DeMint Transfers Campaign Money to State Republicans
Updated: 3:31 p.m.
Sen. Jim DeMint transferred nearly $1.9 million from his 2010 re-election account to 10 state Republican parties, including a $250,000 contribution to the Delaware GOP that was set to occur Monday, a knowledgeable source confirmed.
The South Carolina Republican’s transfers were mostly to state Republican parties where Senate candidates he has endorsed are running. The money is intended to bolster get-out-the-vote efforts. Of the 10 donations, only two went to a state parties that do not feature a Republican nominee whom DeMint is promoting on his Senate Conservatives Fund political action committee website. Those donations went to South Carolina and New Hampshire.
According to a review of DeMint’s third-quarter Federal Election Commission filing, the Senator donated to the following Republican state parties, besides the Delaware GOP: South Carolina ($250,000, with an additional $100,000 transferred last week), Pennsylvania ($150,000), Florida ($250,000), Kentucky ($100,000), New Hampshire ($100,000), Nevada ($156,000), Colorado ($250,000), Alaska ($100,000) and Washington ($100,000).
DeMint is backing former Rep. Pat Toomey in Pennsylvania, former state Speaker Marco Rubio in Florida, ophthalmologist Rand Paul in Kentucky, former state Assemblywoman Sharron Angle in Nevada, Weld County District Attorney Ken Buck in Colorado, attorney Joe Miller in Alaska, businessman Dino Rossi in Washington and perennial candidate Christine O’Donnell in Delaware. In New Hampshire, DeMint had backed Ovide Lamontagne, who lost a primary to former state Attorney General Kelly Ayotte, although at the time DeMint described it as a close call.
DeMint is up for re-election on Nov. 2, but is expected to cruise to victory over minimal competition.