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Donation breakdown in Congress race

First-term U.S. Rep Elise Stefanik, R-Willsboro, has a clear advantage in fundraising over her challengers: Democrat Mike Derrick of Peru and Glens Falls-based Matt Funiciello of the Green Party. Here’s a breakdown of where their money comes from.

From January 2015, when she first took the oath of office, to the end of June, Stefanik has raised $2,000,284 in total contributions, with 48 percent of that coming from “other committees,” mostly political action committees spanning the country.

Derrick has received $673,656 in contributions in that same time period, with 11 percent of his contributions coming from other committees, 77.3 percent coming from itemized individual contributions and 10.7 percent coming from unitemized individual contributions.

Funiciello has raised less than 1 percent of Derrick’s total and 0.3 percent of Stefanik’s – $6,371 total, with $5,871 coming from individual contributions and $500 from the Warren County Green Party. Fifty-seven percent of Funiciello’s contributions have come in the form of $200 or less, his largest contribution in the amount of $2,000 from farmer Jane Bauder.

Committee contributions

Stefanik has received a total of $1,052,104 from 646 contributions from other committees, mostly political action committees, with an average donation of $1,628,64.

Her list of donors include the health care company Aetna, the tobacco company Altria, global pharmaceutical corporation Pfizer, National Rifle Association, the American defense company Lockheed Martin, the American Bankers Association, Walmart, the Dairy Farmers of America PAC, ExxonMobil, General Electric, Google NetPAC, JP Morgan Chase, Koch Industries, McDonald’s, Microsoft, Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs.

Stefanik received 45 contributions of $5,000, and 581 of the 646 contributions from other committees were $1,000 or more.

Only 13 of her 646 committee gifts were from within New York’s 21st Congressional District, totaling $2,460. Forty-one were from within New York state, totaling $47,760 and averaging $1,164.88.

Stefanik’s contributions from other committees came from 33 different states, the most coming from Virginia – 117 donations totaling $207,235. She also received 256 contributions from Washington, D.C., totaling $432,559.

The combined total of $639,794 she raised between D.C. and Virginia accounts for 60.8 percent of her contributions from other committees and almost a third of her overall contributions.

Derrick has received a total of $250,274 from 79 contributions from other committees, mostly PACs.

The largest donations Derrick has received have been through ActBlue, the Somerville, Massachusetts-based PAC independent of the Democratic Party that enables anyone to raise money on the Internet for a Democratic candidate of their choice. ActBlue is the largest single source of funds in U.S. politics. Derrick has received $175,982 in 39 contributions through ActBlue.

The largest contribution through ActBlue was $24,054 from the New York Jobs PAC. Nine of the donations through ActBlue were in excess of $5,000. Derrick received 15 contributions of $5,000 or more, totaling $148,949.

Derrick’s list of donors include the Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers PAC, Nancy Pelosi for Congress, M&T Bank and Wilmington Trust PAC, VOTEVETS Inc., and the United Steel Workers Political Action Fund.

The average donation Derrick received in his 79 contributions from other committees was $3,168.03. Only seven of those 79 were from within the 21st District, totaling $4,485. Eighteen were from within New York state, totaling $17,635 and averaging $979.72.

Derrick’s contributions came from seven states and Washington, D.C. He had two contributions from other committees from Virginia, both from Time to Unite Lead and Serve With Integrity PAC, totaling $1,500. Derrick received 16 Washington-based donations in the amount of $41,457, including two $5,000 donations from AMERIPAC: The Fund for a Greater America.

Funiciello had no donations from committees.

Individual contributions

Stefanik has received 1,132 contributions from individuals for this cycle, totaling $855,244 with an average donation of $755.52. Her largest individual donations have come from Red Mountain Group CEO Michael Muger of Santa Ana, California ($8,000), The Pantheon Group Co-Founder and Chairman William Achtmeyer of Boston ($5,400) and Barbara M. Barrett, the CEO Triple Creek Ranch in Paradise Valley, Arizona ($5,400).

Tri-Lakes area donations to Stefanik include eight from Lake Placid and three each from Saranac Lake and Tupper Lake. In Lake Placid, Adirondack Medical Center physician Avi Hettena contributed $1,000, Crowne Plaza Lake Placid owner Art Lussi contributed $1,043 across two donations, Golden Arrow Resort owner Peter Holderied contributed $1,000, Quality Inn Lake Placid owner Ronald Butler contributed $500, lawyer James Brooks contributed $250, and Scott Torrance of Torrance Construction contributed $250.

In Saranac Lake, St. Joseph’s Treatment and Recover Center CEO Bob Ross made a contribution of $1,000 on Aug. 28, 2015, that was charged back three days later, and Walt Dlugoleci of Saranac Lake made a contribution of $250. In Tupper Lake, Mayor Paul Maroun made two contributions totaling $500. Mary Mitchell of Mitchell Logging contributed $500.

Derrick has received 895 contributions from individuals for this cycle, totaling $526,057 with an average donation of $587.77. His largest contributions include New York City attorney Christopher Boehning ($5,400) and Ernest and Nancy Keet of Saranac Lake ($5,400 each), president and vice president of the Vanguard Atlantic LTD investment firm.

Derrick received 11 contributions from individuals in Wilmington, six in Tupper Lake including Jane and Robert Holder, 35 in Saranac Lake totaling $23,127, 77 from Keene and Keene Valley totaling $36,491, and five from Lake Placid, including $2,000 from civil engineer Scott Stevens.

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