A just-released report from the Center for American Politics and Citizenship University of Maryland breathlessly confirms a piece of MD conventional political wisdom: Democrats here are more powerful than Republicans.
The report examines state lawmakers' fundraising figures from 2006 to January 2010.
Here are the "major findings" (we are quoting below from their report, which you can read here):
- On average, legislative leaders in both parties raised and spent more money than their fellow incumbents.
- The chief party leaders of the Democratic Party, Speaker of the House Michael E. Busch and Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, raised and spent sums that were vastly greater than any of their fellow legislators.
- Legislative leaders of both parties transfer large sums of money to their fellow partisan candidates and other political organizations.
- Democratic leaders are able to raise and spend more than their Republican counterparts.
We liked the fundraising amounts among a group the researchers labeled the "Big Four" leaders. - Senate President Thomas V "Mike" Miller raised $1,039,729;
- House Speaker Michael E. Busch raised $593,000;
- Senate Minority Leader Allan H. Kittleman raised $117,565;
- House Minority Leader Anthony J. O'Donnell raised $41,306.