranny founder Howie Klein on August 2, when Blue America introduced her to its community. On Monday, August 4, Markos of Daily Kos welcomed Taddeo as the newest addition to the blog's 'Orange to Blue' program, which has already raised over $7,500 for her campaign.

Taddeo's ActBlue hubpage: http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/18934

Taddeo's campaign website: http://www.votetaddeo.com/

Top 10 Candidates on ActBlue, July 28-August 3, 2008

Editor's Note: Each week, ActBlue will release key statistics from campaigns across the country, along with brief biographical notes on the week's Top 10 candidates. When we have information that may help to explain why a candidate has had increased activity on ActBlue, we will provide it in italics below the biography. Descriptive content reproduced in the ActBlue Campaign Newswire is collated from publicly available sources. ActBlue does not take sides in any Democratic primary. You can subscribe to the RSS feed of the Campaign Newswire at http://campaignnewswire.blogspot.

1. Kay Hagan | NC-Sen | $29,778.09

2. Rick Noriega | TX-Sen | $26,462.82

3. Mark Warner | VA-Sen | $22,720.08

4. Barack Obama | President | $15,002.16

5. Sam Bennett | PA-15 | $14,835.00

6. Darcy Burner | WA-08 | $14,757.63

7. Chris Bell | TX-SD-17 | $14,457.28

8. Dan Seals | IL-10 | $12,283.36

9. Judy Baker | MO-09 | $12,225.00

10. Ronnie Musgrove | MS-Sen | $12,099.00

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1. Kay Hagan (NC-Sen)

Hagan is running against Republican incumbent Elizabeth Dole and was recently named one of the "top ten most effective state senators" by the North Carolina Center for Public Policy Research (NCCPPR). After winning the Democratic primary in May with 60 percent of the vote, the five-term North Carolina state senator continues to pick up high-profile endorsements.

A continually strong fundraiser on ActBlue, Kay Hagan recently announced fundraising totals topping $1.6 million in the second quarter of the year, narrowing the fundraising gap with Republican incumbent Elizabeth Dole and attracting national media attention. Hagan's totals this week were driven by fundraising through Senate Guru's 'Expand the Map' effort (http://www.actblue.com/page/senate2008guru), and through a page created by Cinnamon and Ariel Rogers (http://actblue.com/page/rogersforkay).

Hagan's ActBlue hubpage: http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/18560

Hagan's campaign site: http://kayhagan.com/

2. Rick Noriega (TX-Sen)

Noriega is certainly no newcomer to ActBlue success, and has once again taken a spot on our Top 10 list. After Noriega's Army tour in Afghanistan, the two-term Texas state representative and Lieutenant Colonel was appointed Incident Commander of Hurricane Katrina relief efforts in Houston, Texas. He's now running against Republican incumbent John Cornyn for the Texas Senate seat.

In addition to high-profile endorsements (Senator Barbara Boxer at http://actblue.com/page/boxer4noriega and General Wesley Clark at http://actblue.com/page/clark4noriega, e.g.), the Noriega campaign is the beneficiary of innovative fundraising efforts like "Two for Tuesdays" (http://actblue.com/page/twofortuesdays), sponsored by the Progressive Electorate, wherein donors are asked to give $2 to one candidate each Tuesday until November. Noriega continues to receive recurring small-dollar contributions through the "Fill Rick's Boots" effort (http://actblue.com/page/fillricksboots) and others (http://actblue.com/page/ricknoriega), a traditional marker of sustainability in campaigns. Noriega also features prominently on a number of slate pages sponsored by major bloggers, including Daily Kos (http://actblue.com/page/orangetoblue), and Senate Guru (http://actblue.com/page/senate2008guru).

Noriega's ActBlue hubpage: http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/18187

Noriega's campaign site: http://www.ricknoriega.com/

3. Mark Warner (VA-Sen)

During his tenure as Virginia Governor from 2002-2006, Warner was hailed by Time Magazine as one of "America's 5 Best Governors" in 2005 and was featured in Newsweek's "Who's Next" issue in 2006. Warner is running for what will be Republican John Warner's vacated Senate seat.

Mark Warner has had another banner week on ActBlue, driven by the campaign itself and aided by a fundraising push by Majority Leader Harry Reid. Warner has been speaking out-- through an issue site, a fundraising effort, and a television ad (http://www.markwarner2008.com/pages/energy-ad)-- about solutions to the energy crisis.

Warner's ActBlue hubpage: http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/18420

Warner's campaign site: http://markwarner2008.com/welcome

4. Barack Obama (President)

Illinois Senator Barack Obama is the Democratic nominee for President.

Obama's strong numbers on ActBlue reflect fundraising pushes from, among others, the blogs Daily Kos (http://actblue.com/page/orangetoblue), Atrios (http://actblue.com/page/eschatonc08), AmericaBlog (http://www.actblue.com/page/americaobama) and Balloon Juice (http://actblue.com/page/balloonsforobama); gay and lesbian advocacy groups (http://actblue.com/page/stonewallobama and http://actblue.com/page/trans); local Democratic groups (http://actblue.com/page/columbiacountydemocrats and http://actblue.com/page/obamaconcert); and prominent Democrats like General Wesley Clark (http://actblue.com/page/clark4obama).

Obama's ActBlue hubpage: http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/16332

Obama's campaign site: http://www.barackobama.com/

5. Sam Bennett (PA-15)

Siobhan "Sam" Bennett is challenging Bush Republican Charlie Dent for a congressional seat in Pennsylvania's 15th Congressional District. The Allentown native spent 30 years working in her community, running a corporation and a nonprofit and contributing time and expertise to a number of community ventures, before deciding to run for office.

Sam Bennett had another strong week on ActBlue. This is Sam's second time on ActBlue's top 10 list.

Bennett's ActBlue hubpage http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/18008

Bennett's campaign site http://www.bennett2008.com/

6. Darcy Burner (WA-08)

Author of the much-noted "Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq," Darcy Burner, a candidate for Congress in 2006, is coming back to challenge Dave Reichert for the Eighth District seat. A Harvard graduate, Burner worked for software companies in Boston and San Francisco before settling in Washington State, where she worked on Microsoft's .NET project.

Support continues to pour in after a fire destroyed Darcy Burner's home on July 1. In the aftermath, a coalition of bloggers rallied to buttress the candidate's fundraising efforts by asking readers to help them raise $150,000, enough to keep pace with the campaign's fundraising needs for the month of July and give Burner "the breathing room she needs to tend to her own affairs without worrying about neglecting her campaign." Burner's supporters more than met their goal, collecting donations from hundreds of contributors. Major partners in the effort include General Wesley Clark, Daily Kos, Horsesass.org, Atrios, AmericaBlog, Blue America, and others, across pages like http://actblue.com/page/anewhouse, http://actblue.com/page/havedarcysback, and http://actblue.com/page/orangetoblue. Like Rick Noriega, Burner continues to benefit from a strong base of recurring contributions (http://actblue.com/page/burnbush, http://actblue.com/page/blueamerica08) and from innovative fundraising efforts like "Two for Tuesdays" (http://actblue.com/page/twofortuesdays; see Noriega, above). Most recently, Burner has benefitted from a push by Democracy for America at http://www.actblue.com/page/supportdarcy. /p>

Burner's ActBlue hubpage: http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/17762

Burner's campaign site: http://www.darcyburner.com/

7. Chris Bell (TX-SD-17)

Former Congressman Chris Bell of Houston recently announced his campaign for Texas Senate. Bell is running to replace Kyle Janek, who resigned from his seat after serving two years of a six-year term, in a special election this November. Bell gained attention in Congress by filing an ethics complaint against Tom Delay. Bell lost his seat after Republican-led redistricting in Texas./p>

Bell's fundraising momentum is driven by an effort called "$20,000 in 20 days for Chris Bell" (http://actblue.com/page/bell10k). The campaign set out to raise $10,000 and upped the goal to $20,000 after meeting their target. Bell's is a strong example of using revised goals-- and goal thermometers-- to motivate donors. Bell is also being promoted by Texas' Burnt Orange Report (http://actblue.com/page/burntorangeforbell), the largest blog in Texas. Burnt Orange's page is one example of an innovative fundraising ask, wherein the bloggers stopped producing content until they raised their goal. Did they succeed? Absolutely. In one day.

Burnt Orange Report is on strike until our $1,000 BOR community fundraising goal for Bell is met. All front page writers have been demoted and even the senior staff, both Phillip and Matt, have been stripped of their administrative powers. Only you can put us back to work. Only you can put Chris Bell in the Texas Senate.

Bell's ActBlue hubpage: http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/20795

Bell's campaign site: www.chrisbell.com

8. Dan Seals (IL-10)

Dan Seals is currently a business consultant and public policy lecturer at Northwestern University whose professional life has included stints in both the public and private sectors. Seals first ran against Republican incumbent Mark Kirk for Illinois's 10th District seat in 2006 and nearly won with 47 percent of the vote. The former GE Capital marketing director is challenging Kirk once again, and this year has earned a spot on the DCCC Red to Blue Candidates List. In both election cycles, Seals has consistently been among the top ActBlue fundraisers.

Aside from funds contributed through Seals's hub page, the campaign has been the beneficiary of particular support this week from the Daily Kos community at http://actblue.com/page/orangetoblue.

Seals's ActBlue hubpage: http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/16318

Seals's campaign site: http://www.dansealsforcongress.com/index.php

9. Judy Baker (MO-09)

Baker is running for the Democratic nomination in Missouri's 9th District. Through her work as a state representative in Missouri, the National Conference of State Legislatures recognized Baker as an "Emerging Health Care Leader." After receiving a master's degree in divinity, Baker returned to Missouri and worked in the health care industry, becoming a successful businesswoman and starting her own consulting firm. An active member of her community, Baker served as part-time administrative director for ACTS International, a non-profit, humanitarian organization. Baker will face Steve Gaw, Ken Jacob, and Lyndon Bode in Missouri's August primary.

After appearing in our first Campaign Newswire Top 10 at the beginning of June, Baker made the list twice in July. Many of her past contributions bought TV airtime for the campaign to run commercials. In a creative use of an ActBlue event page, the campaign created a page titled, "Crucial TV Time," on which donors could direct their contributions to buy airtime on specific networks and even for particular television shows. Baker's fundraising totals this week stem in part from contributions to a page created by the candidate's daughter, Sarah, at http://actblue.com/page/sarahspage.

Baker's ActBlue hubpage: http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/18681

Baker's campaign site: http://www.judybakerforcongress.com

10. Ronnie Musgrove (MS-Sen)

Two-term state senator and former Mississippi Governor Ronnie Musgrove is running against Republican Senator Roger Wicker in a special election this November. Musgrove has served on several national boards, including the Southern States Energy Board, on the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. He was also Vice Chair of Policy for the Executive Committee for the Democratic Governors' Association.

Musgrove continues to benefit from blog endorsements. The campaign's totals this week were augmented by fundraising through Senate Guru's candidate page, online at http://actblue.com/page/senate2008guru. By way of background, on June 26, 2008, Musgrove was featured as one of MyDD's 'Road to 60' candidates. Four days after the MyDD profile, Musgrove brought in over $20,000, making him ActBlue's third most successful candidate during the end-of-quarter bonanza on June 30, the last day of Q2 2008.

Musgrove's ActBlue hubpage: http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/18711

Musgrove's campaign site: http://musgroveforsenate.net/