Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Top 10 Candidates & Committees on ActBlue, October 6-12, 2008

Kay Hagan | NC-Sen | $150,994.32

Equality for All | $139,152.21

Rick Noriega | TX-Sen | $108,627.08

Jeff Merkley | OR-Sen | $66,837.53

Jim Martin | GA-Sen | $61,352.79

Barack Obama | President | $45,045.85

Al Franken | MN-Sen | $43,868.77

Chris Bell | TX-SD-17 | $35,715.00

Dan Seals | IL-10 | $35,472.73

Ronnie Musgrove | MS-Sen | $35,236.92

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1. Kay Hagan (NC-Sen)

Kay Hagan, a Campaign Newswire regular, 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). The five-term North Carolina state senator continues to pick up high-profile endorsements.

Kay Hagan's headline-making run for Senate has attracted more than 100 contributions from the AFL-CIO this week, dozens of contributions from MyDD readers at http://actblue.com/page/roadto60, and the continued support of Senator Hillary Clinton (http://actblue.com/page/threewomen) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. The Majority Leader's most recent ask highlights tightening polls in the race between Hagan and Dole: "In order to get to 60 seats, one Senate seat Democrats MUST win is North Carolina. Thankfully, Elizabeth Dole is on the run. A new poll from Public Policy Polling shows Democratic candidate Kay Hagan leading her 49% to 40%."

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

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

2. 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.

Equality for All has seen continued support this week from the Daily Kos community, through the Orange to Blue List; from readers of AmericaBlog and Calitics; from community fundraisers like Brian Devine; and from local events like "Coming Out Against Prop 8," a youth gathering on October 10.

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

3. 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.

Rick Noriega has been the beneficiary of a fundraising push by MyDD, whose "Road to 60" page (http://actblue.com/page/roadto60) is supporting Senate candidates across the country. In addition, Noriega is one of three veterans supported by Senator Clinton's HILLPAC at http://actblue.com/page/veterans-hillpac. The Noriega campaign, again an Orange to Blue favorite at Daily Kos, also won the Blue America contest for the candidate with the greatest number of donors. As the winner of the contest, Noriega received $5000 from Blue America PAC.

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

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

4. Jeff Merkley (OR-Sen)

Oregon Democrat Jeff Merkley is challenging Republican Gordon Smith for the United States Senate. Merkley also led a band of progressives to take control of the Oregon House eighteen months ago, and has used his tenure as Speaker to fight for health care, family-wage jobs, and environmental legislation, and against payday loan scandals. Merkley is the first Oregon Democrat to serve as Speaker in 16 years. Before entering politics, he ran Habitat for Humanity in Oregon and served as a national security analyst at the Pentagon and in Congress.

Jeff Merkley has received about 100 contributions from the AFL-CIO page, considerable support from MyDD's Road to 60 project (http://actblue.com/page/roadto60), and has been the beneficiary of a highly effective ask by Barbara Boxer's PAC for a Change (http://actblue.com/page/boxer4markandjeff) called "Stop Freedom's Watch's Smears." Boxer is raising money to stop distortions of the records of Merkley and Colorado's Mark Udall. The page has already raised more than $50,000 from 715 individual donors.

Merkley's ActBlue hubpage: http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/18219

Merkley's campaign site: http://www.jeffmerkley.com/

5. Jim Martin (GA-Sen)

Jim Martin is challenging Republican Saxby Chambliss in the Senate race in Georgia. Martin, a Vietnam veteran, worked as a legal aid lawyer before his election to the Georgia House of Representatives, where he served for 18 years, becoming a leader on health care and helping to create PeachCare, Georgia's children's health insurance program. He chaired numerous committees in the House, and led the Georgia Department of Human Resources under both Republican and Democratic governors. In 2006, his bid for lieutenant governor garnered more votes than for any other non-incumbent Democrat on the ticket.

Jim Martin, whose race against Saxby Chambliss has recently tightened, has earned the endorsement of the Swing State Project (http://www.actblue.com/page/ssp4martin), and is benefiting from the support of the Daily Kos community (Orange to Blue) and an innovative fundraiser at Princeton (http://actblue.com/page/meta-analysis-08), whose activities are described in the Franken entry below.

Jim Martin's ActBlue hubpage: http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/19359

Jim Martin's campaign site: http://www.martinforsenate.com/

6. Barack Obama (President)

Illinois Senator Barack Obama is the Democratic nominee for President.

Senator Obama continues to collect contributions from an enormous range of sources. Among others, he is supported by bloggers BalloonJuice and Atrios, by the Daily Kos community's Orange to Blue list, by groups like The National Voice of LGBT & Allied Democrats, and by community fundraisers like that organized by group of Vanderbilt students (http://actblue.com/page/vandyforobama).

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

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

7. 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 won the Democratic primary this week.

Al Franken has received more than 150 contributions through the AFL-CIO page, continues to be a great success at Kos' Orange to Blue List and MyDD's Road to 60 page, and has benefited of late from support by Senators John Kerry and Barbara Boxer. Franken has also earned support resulting from an innovative ask by the Princeton Election Consortium's Sam Wang, online at http://www.actblue.com/page/meta-analysis-08: "When you donate to a campaign, you should make sure that your money goes as far as possible. Think of your donation as an investment, where the return on your investment is an increase in your candidate's probabilty of winning. By this reasoning you should give to campaigns where the polls are closest. Polls can tell us which candidates have a 20-80% chance of winning, which statistically speaking is a knife edge. If you give to these candidates, you're making your dollars go farthest."

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

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

8. Chris Bell (TX-SD-17)

Former Congressman Chris Bell of Houston is seeking a seat in the 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.

The Bell campaign has organized a highly successful fundraiser, headlined by President Bill Clinton and hosted by Ambassador Arthur Schechter and Bernard Rapoport and others.

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

Bell's campaign site: http://www.chrisbell.com

9. 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.

Dan Seals, a phenomenal success on the Orange to Blue list, has received considerable support from the People for the American Way page (http://www.actblue.com/page/peopleforprogressives). PFAW is hosting a great new challenge, wherein the Voters Alliance will donate an additional $3000 to whichever candidate raises the most, the DCCC Red to Blue chairs will offer $2000 to the winner and $1000 to the runner up, and Jared Polis, the next Congressman from Colorado, will offer $1000 to the winner.

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

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

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.

Ronnie Musgrove has produced a wonderful and moving new television ad, and Senator Patrick Leahy is using ActBlue to try to help him keep it on the air. The video is embedded at http://www.actblue.com/page/gmpac4musgrove. In addition, Musgrove has received more than 130 contributions from the AFL-CIO page, and support from MyDD's Road to 60 project, among others.

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

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

* All fundraising totals represent the amount raised from 12:00 a.m. on October 6 until 11:59 p.m. on October 12.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Top 10 Candidates & Committees on ActBlue, September 29-October 5, 2008

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Kay Hagan | NC-Sen | $169,555.56

Rick Noriega | TX-Sen | $126,150.30

Barack Obama | President $96,512.13

Scott Kleeb | NE-Sen | $68,906.59

Joseph Sestak Jr | PA-07 | $66,683.00

Scott Harper | IL-13 | $53,792.23

Chellie Pingree | ME-01 | $53,470.00

Eric Massa | NY-29 | $50,290.42

Mark Warner | VA-Sen | $48,287.75

Judy Baker | MO-09 | $43,550.30

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Kay Hagan (NC-Sen)

Kay Hagan, a Campaign Newswire regular, 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). The five-term North Carolina state senator continues to pick up high-profile endorsements.

Kay Hagan has been the beneficiary in the past week of returns from a successful fundraiser in Charlotte, and a push by General Wesley Clark, joined by John Kerry, Kathleen Sebelius, Barbara Boxer, and Hillary Clinton, to support three women candidates for office (http://www.actblue.com/page/threewomen). Kay had a very successful last week of the third quarter (http://www.kayhagan.com/blog/kay-hagan-thank-you).

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

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

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.

The Noriega campaign, again an Orange to Blue favorite at Daily Kos, also won the Blue America contest for the candidate with the greatest number of donors. As the winner of the contest, Noriega received $5000 from Blue America PAC.

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

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

Barack Obama (President)

Illinois Senator Barack Obama is the Democratic nominee for President.

The Obama-Biden campaign has been the beneficiary of fundraising pushes by AmericaBlog, Atrios, Balloon Juice, and Daily Kos (Orange to Blue). Obama has more than 280 individual, successful fundraisers on ActBlue, and has received more than 11,000 individual contributions from the ActBlue community. A group of students at Vanderbilt have already raised more than $2400 for the campaign in small increments, in preparation for an upcoming campus event.

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

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

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 continues to raise a considerable amount from the Orange to Blue page, and through innovative ads like his "I Am the Fifty State Strategy" video, online at http://actblue.com/page/50state.

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

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

Joseph Sestak, Jr. (PA-07)

Former Navy Vice Admiral Joseph Sestak, Jr., was elected to Congress in 2006, defeating ten-term Republican incumbent Curt Weldon, and is running for re-election this year. Between tours in the Navy, Sestak earned a master's degree in Public Administration and a Ph.D. in Political Economy and Government from Harvard, and later served as Director for Defense Policy on the staff of the National Security Council under President Clinton, and as director of "Deep Blue," the Navy's anti-terrorism unit. Sestak is the senior military veteran in Congress and the highest-ranking former military officer ever elected to Congress. Sestak was among ActBlue's ten most successful candidates in 2006.

The majority of Sestak's contributions this week have come through the candidate's hubpage.

Sestak's ActBlue hubpage: http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/12839

Sestak's campaign site: http://www.sestakforcongress.com/

Scott Harper (IL-13)

Small business owner Scott Harper is running for Congress in the Illinois 13th against Republican incumbent Judy Biggert.

The majority of Harper's contributions this week have come through the candidate's hubpage. Harper has also been the beneficiary of support from Jan Schakowsky (http://www.actblue.com/page/schakowskybrunch), Dick Durbin, and the DCCC, which recently added Harper to its 'Emerging Races' List (http://actblue.com/page/emerging).

Harper's ActBlue hubpage: http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/18402

Harper's campaign site: http://www.scottharperforcongress.com/

Chellie Pingree (ME-01)

Pingree is a former Maine Senate Majority Leader and was most recently the President and CEO of Common Cause, a nonpartisan, nonprofit advocacy organization.

The majority of Pingree's contributions this week have come through the candidate's hubpage.

Pingree's ActBlue hubpage: http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/17915

Pingree's campaign site: http://chelliepingree.com/

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.

In addition to an outpouring of support from the Daily Kos community (Massa is an Orange to Blue candidate), the Massa campaign has been the beneficiary this week of contributions for a fundraiser with Senator Clinton, and of contributions responding to an ask emphasizing one of the campaign's consistent themes, leaving a sustainable future to the next generation. The ask reads, "It is my responsibility to pass on to my children a nation as solid and as improved as the country I inherited from my parents. When I look at my kids, Justin and Alexandra, I see the burden of the mistakes being made today weighing on their futures. The security of our economic future is not clear and becomes more in question every day. Jobs are being shipped overseas, access to health care is more difficult and more expensive. The deficit fueled by tax cuts and unrelenting government spending has created a true toddler tax of over $27,000 dollars for every new child born in this nation. We are failing to secure the future for our children. This is what brings me here today, and I want to turn that around."

Massa's ActBlue hubpage: http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/17761

Massa's campaign site: http://www.massaforcongress.com/index.asp

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.

The Warner campaign has received considerable support in the last days from a 'Women for Warner' fundraiser hosted by Senators Mikulski, Stabenow, Klobuchar, and Lincoln. Warner has also received support from the National Jewish Democratic Council Political Action Committee.

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

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

Judy Baker (MO-09)

Judy Baker is running for Congress 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.

Judy Baker is one of three women candidates to receive contributions stemming from an ask by General Wesley Clark. Baker has also been supported by the Orange to Blue effort at Daily Kos and by the DCCC's Red to Blue list.

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

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

* All fundraising totals represent the amount raised from 12:00 a.m. on September 29 until 11:59 p.m. on October 5.