Changes in Net Worth The Donation Concentration Metric

Related ContentNet worth of United States Senators and Representatives Staff salaries of United States Senators and Representatives Net worth (average citizen) •Net worth (Congress)

March 30, 2015

BySarah Rosier and theCongress team
The price tag for pursuing a seat in Congress has increased more than 500 percent since 1984; as a result, the advantage in a campaign is often decided months before election day.^[1] The rapid increase in campaign spending shows no indication of abatement, and analysts expect the trend to continue for the foreseeable future. Spending on television ads inAlaska andIowa exceeds $11 per voter, while Senate races inKentucky andNorth Carolina are expected to cost over $100 million in the coming years.^[1]

The rapidly increasing price tag means that congressional office-seekers must make their cases for election and re-election not only to voters in their districts, but also to donors nationwide. The need for donors may be more acute for Republicans than Democratic candidates, as the cost for a Republican’s bid for a congressional seat increased 611 percent between 1984 and 2012. Still, elections for Democratic candidates do not come cheap either, with the price tag for their seats increasing 480 percent over the same period. In contrast, American household incomes rose only 128 percent during the same period.^[1]According toOpenSecrets.org, the average U.S. House seat can cost over $1 million. Seats in the Senate can go for far more, sometimes costing 10 times the amount of their counterparts in the House.^[2]

While it is possible to count the dollars flowing into campaigns, it is harder to understand the impact of money on the actions of congressmen. Does a higher amount of career contributions from a specific industry or sector correlate with a stronger allegiance to donors over constituents? We cannot definitively say. However, the donation concentration does provide a lens through which we can judge the actions and decisions of our elected officials. It is also an opportunity to see which industries think which elected officials can help them.

The average member of Congress receives over a quarter of his or her career donations from only five industries. While it is harder to quantify the exact effect donor concentration may have on a member's tenure, this information gives constituents an idea of the interests heavily invested in their public servants.

The tables and graphs on this page show some of the highlights of the study. The information ontop industry donors has also been added to each ofBallotpedia's profiles of the 535 congressional incumbents. The data includes some former members, whose data was calculated at the end of their terms in the113th Congress. This page will be updated on a bi-yearly basis.

This is the second part of thePersonal Gain Index (PGI), a two-part study that examines the extent to which members of theU.S. Congress have individually prospered during their tenures as public servants.

In this study, we look at theconcentration of career donations for each member and industry. This allows us to:

• See which members had the highest percentage of their donations coming from their top fiveindustries;
• Provide anecdotal examples of the relationships between committee membership and industry donations;

Ex: Rep.Jeb Hensarling, chair of theUnited States House of Representatives Committee on Education and the Workforce, received 15.67 percent of his career contributions fromUnions.

• Compare the partisan breakdown of eachsector's highest recipients;

Ex: Democratic topEducation recipients outnumber Republicans 8-0.

• Provide anecdotal examples of the relationships between sponsored legislation topics andsector donations;

Ex: Over one quarter of the top recipients bysector have the first or second highest bill sponsorship in related topics.

• Establish the most involved sectors by:
  • The frequency with which each sector appears on members' top five industry lists.

Ex:Lawyers & Lobbyists appeared in the top five industries of374 members.

• The average percentage concentration for members receiving sector money.

Ex:Unions averaged 9.3 percent of their recipients' total contributions.

Key findings

The following are the key findings of theDonation Concentration Metric study:

Industry Concentration: Of the six members with the highest concentration of donations by industry, five were Democrats: three from theU.S. House of Representatives and two from theU.S. Senate.Lawyers/Law Firms appear in all five of the Democrats' top five. The five industries that make up the top five industries of the Republican member, Rep.Michael Burgess (R-TX), are not shared by any of the four Democrats in the top five.

Sector Concentration: Of the 15 sectors analyzed byBallotpedia, nine had highly partisan giving patterns, appearing primarily in either Republican or Democratic members' top five sectors. TheEnergy sector favored Republicans highly, with the sector appearing in the top five sectors of 19 Republicans, but only three Democrats. Democrats were the most favorable within theUnions sector, which placed in the top five of 18 Democrats and one independent. Like theEducation sector, theUnions sector does not appear in the top five of any Republicans, indicating that they are more heavily supportive of Democrats than Republicans. The other 13 sectors appear in the top five sectors of at least one member of both major parties.

Bill Sponsorship: Of the 15 sectors, four of the highest recipients had direct correlations between sector donations and bill sponsorship. These four members sponsored a significant portion of legislation that is relevant to their highest donating sector. When organizing their sponsored legislation into categories, the category with the most sponsored legislation is directly relevant to the highest contributing sector of three of the four members.

Method and definitions

Methodology and notes

See also:Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress)

To investigate the special interests that may be influencing members of Congress, Ballotpedia sorted through the career contributions of members of the113th United States Congress to identify which members had the highest concentration of their contributions coming from various industries and sectors.^[3]

The individual industries listed on the [[Industries: Committee membership#Industries: Concentration by member|Industries: Concentration by member}} andIndustries: Committee membership tabs, in both the individual incumbents' boxes and the yellow charts, were identified byOpenSecrets.org. AlthoughOpenSecrets.org classifies based on the micro-level breakdown of industries, Ballotpedia grouped these industries into macro-levelsectors for this study to further analyze any emerging trends. For example, theBanking sector includes the following industries: Commercial Banks, Insurance, Securities & Investments, Misc. Finance, Accountants, Credit Unions and Finance/Credit Companies.

Definitions

Career contributions:OpenSecrets.org organizes top industry donors either by individual election cycles or by totals over each member's career. Career data is only available back to 1989, for the 1990 election cycle. The percentages are calculated based on the dollar amount per industry over each member's career, divided by his or her total donations. Because some races and candidates may attract more donations than others, using a percentage of total donations allowed Ballotpedia to evaluate each member's concentration.

Concentration: Throughout the study, concentration refers to the percentage of each member's total donations that he or she receives from specific industries or sectors.

Industry: According toFederal Election Commission (FEC) regulations, any donor of $200 or more is required to disclose his or her employer and occupation.Opensecrets.org then categorizes each employer into an industry. Additionally, all donations from an entity or organization are categorized by industry.

Sectors: In order to analyze the data provided byOpenSecrets.org even further, Ballotpedia identified broader interests, such as combining all union industries into a "Union" sector. This allowed us to evaluate which members may have a high concentration of donors coming from broader interests. For example, by combining the industries in ourEnergy sector, Ballotpedia was able to see which members may have a broader interest in energy policy than ifElectric Utilities,Mining andOil & Gas were viewed separately.^[4]

The overarching sectors Ballotpedia identified appear italicized below, with theOpenSecrets.org industries included in each sector:

Bill sponsorship: The websiteFindTheBest tracks the topics of legislation each member of Congress sponsors. For example, in the113th United States Congress, Sen.Rand Paul sponsored a bill requesting a full audit of the Federal Reserve,Senate Bill 209.FindTheBest categorized the bill under the "Finance And Financial Sector." In this study,Ballotpedia identified six out of the 15 highest recipients from each sector who had the highest or second highest bill sponsorship from a similar topic to the donation sector.

For access to the data used in this study for replication purposes, please contactSarah Rosier.

Industries: Concentration by member

With the growth of campaign spending, many pundits use "mega-donors" (donors on both sides who funnel millions into elections each cycle) to predict the behavior of members of Congress, indicating that a congressman may owe loyalty to big donors. However, mega-donors only paint a part of the picture. The information below outlines what percentage of a member's career contributions (1989 to present) came from only five industries. Instead of focusing solely on one or two large donors, this data will demonstrate which elected officials have been given high votes of confidence (through donations) by a small number of industries.

The average member of the113th Congress received 26.34 percent of his or her career donations from only five industries. Althoughsenators were marginally less concentrated (at 24.66 percent) compared torepresentatives (at 26.72 percent), many members received a high ratio of total contributions from a small selection of industries.

Highest overall concentration Rep.Michael Burgess (R-TX) had the highest concentration of career donations coming from his top five industries:49.56 percent came from five industries from within theEnergy andHealthcare sectors.[8]

Lowest overall concentration Rep.Scott Perry (R-PA) had the lowest concentration of career donations coming from his top five industries:2.9 percent.[9]

Three highest overall: U.S. House

Rep. Burgess: 49.56 percent

Rep.Michael Burgess (R-MN)

Rep. Cartwright: 45.65 percent

Rep.Matt Cartwright (D-PA)

Rep. Sarbanes: 43.42 percent

Rep.John Sarbanes (D-MD)

Three highest overall: U.S. Senate

Sen. McCaskill: 38.34 percent

Sen.Claire McCaskill (D-MO)

Sen. Walsh: 37.85 percent

Sen.John Walsh (D-MT)

Sen. Booker: 37.85 percent

Sen.Cory Booker (D-NJ)

Top 100 most concentrated

Although many of the individual sectors and industries are highly polarized, having a high concentration of donations appears to be a bipartisan way of life. Of thetop 100 most concentrated members of Congress, 54 were Democrats and 46 were Republican. There is also little difference between members of the two parties in terms of the percentage a member has in their top five industries. Democrats average 34.65 percent in their top five industries, while Republicans average just below at 34.41 percent.

Members with highest % from top five industries
Party	Member of Congress	% of career contributions[10]	Year assumed office
Top 20: The average concentrated percentage in the top 20 was40.23% over career contributions.
	Rep.Michael C. Burgess	49.56%	2003
	Rep.Matt Cartwright	45.65%	2013
	Rep.John Sarbanes	43.42%	2007
	Rep.Paul Gosar	42.24%	2011
	Rep.David G. Valadao	41.10%	2013
	Rep.Henry Waxman	40.64%	1975
	Rep.Tom Price	40.23%	2005
	Rep.Spencer Bachus	40.23%	1993
	Rep.Roger Williams	39.89%	2013
	Rep.Bruce Braley	39.28%	2007
	Rep.Andrew Harris	38.97%	2011
	Rep.Theodore E. Deutch	38.83%	2010
	Rep.Jose Serrano	38.69%	1973
	Rep.Jerrold Nadler	38.65%	1993
	Rep.James A. Himes	38.55%	2009
	Sen.Claire McCaskill	38.34%	2007
	Sen.John Walsh	37.85%	2014
	Rep.Joe Heck	37.80%	2011
	Rep.Phil Gingrey	37.42%	2003
	Rep.Gene Green	37.21%	1993
Total by party (1-20):11 were Democrats 9 were Republicans.
Top 21-40:The average concentrated percentage in the top 40 was37.86% over career contributions.; for those in spots 21-40, it was 35.5%.
	Rep.Mike Conaway (Texas)	36.45%	2005
	Rep.Frank D. Lucas	36.39%	1994
	Rep.David Jolly	36.37%	2014
	Sen.Cory Booker	36.11%	2013
	Rep.Joseph Kennedy III	36.09%	2013
	Sen.Sheldon Whitehouse	36.00%	2007
	Rep.Hakeem Jeffries	35.94%	2013
	Rep.Anna Eshoo	35.94%	1993
	Rep.John C. Carney Jr.	35.67%	2011
	Sen.Chris Coons	35.66%	2010
	Rep.Zoe Lofgren	35.55%	1995
	Sen.Kirsten Gillibrand	35.47%	2009
	Rep.Lloyd Doggett	35.28%	1995
	Rep.Joseph Crowley	35.25%	1999
	Rep.Doug LaMalfa	35.18%	2013
	Sen.Chuck Schumer	34.87%	1999
	Rep.William Enyart	34.78%	2013
	Rep.Gregory W. Meeks	34.37%	1998
	Rep.Nita Lowey	34.34%	1989
	Rep.Jeb Hensarling	34.29%	2003
Total by party (1-40):26 were Democrats 14 were Republicans.
Top 41-60:The average concentrated percentage in the top 60 was36.43% over career contributions.; for those in spots 41-60, it was 33.57%.
	Rep.Devin Nunes	34.29%	2003
	Rep.George Miller	34.21%	1975
	Rep.Al Green	33.90%	2005
	Rep.Bill Huizenga	33.87%	2011
	Rep.Terri Sewell	33.87%	2011
	Rep.Chaka Fattah	33.84%	1995
	Rep.Collin Peterson	33.79%	1991
	Rep.John Barrow	33.69%	2005
	Rep.Scott DesJarlais	33.58%	2011
	Rep.Phil Roe	33.55%	2009
	Rep.Jim Bridenstine	33.53%	2013
	Rep.Cynthia Lummis	33.50%	2009
	Rep.John Campbell	33.42%	2005
	Rep.Charles Boustany Jr.	33.40%	2005
	Rep.Richard Neal	33.39%	1989
	Rep.Daniel Lipinski	33.26%	2005
	Rep.Larry Bucshon	33.24%	2011
	Sen.Mark Kirk	33.13%	2011
	Rep.Lucille Roybal-Allard	33.08%	1993
	Rep.John Conyers, Jr.	32.96%	1965
Total by party (1-60):36 were Democrats 24 were Republicans.
Top 61-80:The average concentrated percentage in the top 80 was35.38% over career contributions.; for those in spots 61-80, it was 32.24%.
	Rep.John Culberson	32.84%	2001
	Rep.Kevin Brady	32.84%	1997
	Rep.Sean Maloney	32.84%	2013
	Rep.Joseph R. Pitts	32.77%	1997
	Sen.John Barrasso	32.73%	2007
	Rep.Robert Brady	32.72%	1998
	Rep.Tom Cotton	32.65%	2013
	Rep.Allyson Schwartz	32.34%	2005
	Rep.Mike Quigley	32.32%	2009
	Rep.Chris Van Hollen	32.17%	2003
	Rep.Scott Garrett	32.12%	2003
	Rep.Bradley Byrne	32.00%	2014
	Rep.Marcy Kaptur	31.95%	1983
	Rep.John Lewis	31.86%	1987
	Rep.Julia Brownley	31.82%	2013
	Rep.Dan Benishek	31.79%	2011
	Rep.Rob Woodall	31.77%	2011
	Rep.Scott Tipton	31.77%	2011
	Rep.Mo Brooks	31.74%	2011
	Sen.Rob Portman	31.73%	2011
Total by party (1-80):44 were Democrats 36 were Republicans.
Top 81-100:The average concentrated percentage in the top 100 was34.54% over career contributions.; for those in spots 61-80, it was 31.16%.
	Rep.Louis B. "Louie" Gohmert Jr.	31.69%	2005
	Rep.Diana DeGette	31.62%	1997
	Rep.Mac Thornberry	31.58%	1995
	Rep.Ann Kirkpatrick	31.53%	2013
	Rep.Carolyn B. Maloney	31.50%	1993
	Rep.Frederica S. Wilson	31.46%	2011
	Sen.Bill Nelson	31.29%	2000
	Rep.Mark Meadows	31.28%	2013
	Sen.Michael Bennet	31.27%	2009
	Rep.Stephen Lee Fincher	31.22%	2011
	Rep.Carol Shea-Porter	31.14%	2013
	Rep.Jared Huffman	31.08%	2013
	Rep.Raul Ruiz	31.03%	2013
	Rep.John Fleming	30.98%	2009
	Rep.Joe Barton	30.92%	1985
	Rep.Ron DeSantis	30.80%	2013
	Sen.Tim Scott	30.75%	2013
	Rep.Michael Grimm	30.71%	2011
	Rep.Frank Pallone Jr.	30.65%	1993
	Rep.Eddie Bernice Johnson	30.62%	1993
Total by party (1-100):54 were Democrats 46 were Republicans.

Correlation to time in office

Of the top 100 most concentrated members, the average year they assumed office was late 2003. For all members in the study, it was early 2004.

Length of time in office appears to have no meaningful impact on concentration percentages for members of Congress. For members that were elected in the five years preceding the 113th Congress, the concentration of donations within their top five industries was averaged at 26.63 percent. This number fluctuated under 1 percent between members elected in the preceding five years and the preceding 25 years.

Summary

The average member of the 113th Congress received 26.34 percent of his career donations from just five industries. The highest concentration of donations topped out at 49.56 percent, and the lowest was just 2.9 percent. Both were Republican members of Congress. Of the top 100 most concentrated members, just over half were Democrats. When it comes to the top six concentrated members — three from the House and three from the Senate — only one is a Republican, with the other five belonging to the Democratic Party. Amongst the Democratic members, there are three industries that appear on the top of five of at least three members.Lawyers/Law Firms appear in the top five of all five Democratic members.Real Estate appears in four of the top five lists, andRetirement appears in three. None of these three industries appear in the top five list of the lone Republican, Rep.Michael Burgess from Texas. His top five industries are equally unshared with the Democrats. Finally, length of time in office has no correlation to concentration of donating industries.

Industries: Committee membership

Committee membership is one way members of Congress can wield their influence and use their expertise. Committees often serve to craft and revise legislation that will see a vote on the floor of Congress. Members of each committee can play an integral role in shaping legislation within the purview of each committee's jurisdiction. Below are the members who had committee membership in the113th United States Congress and top donors from related industries.

Banking

House Committee on Financial Services

See also:United States House of Representatives Committee on Financial Services

Committee chair Rep.Jeb Hensarling

The members listed in the previous tab who are on the House Committee on Financial services include the following:

• Rep.Jeb Hensarling was the chair of theUnited States House of Representatives Committee on Financial Services. Hensarling has received 7.45 percent of his career contributions fromCommercial banks.
• Reps.Spencer Bachus,Joyce Beatty,Frank Lucas,Dennis Ross,Jim Himes,Scott Garrett,Brad Sherman,Gregory W. Meeks,John Delaney,Blaine Luetkemeyer andRandy Hultgren all serve on the committee and have received over 6 percent of their career contributions frombanking related industries.

House Ways and Means Committee

See also:United States House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means

The members listed in the previous tab who are on the House Ways and Means Committee include the following:

• Reps.John Larson,Kenny Marchant andRichard Neal all serve on the committee and have received over 6 percent of their career contributions frombanking related industries.

Senate Finance Committee

See also:United States Senate Committee on Finance

The members listed in the previous tab who are on the Senate Finance Committee include the following:

• Sens.Tom Carper,Ben Cardin,Chuck Grassley,Chuck Schumer andBill Nelson all serve on the committee and have received over 4.55 percent of their career contributions frombanking related industries.

Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

See also:United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

The members listed in the previous tab who are on the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs include the following:

• Sens.Richard Shelby,Jerry Moran,Tim Johnson,Chuck Schumer andJack Reed all serve on the committee and have received over 3.8 percent of their career contributions frombanking related industries.

Energy

House Committee on Energy and Commerce

See also:United States House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce

Committee chair Rep.Joe Barton

The members listed in the previous tab who are on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce include the following:

• Rep.Joe Barton was the chair of theUnited States House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce. Barton has received 11.04 percent of his career contributions fromenergy related industries.
• Reps.John Dingell,Ralph Hall,Bobby Rush,Michael Doyle,David McKinley,Morgan Griffith,Mike Pompeo andBill Johnson all serve on the committee and have received over 5.6 percent of their career contributions fromenergy related industries.

Note: All five top recipients of donations from theElectric Utilities industry sit on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

House Committee on Natural Resources

See also:United States House of Representatives Committee on Natural Resources

The members listed in the previous tab who are on the House Committee on Natural Resources include the following:

• Rep.Cynthia Lummis serves on the committee and has received over 12.43 percent of her career contributions fromenergy related industries.

Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

See also:United States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

The members listed in the previous tab who are on the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources include the following:

• Sens.Lisa Murkowski,Joe Manchin,John Barrasso andJohn Hoeven all serve on the committee and have received over 4.55 percent of their career contributions fromenergy related industries.

Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works

See also:United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works

The members listed in the previous tab who are on the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works include the following:

• Sens.Jim Inhofe andJohn Barrasso serve on the committee and have received over 3.8 percent of their career contributions fromenergy related industries.

Farming

House Committee on Agriculture

See also:United States House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture

Committee chair Rep.Frank Lucas

The members listed in the previous tab who are on the House Committee on Agriculture include the following:

• Rep.Frank Lucas was the chair of theUnited States House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture. Lucas has received 7.58 percent of his career contributions fromAgricultural Services.
• Reps.Collin Peterson (Ranking member),Ted Yoho,Vicky Hartzler,Doug LaMalfa,Stephen Fincher,Jim Costa andJeff Denham all serve on the committee and have received over 2.43 percent of their career contributions fromfarming related industries.

Senate Committee on Agriculture

Committee ranking member Sen.Thad Cochran

See also:United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

The members listed in the previous tab who are on the Senate Committee on Agriculture include the following:

• Sen.Thad Cochran is a currentranking member of theUnited States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Cochran has received 11.43 percent of his career contributions from farming related industries.
• Sens.Pat Roberts andSaxby Chambliss (Former chair) serve on the committee and have received over 4.55 percent of their career contributions fromfarming related industries.

Healthcare

Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

See also:United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

The members listed in the previous tab who are on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions include the following:

• Sens.Richard Burr andOrrin Hatch serve on the committee and have received over 3.81 percent of their career contributions fromhealth related industries.

Transportation

Ranking member Rep.Nick Rahall

House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

See also:United States House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

The members listed in the previous tab who are on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure include the following:

• Rep.Nick Rahall is a ranking member of theUnited States House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Rahall has received 4.6 percent of his career contributions fromAgricultural Services.
• Reps.John Duncan,John Mica,Tom Petri,Eddie Bernice Johnson,Roger Williams,Candice Miller,Daniel Lipinski,Corrine Brown,Lou Barletta,Don Young andDuncan Hunter all serve on the committee and have received over 2.64 percent of their career contributions fromtransportation related industries.

Unions

Ranking member Rep.George Miller

House Committee on Education and the Workforce

See also:United States House of Representatives Committee on Education and the Workforce

The members listed in the previous tab who are on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce include the following:

• Rep.George Miller is ranking member of theUnited States House of Representatives Committee on Education and the Workforce. Miller has received 15.67 percent of his career contributions fromUnions.
• Reps.Mark Pocan andFrederica Wilson serve on the committee and have received over 7 percent of their career contributions fromunion related industries.

Sectors: Concentration by sector

In addition to the industries identified byOpenSecrets.org,Ballotpedia sought to categorize related industries into broader sectors. For more information on how we grouped the industries, please see theMethod and definitions tab. Below are the top recipients by sector.

Top recipients by sector

Second highest from one sector Rep.Jose Serrano (D-NY) had the second highest concentration of career donations coming from one sector:32.86 percent coming fromUnions.[13]

Third highest from one sector Rep.Spencer Bachus (R-AL) had the third highest concentration of career donations coming from one sector:31.48 percent coming fromBanking.[14] Bachus was thechairman of theHouse Committee on Finance during the112th Congress.

In order to analyze the data provided byOpenSecrets.org even further, Ballotpedia identified broader interests, such as combining all union industries into a "Union" sector. This allowed us to evaluate which members may have a high concentration of donors coming from broader interests. For example, by combining the industries in ourEnergy sector, Ballotpedia was able to see which members may have a broader interest in energy policy than ifElectric Utilities,Mining andOil & Gas were viewed separately.

Career contributions were used for this calculation.OpenSecrets.org provides data back to 1989 for members elected prior to 1990.

Banking Rep.Spencer Bachus had the highest concentration of donations from theBanking industry: 31.48 percent. Construction/Real Estate Rep.Gary Miller had the highest concentration of donations from theConstruction/Real Estate industry: 14.95 percent. Education Rep.Bill Foster had the highest concentration of donations from theEducation industry: 8.54 percent. Farming Rep.David Valadao had the highest concentration of donations from theFarming industry: 26.59 percent. Healthcare Rep.Michael Burgess had the highest concentration of donations from theHealthcare industry: 41.05 percent. Misc. Business Rep.Steve Womack had the highest concentration of donations from theMisc. Business industry: 9.33 percent. Retirement Rep.Mark Meadows had the highest concentration of donations from theRetirement industry: 14.01 percent. Unions Rep.Jose Serrano had the highest concentration of donations from theUnions industry: 32.86 percent.

Computers/Internet Rep.Zoe Lofgren had the highest concentration of donations from theComputers/Internet industry: 14.64 percent. Defense & Foreign Policy Rep.Buck McKeon had the highest concentration of donations from theDefense & Foreign Policy industry: 14.99 percent. Energy Rep.David McKinley had the highest concentration of donations from theEnergy industry: 17.72 percent. Food & Entertainment Rep.Mike Thompson had the highest concentration of donations from theFood & Entertainment industry: 26.59 percent. Lawyers & Lobbyists Rep.Matt Cartwright had the highest concentration of donations from theLawyers & Lobbyists industry: 33.71 percent. Politics & Policy Rep.David Jolly had the highest concentration of donations from thePolitics & Policy industry: 21.5 percent. Transportation Rep.John Duncan had the highest concentration of donations from theTransportation industry: 14.07 percent.

Banking

Rep. Bachus had the highest concentration.

Industries categorized within the Banking sector are Commercial Banks, Insurance, Securities & Investments, Misc. Finance, Accountants, Credit Unions and Finance/Credit Companies.

The industries categorized in theBanking sector appeared in the top five industries of243 members.

The average percentage of career contributions received from theBanking sector was6.9 percent.

Partisan breakdown

The top five recipients of the industries comprising theBanking sector had a partisan breakdown of:

Banking sector partisan breakdown
Party	Recipients
Democratic	19
Republican	21
Independent	1

The member who had the highest concentration of all combinedBanking industries was:
Rep.Spencer Bachus: 31.48 percent

Representatives[15] Top five industry recipients: Commercial Banks Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Spencer Bachus 10.4% 2nd Rep.Jeb Hensarling 7.45% 3rd Rep.Joyce Beatty 6.6% 4th Rep.Frank Lucas 6.3% 5th Rep.Kenny Marchant 6.21% Top five industry recipients: Insurance Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Richard Neal 13.79% 2nd Rep.John Larson 10.46% 3rd Rep.Juan Vargas 9.65% 4th Rep.Dennis Ross 9.17% 5th Rep.Spencer Bachus 8.61% Top five industry recipients: Securities & Investments Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Jim Himes 16.95% 2nd Rep.Scott Garrett 12.92% 3rd Rep.Joseph Kennedy 11.93% 4th Rep.Randy Hultgren 10.67% 5th Rep.Nita Lowey 8.61% Top five industry recipients: Accountants Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Steven Palazzo 5.87% 2nd Rep.Mike Conaway (Texas) 5.52% 3rd Rep.Collin Peterson 3.68% 4th Rep.Brad Sherman 3.1% Top five industry recipients: Credit Unions Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Rob Bishop 3.93% Top five industry recipients: Finance/Credit Companies Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Gregory W. Meeks 5.85% 2nd Rep.Spencer Bachus 4.43% 3rd Rep.Kevin Yoder 4.13% 4th Rep.John Delaney 2.31% 5th Rep.Blaine Luetkemeyer 2.26% Top five industry recipients: Misc. Finance Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Jeb Hensarling 6.11% 2nd Rep.Billy Long 5.03% 3rd Rep.Louie Gohmert 4.73% 4th Rep.Pete Sessions 4.31% 5th Rep.Mark Sanford 4.24%

Senators[16] Top five industry recipients: Commercial Banks Rank Senator % of career contributions 1st Sen.Tom Carper 4.66% 2nd Sen.Richard Shelby 3.97% 3rd Sen.Jerry Moran 3.91% 4th Sen.Tim Johnson 3.8% 5th Sen.Deb Fischer 2.73% Top five industry recipients: Insurance Rank Senator % of career contributions 1st Sen.Ben Cardin 6.17% 2nd Sen.Chuck Grassley 6.02% 3rd Sen.Chuck Schumer 5.69% 4th Sen.Dan Coats 5.56% 5th Sen.Jack Reed 5.3% Top five industry recipients: Securities & Investments Rank Senator % of career contributions 1st Sen.Al Franken 14.73% 2nd Sen.Amy Klobuchar 11.73% 3rd Sen.Angus King 9.98% 4th Sen.Ben Cardin 9.5% 5th Sen.Bill Nelson 9.46% Top five industry recipients: Misc. Finance Rank Senator % of career contributions 1st Sen.Marco Rubio 1.76%

Computers/Internet

Rep. Lofgren had the highest concentration.

The industries categorized in theComputers/Internet sector appeared in the top five industries of19 members.

The average percentage of career contributions received from theComputers/Internet sector was4.77 percent.

Partisan breakdown

The top five recipients of the industries comprising theComputers/Internet sector had a partisan breakdown of:

Computers/Internet partisan breakdown
Party	Recipients
Democratic	6
Republican	3

The member who had the highest concentration of all combinedComputers/Internet industries was:
Rep.Zoe Lofgren: 14.64 percent

Representatives[15] Top five industry recipients: Computers/Internet Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Zoe Lofgren 14.64% 2nd Rep.Anna Eshoo 9.67% 3rd Rep.Jason Chaffetz 6.4% 4th Rep.Adam Smith 6.02% 5th Rep.Bob Goodlatte 5.19%

Senators[16] Top five industry recipients: Computers/Internet Rank Senator % of career contributions 1st Sen.Patrick Leahy 3.76% 2nd Sen.Mike Lee 3.47% 3rd Sen.Maria Cantwell 2.31% 4th Sen.Patty Murray 1.95%

Construction/Real Estate

Rep. Miller had the highest concentration.

Industries categorized within the Construction/Real Estate sector are Building Materials, Construction Services, Real Estate, General Contractors, Special Trade Contractors and Misc. Manufacturing.

The industries categorized in theConstruction/Real Estate sector appeared in the top five industries of288 members.

The average percentage of career contributions received from theConstruction/Real Estate sector was4.88 percent.

Partisan breakdown

The top five recipients of the industries comprising theConstruction/Real Estate sector had a partisan breakdown of:

Construction/Real Estate partisan breakdown
Party	Recipients
Democratic	9
Republican	19

The member who had the highest concentration of all combinedConstruction/Real Estate industries was:
Rep.Gary Miller: 14.95 percent

Representatives[15] Top five industry recipients: Real Estate Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Gary Miller 14.95% 2nd Rep.John Campbell 10.74% 3rd Rep.Beto O'Rourke 9.2% 4th Rep.Steve Israel 8.97% 5th Rep.Michael Grimm 8.96% Top five industry recipients: Construction Services Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Daniel Lipinski 7.37% 2nd Rep.Earl Blumenauer 6.37% 3rd Rep.Filemon Vela 5.8% 4th Rep.Bill Shuster 4.37% 5th Rep.John Mica 4.12% Top five industry recipients: General Contractors Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Tom Rice 7.96% 2nd Rep.Charles J. Fleischmann 5.14% 3rd Rep.Don Young 4.88% 4th Rep.Blake Farenthold 4.84% 5th Rep.Richard Hanna 4.51% Top five industry recipients: Misc. Manufacturing Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Tim Walberg 2.94% Top five industry recipients: Building Materials Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Bill Shuster 5% 2nd Rep.Tom Petri 3.63% 3rd Rep.Scott DesJarlais 3% 4th Rep.Ken Calvert 2.77% 5th Rep.Phil Roe 2.39% Top five industry recipients: Special Trade Contractors Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Reid Ribble 3.94% 2nd Rep.Markwayne Mullin 2.87%

Senators[16] Top five industry recipients: Real Estate Rank Senator % of career contributions 1st Sen.Johnny Isakson 11.23% 2nd Sen.Bob Menendez 6.93% 3rd Sen.Chuck Schumer 6.41% 4th Sen.Brian Schatz 6.14% 5th Sen.Ben Cardin 5.98% Top five industry recipients: Construction Services Rank Senator % of career contributions 1st Sen.Bob Menendez 3.47% Top five industry recipients: General Contractors Rank Senator % of career contributions 1st Sen.Bob Menendez 2.91% Top five industry recipients: Misc. Manufacturing Rank Senator % of career contributions 1st Sen.Rob Portman 4.79% 2nd Sen.Ron Johnson 1.83%

Defense & Foreign Policy

Rep. McKeon had the highest concentration.

Industries categorized within the Defense & Foreign Policy sector are Defense Aerospace, Defense Electronics, Misc. Defense and Pro-Israel^[5].

The industries categorized in theDefense & Foreign Policy sector appeared in the top five industries of30 members.

The average percentage of career contributions received from theDefense & Foreign Policy sector was6.27 percent.

Partisan breakdown

The top five recipients of the industries comprising theDefense & Foreign Policy sector had a partisan breakdown of:

Defense & Foreign Policy partisan breakdown
Party	Recipients
Democratic	9
Republican	10

The member who had the highest concentration of all combinedDefense & Foreign Policy industries was:
Rep.Buck McKeon: 14.99 percent

Representatives[15] Top five industry recipients: Pro-Israel Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Ted Deutch 8.08% 2nd Rep.Eliot Engel 6.78% 3rd Rep.Ileana Ros-Lehtinen 6.7% 4th Rep.Brad Schneider 6% 5th Rep.Alcee L. Hastings 4.2% Top five industry recipients: Defense Aerospace Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Buck McKeon 7.1% 2nd Rep.Mo Brooks 6.86% 3rd Rep.Mac Thornberry 6.14% 4th Rep.Jeff Miller 4.82% 5th Rep.Kay Granger 4.81% Top five industry recipients: Defense Electronics Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Jeff Miller 4.85% 2nd Rep.Jim Moran 4.41% 3rd Rep.Duncan Hunter 4.34% 4th Rep.Bill Posey 4% 5th Rep.Rob Wittman 3.96% Top five industry recipients: Misc. Defense Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Rob Wittman 6.2% 2nd Rep.Jim Moran 5.92% 3rd Rep.Mo Brooks 5.64% 4th Rep.Buck McKeon 4.49% 5th Rep.Dutch Ruppersberger 4.46%

Senators[16] Top five industry recipients: Pro-Israel Rank Senator % of career contributions 1st Sen.Mark Kirk 5.49% 2nd Sen.Carl Levin 5.18% 3rd Sen.Ron Wyden 2.88% 4th Sen.Barbara Mikulski 2.66%

Education

Rep. Foster had the highest concentration.

The industries categorized in theEducation sector appeared in the top five industries of12 members.

The average percentage of career contributions received from theEducation sector was4.44 percent.

Partisan breakdown

The top five recipients of the industries comprising theEducation sector had a partisan breakdown of:

Education sector partisan breakdown
Party	Recipients
Democratic	8
Republican	0

The member who had the highest concentration of all combinedEducation industries was:
Rep.Bill Foster: 8.54 percent

Representatives[15] Top five industry recipients: Education Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Bill Foster 8.54% 2nd Rep.Albio Sires 7% 3rd Rep.Rush D. Holt, Jr. 6.16% 4th Rep.John Sarbanes 5.21% 5th Rep.David Price 4.86%

Senators[16] Top five industry recipients: Education Rank Senator % of career contributions 1st Sen.Patrick Leahy 3.02% 2nd Sen.Tim Kaine 2.75% 3rd Sen.Sherrod Brown 2.11%

Energy

Rep. McKinley had the highest concentration.

Industries categorized within the Energy sector are Electric Utilities, Mining and Oil & Gas.

The industries categorized in theEnergy sector appeared in the top five industries of113 members.

The average percentage of career contributions received from theEnergy sector was6.77 percent.

Partisan breakdown

The top five recipients of the industries comprising theEnergy sector had a partisan breakdown of:

Energy sector partisan breakdown
Party	Recipients
Democratic	3
Republican	19

The member who had the highest concentration of all combinedEnergy industries was:
Rep.David McKinley: 17.72 percent

Representatives[15] Top five industry recipients: Electric Utilities Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Joe Barton 7.93% 2nd Rep.John Dingell 7.56% 3rd Rep.Ralph Hall 6.97% 4th Rep.Bobby Rush 6.69% 5th Rep.Michael Doyle 6.38% Top five industry recipients: Mining Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.David McKinley 11.04% 2nd Rep.Andy Barr 8.2% 3rd Rep.Morgan Griffith 7.1% 4th Rep.Bob Gibbs 5.82% 5th Rep.Bill Johnson 5.73% Top five industry recipients: Oil & Gas Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Mike Conaway (Texas) 14.62% 2nd Rep.Mike Pompeo 14.21% 3rd Rep.Cynthia Lummis 12.43% 4th Rep.James Lankford 11.55% 5th Rep.Kevin Cramer 11.12%

Senators[16] Top five industry recipients: Electric Utilities Rank Senator % of career contributions 1st Sen.Lisa Murkowski 6.48% 2nd Sen.Joe Manchin 4.36% 3rd Sen.John Barrasso 3.96% 4th Sen.Jim Inhofe 2.84% Top five industry recipients: Mining Rank Senator % of career contributions 1st Sen.Joe Manchin 6.17% 2nd Sen.John Hoeven 6.02% Top five industry recipients: Oil & Gas Rank Senator % of career contributions 1st Sen.Jim Inhofe 8.55% 2nd Sen.John Hoeven 6.79% 3rd Sen.John Barrasso 6.66% 4th Sen.John Cornyn 6.41% 5th Sen.Lisa Murkowski 6.09%

Farming

Rep. Valadao had the highest concentration.

Industries categorized within the Farming sector are Agricultural Services, Crop Production, Dairy, Forestry & Forestry Products, Livestock and Tobacco.

The industries categorized in theFarming sector appeared in the top five industries of51 members.

The average percentage of career contributions received from theFarming sector was7.66 percent.

Partisan breakdown

The top five recipients of the industries comprising theFarming sector had a partisan breakdown of:

Farming sector partisan breakdown
Party	Recipients
Democratic	5
Republican	19

The member who had the highest concentration of all combinedFarming industries was:
Rep.David Valadao: 26.59 percent

Representatives[15] Top five industry recipients: Agricultural Services Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Collin Peterson 8.36% 2nd Rep.Frank Lucas 7.58% 3rd Rep.Ted Yoho 5.31% 4th Rep.Tom Latham 4.65% 5th Rep.Vicky Hartzler 4.33% Top five industry recipients: Crop Production Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Doug LaMalfa 16.8% 2nd Rep.Stephen Fincher 14.48% 3rd Rep.David Valadao 14.04% 4th Rep.Collin Peterson 13.44% 5th Rep.Devin Nunes 12.58% Top five industry recipients: Dairy Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.David Valadao 9.49% 2nd Rep.Devin Nunes 9.38% 3rd Rep.Collin Peterson 4.09% 4th Rep.Jim Costa 3.67% 5th Rep.Jeff Denham 2.90% Top five industry recipients: Forestry & Forest Products Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Greg Walden 5.37% 2nd Rep.Cathy McMorris Rodgers 3.57% 3rd Rep.Kurt Schrader 3.31% 4th Rep.Jaime Herrera Beutler 2.81% 5th Rep.Doc Hastings 2.43% The top recipients of theForestry & Forest Products industry are all from either Oregon or Washington State. Top five industry recipients: Livestock Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Mac Thornberry 6.22% 2nd Rep.Cynthia Lummis 5.13% Top five industry recipients: Tobacco Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Howard Coble 2.55%

Senators[16] Top five industry recipients: Agricultural Services Rank Senator % of career contributions 1st Sen.Jerry Moran 5.11% 2nd Sen.Pat Roberts 5.1% 3rd Sen.Thad Cochran 3.6% Top five industry recipients: Crop Production Rank Senator % of career contributions 1st Sen.Thad Cochran 7.83% 2nd Sen.Jerry Moran 6.71% 3rd Sen.Saxby Chambliss 4.72% 4th Sen.Deb Fischer 3.04%

Food & Entertainment

Rep. Thompson had the highest concentration.

Industries categorized within the Food & Entertainment sector are Beer, Wine & Liquors, Casinos & Gambling, Food & Beverage, Food Processing & Sales and TV/Movies/Music.

The industries categorized in theFood & Entertainment sector appeared in the top five industries of52 members.

The average percentage of career contributions received from theFood & Entertainment sector was4.9 percent.

Partisan breakdown

The top five recipients of the industries comprising theFood & Entertainment sector had a partisan breakdown of:

Food & Entertainment partisan breakdown
Party	Recipients
Democratic	12
Republican	11

The member who had the highest concentration of all combinedFood & Entertainment industries was: Rep.Mike Thompson: 11.82 percent

Representatives[15] Top five industry recipients: TV/Movies/Music Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Henry Waxman 9.49% 2nd Rep.Karen Bass 9.05% 3rd Rep.John Conyers, Jr. 8.8% 4th Rep.Jim Sensenbrenner 6.27% 5th Rep.Bob Goodlatte 5.35% Top five industry recipients: Casinos & Gambling Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Paul Cook 8.05% 2nd Rep.Tom Cole 7.24% 3rd Rep.Mark Amodei 7.16% 4th Rep.Joe Heck 7.06% 5th Rep.Ben Ray Lujan 6.57% All representatives who received substantial contributions from theCasinos & Gambling industry are from states where gambling is prevalent: California, Nevada, New Mexico and Oklahoma. Top five industry recipients: Beer, Wine & Liquors Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Mike Thompson 11.82% 2nd Rep.Pete Gallego 3.31% Top five industry recipients: Food & Beverage Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Rodney Davis 3.45% Top five industry recipients: Special Trade Contractors Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Steve Womack 4.41% 2nd Rep.Reid Ribble 3.05% 3rd Rep.Paul Gosar 2.57%

Senators[16] Top five industry recipients: TV/Movies/Music Rank Senator % of career contributions 1st Sen.Patrick Leahy 8.59% 2nd Sen.Ed Markey 5.35% 3rd Sen.Cory Booker 3.93% 4th Sen.Barbara Boxer 3.41% 5th Sen.Michael Bennet 2.87% Top five industry recipients: Casinos & Gambling Rank Senator % of career contributions 1st Sen.Dean Heller 4.52% 2nd Sen.Harry Reid 4.38% Sens. Reid & Heller are from Nevada.

Healthcare

Rep. Burgess had the highest concentration.

Industries categorized within the Healthcare sector are Health Professionals, Pharmaceuticals/Health Products, Hospitals/Nursing and Health Services/HMO.

The industries categorized in theHealthcare sector appeared in the top five industries of275 members.

The average percentage of career contributions received from theHealthcare sector was6.41 percent.

Partisan breakdown

The top five recipients of the industries comprising theHealthcare sector had a partisan breakdown of:

Healthcare sector partisan breakdown
Party	Recipients
Democratic	4
Republican	18

The member who had the highest concentration of all combinedHealthcare industries was:
Rep.Michael Burgess: 41.05 percent

Representatives[15] Top five industry recipients: Health Professionals Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Michael Burgess 27.54% 2nd Rep.Paul Gosar 26.48% 3rd Rep.Tom Price 24.97% 4th Rep.Phil Gingrey 22.07% 5th Rep.Andrew Harris 21.38% All five topHealth Professionals recipients received a medical doctorate. Top five industry recipients: Pharmaceuticals/Health Products Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Anna Eshoo 10.51% 2nd Rep.Michael Burgess 10.09% 3rd Rep.Joseph Pitts 9.18% 4th Rep.Leonard Lance 8.97% 5th Rep.Jason Chaffetz 6.43% Top five industry recipients: Hospitals/Nursing Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Henry Waxman 5.12% 2nd Rep.Glenn Thompson 3.87% 3rd Rep.Diane Black 3.53% 4th Rep.Jim Cooper 3.44% 5th Rep.John Fleming 2.86% Top five industry recipients: Health Services/HMOs Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Michael Burgess 3.42% 2nd Rep.Richard Nugent 3.21%

Senators[16] Top five industry recipients: Health Professionals Rank Senator % of career contributions 1st Sen.John Barrasso 12.43% 2nd Sen.Tim Scott 9.71% 3rd Sen.John Boozman 6.98% 4th Sen.Ben Cardin 5.91% 5th Sen.Mike Enzi 5.81% Sen.Barrasso was a surgeon and Sen.Boozman was an optometrist. Top five industry recipients: Pharmaceuticals Rank Senator % of career contributions 1st Sen.Orrin Hatch 7.39% 2nd Sen.Mike Enzi 6.80% 3rd Sen.John Barrasso 4.12% 4th Sen.Richard Burr 3.81%

Lawyers & Lobbyists

Rep. Cartwright had the highest concentration.

Industries categorized within the Lawyers & Lobbyists sector are Lawyers/Law Firms and Lobbyists.

The industries categorized in theLawyers & Lobbyists sector appeared in the top five industries of374 members.

The average percentage of career contributions received from theLawyers & Lobbyists sector was7 percent.

Partisan breakdown

The top five recipients of the industries comprising theLawyers & Lobbyists sector had a partisan breakdown of:

Lawyers & Lobbyists partisan breakdown
Party	Recipients
Democratic	18
Republican	2

The member who had the highest concentration of all combinedLawyers & Lobbyists industries was:
Rep.Matt Cartwright: 33.71 percent

Representatives[15] Top five industry recipients: Lawyers/Law Firms Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Matt Cartwright 33.71% 2nd Rep.Bruce Braley 27.06% 3rd Rep.Lloyd Doggett 20.23% 4th Rep.John Barrow 17.67% 5th Rep.John Sarbanes 16.48% Top five industry recipients: Lobbyists Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Lucille Roybal-Allard 6.29% 2nd Rep.Ed Pastor 5.87% 3rd Rep.Peter Visclosky 5.81% 4th Rep.Jim Moran 5.7% 5th Rep.Dan Maffei 4.63%

Senators[16] Top five industry recipients: Lawyers/Law Firms Rank Senator % of career contributions 1st Sen.Chris Coons 18.06% 2nd Sen.Bob Casey, Jr. 17.39% 3rd Sen.Bill Nelson 16.12% 4th Sen.Mark Pryor 14.77% 5th Sen.Kirsten Gillibrand 14.35% Top five industry recipients: Lobbyists Rank Senator % of career contributions 1st Sen.Patrick Leahy 6.25% 2nd Sen.Lisa Murkowski 4.81% 3rd Sen.Kelly Ayotte 4.54% 4th Sen.Ed Markey 4.14% 5th Sen.John Walsh 4.03%

Misc. Business

Rep. Womack had the highest concentration.

Industries categorized within the Misc. Business sector are Business Services, Retail Sales and Non-Profit Institutions^[7].

The industries categorized in theMisc. Business sector appeared in the top five industries of15 members.

The average percentage of career contributions received from theMisc. Business sector was3.76 percent.

Partisan breakdown

The top five recipients of the industries comprising theMisc. Business sector had a partisan breakdown of:

Misc. Business partisan breakdown
Party	Recipients
Democratic	8
Republican	5

The member who had the highest concentration of all combinedMisc. Business industries was:
Rep.Steve Womack: 9.33 percent

Representatives[15] Top five industry recipients: Business Services Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Jason Chaffetz 3.74% 2nd Rep.Gloria Negrete McLeod 3.67% 3rd Rep.Joseph Kennedy III 3.6% 4th Rep.Mike Quigley 3.51% 5th Rep.Derek Kilmer 3.17% Top five industry recipients: Retail Sales Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Steve Womack 9.33% 2nd Rep.Joyce Beatty 3.92% 3rd Rep.Justin Amash 3.24% Top five industry recipients: Non-Profit Institutions Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Donna Edwards 4.98%

Senators[16] Top five industry recipients: Business Services Rank Senator % of career contributions 1st Sen.Mike Lee 3.62% 2nd Sen.Cory Booker 2.57% 3rd Sen.Mark Warner 2.04% Top five industry recipients: Retail Sales Rank Senator % of career contributions 1st Sen.John Boozman 3.3%

Politics & Policy

Rep. Jolly had the highest concentration.

Industries categorized within the Politics & Policy sector are Abortion Policy, Candidate Committees, Democratic/Liberal, Environment, Leadership PACs, Republican/Conservative and Women's Issues.

The industries categorized in thePolitics & Policy sector appeared in the top five industries of236 members.

The average percentage of career contributions received from thePolitics & Policy sector was6.35 percent.

Partisan breakdown

The top five recipients of the industries comprising thePolitics & Policy sector had a partisan breakdown of:

Politics & Policy partisan breakdown
Party	Recipients
Democratic	22
Republican	22

The member who had the highest concentration of all combinedPolitics & Policy industries was:
Rep.David Jolly: 21.5 percent

Representatives[15] Top five industry recipients: Leadership PACs Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.David Jolly 15.2% 2nd Rep.Dan Benishek 11.52% 3rd Rep.David G. Valadao 11.46% 4th Rep.Kerry Bentivolio 11.19% 5th Rep.Martha Roby 10.8% Top five industry recipients: Women's Issues Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Paul Cook 8.41% 2nd Rep.Ann Kirkpatrick 8.31% 3rd Rep.Allyson Schwartz 7.59% 4th Rep.Carol Shea-Porter 6.98% 5th Rep.Annie Kuster 6.07% Top five industry recipients: Republican/Conservative Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Thomas Massie 9.68% 2nd Rep.Tim Walberg 8.74% 3rd Rep.Justin Amash 8.3% 4th Rep.Tom Cotton 7.97% 5th Rep.Keith Rothfus 7.52% Top five industry recipients: Democratic/Liberal Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Jerry McNerney 4.95% 2nd Rep.Kyrsten Sinema 3.41% 3rd Rep.Raul Ruiz 3.14% 4th Rep.Annie Kuster 2.67% 5th Rep.Tammy Duckworth 2.61% Top five industry recipients: Candidate Committees Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.David Jolly 6.01% 2nd Rep.Carol Shea-Porter 4.43% 3rd Rep.Bill Owens 4.41% 4th Rep.Kerry Bentivolio 3.79% 5th Rep.William Enyart 3.28% Top five industry recipients: Environment Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Jerry McNerney 2.91% Top five industry recipients: Abortion Policy/Anti-Abortion Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Chris Smith 2.88% Top five industry recipients: Misc. Issues Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Gary Miller 2.96%

Senators[16] Top five industry recipients: Leadership PACs Rank Senator % of career contributions 1st Sen.John Walsh 11.26% 2nd Sen.Chris Coons 6.45% 3rd Sen.Mike Enzi 6.27% 4th Sen.Joe Donnelly 5.95% 5th Sen.Jim Risch 5.57% Top five industry recipients: Women's Issues Rank Senator % of career contributions 1st Sen.Claire McCaskill 15.2% 2nd Sen.Jeanne Shaheen 7.64% 3rd Sen.Amy Klobuchar 5.08% 4th Sen.Tammy Baldwin 4.8% 5th Sen.Debbie Stabenow 4.07% Top five industry recipients: Republican/Conservative Rank Senator % of career contributions 1st Sen.Jeff Flake 10.63% 2nd Sen.Ted Cruz 8.84% 3rd Sen.Pat Toomey 4.49% 4th Sen.Marco Rubio 3.49% 5th Sen.Deb Fischer 3.31% Top five industry recipients: Democratic/Liberal Rank Senator % of career contributions 1st Sen.Chris Murphy 3.49% 2nd Sen.Elizabeth Warren 2.8% 3rd Sen.Tammy Baldwin 2.46% 4th Sen.Bernie Sanders 2.27% Top five industry recipients: Candidate Committees Rank Senator % of career contributions 1st Sen.Richard Burr 6.34% 2nd Sen.Johnny Isakson 4.66% 3rd Sen.Joe Donnelly 2.85% Top five industry recipients: Environment Rank Senator % of career contributions 1st Sen.Martin Heinrich 3.03%

Retirement

Rep. Meadows had the highest concentration.

This industry is composed of any $200+ donor who identifies as a retiree. It also includes donations made by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP).

The industries categorized in theRetirement sector appeared in the top five industries of304 members.

The average percentage of career contributions received from theRetirement sector was5.45 percent.

Partisan breakdown

The top five recipients of the industries comprising theRetirement sector had a partisan breakdown of:

Retirement sector partisan breakdown
Party	Recipients
Democratic	3
Republican	6
Independent	1

The member who had the highest concentration of all combinedRetirement industries was:
Rep.Mark Meadows: 14.01 percent

Representatives[15] Top five industry recipients: Retirement Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Mark Meadows 14.01% 2nd Rep.Rush D. Holt, Jr. 12.58% 3rd Rep.Scott Tipton 11.8% 4th Rep.Virginia Foxx 11.75% 5th Rep.Bob Goodlatte 11.3%

Senators[16] Top five industry recipients: Retirement Rank Senator % of career contributions 1st Sen.Angus King 10.21% 2nd Sen.Tim Kaine 9.95% 3rd Sen.Chris Murphy 9.69% 4th Sen.Marco Rubio 9.58% 5th Sen.Mark Kirk 9.35%

Transportation

Rep. Duncan had the highest concentration.

Industries categorized within the Transportation sector are Air Transport, Automotive, Railroads and Sea Transport.

The industries categorized in theTransportation sector appeared in the top five industries of35 members.

The average percentage of career contributions received from theTransportation sector was5 percent.

Partisan breakdown

The top five recipients of the industries comprising theTransportation sector had a partisan breakdown of:

Transportation sector partisan breakdown
Party	Recipients
Democratic	6
Republican	13

The member who had the highest concentration of all combinedTransportation industries was:
Rep.John Duncan, Jr.: 14.07 percent

Representatives[15] Top five industry recipients: Air Transport Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.John Duncan, Jr. 9.48% 2nd Rep.John Mica 8.88% 3rd Rep.Tom Petri 7.17% 4th Rep.Eddie Bernice Johnson 5.36% 5th Rep.Nick Rahall 4.6% Top five industry recipients: Automotive Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Roger Williams 7.66% 2nd Rep.John Campbell 6.58% 3rd Rep.Candice Miller 6.32% 4th Rep.John Dingell 5.72% 5th Rep.Billy Long 4.69% Top five industry recipients: Railroads Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Daniel Lipinski 6.14% 2nd Rep.Corrine Brown 4.97% 3rd Rep.John Duncan, Jr. 4.59% 4th Rep.Tom Petri 3.8% 5th Rep.Lou Barletta 2.64% Top five industry recipients: Sea Transport Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Steve Scalise 4.62% 2nd Rep.Don Young 4.4% 3rd Rep.Duncan Hunter 3.19% 4th Rep.Colleen Hanabusa 2.73%

Senators[16] Top five industry recipients: Air Transport Rank Senator % of career contributions 1st Sen.Jay Rockefeller 2.99%

Unions

Rep. Serrano had the highest concentration.

Industries categorized within the Unions sector are Building Trade Unions, Civil Servants/Public Officials, Misc Unions, Public Sector Unions and Transportation Unions.

The industries categorized in theUnions sector appeared in the top five industries of150 members.

The average percentage of career contributions received from theUnions sector was9.31 percent.

Partisan breakdown

The top five recipients of the industries comprising theUnions sector had a partisan breakdown of:

Unions sector partisan breakdown
Party	Recipients
Democratic	18
Independent	1

The member who had the highest concentration of all combinedUnions industries was:
Rep.Jose Serrano: 32.86 percent

Representatives[15] Top five industry recipients: Building Trade Unions Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.George Miller 8.33% 2nd Rep.Robert Brady 8.28% 3rd Rep.Mark Pocan 7.71% 4th Rep.Marcy Kaptur 7.36% 5th Rep.Al Green 7.02% Top five industry recipients: Industrial Unions Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Marcy Kaptur 8.59% 2nd Rep.George Miller 7.34% 3rd Rep.Gene Green 7.23% 4th Rep.Luis Gutierrez 6.87% 5th Rep.Al Green 6.41% Top five industry recipients: Public Sector Unions Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Jose Serrano 13.87% 2nd Rep.Danny K. Davis 10.97% 3rd Rep.Frederica Wilson 7.65% 4th Rep.Lucille Roybal-Allard 7.53% 5th Rep.Chaka Fattah 7.23% Top five industry recipients: Transportation Unions Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Corrine Brown 9.11% 2nd Rep.Peter DeFazio 8.71% 3rd Rep.Jose Serrano 8.66% 4th Rep.Nick Rahall 8.6% 5th Rep.Elijah Cummings 7.92% Top five industry recipients: Civil Servants/Public Officials Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Bill Foster 3.41% Top five industry recipients: Misc. Unions Rank Representative % of career contributions 1st Rep.Donna Edwards 3.82%

Senators[16] Top five industry recipients: Building Trade Unions Rank Senator % of career contributions 1st Sen.Joe Donnelly 3.02% Top five industry recipients: Industrial Unions Rank Senator % of career contributions 1st Sen.Bernie Sanders 2.1% Top five industry recipients: Public Sector Unions Rank Senator % of career contributions 1st Sen.Bernie Sanders 2% Top five industry recipients: Transportation Unions Rank Senator % of career contributions 1st Sen.Mazie Hirono 2.99%

Summary

Of the 15 sectors analyzed by Ballotpedia, nine had highly partisan giving patterns, appearing primarily in either Republican or Democratic members' top five sectors. Those nine sectors are nearly split between favoring Democrats and favoring Republicans, with five sectors appearing in the top five of Republicans and four in the top five of Democrats. The most heavily Republican-giving sector is theEnergy sector, with theHealthcare andConstruction/Real Estate sectors also heavily favoring Republicans. On the other hand, theUnions sector favored Democrats highly, with no Republicans appearing in the top five of any industry within the sector. Democrats, however, hold 18 positions, with an independent holding a single place. Like theUnions sector, no Republicans appear in any of the top five lists for any industry withinEducation. Only eight Democrats received enough money from donors in that sector for it to be among their top five sectors.

Despite these highly partisan giving patterns, most sectors give substantial sums of money to members of both parties. With the exceptions ofUnions andEducation, every sector had at least one congressman from each party that received sufficient donations from a sector to count it among his or her top five. This could mean that donors from most sectors are hedging their bets, giving money to members of both parties. It could also mean that political ideologies are diverse enough across the country that donors are attracted to members of both parties. Regardless of which is the case, it is clear that even in a highly politicized environment, money crosses the political divide regularly.

Sectors: Bill sponsorship

Bill sponsorship in Congress is a direct way to endorse a specific piece of legislation.FindTheBest, a research organization that has partnered with Ballotpedia on various projects, tracks the topics that members of Congress attach their names to through sponsorships. Of the 15sectors, four of the highest recipients had direct correlations between sector donations and bill sponsorship. Below are the numbers fromFindTheBest for the top recipients of theBanking,Construction/Real Estate,Defense & Foreign Policy andHealthcare sectors.

Banking

Rep.Spencer Bachus had the highest concentration of donations from theBanking industry: 31.48 percent.

Construction/Real Estate

Rep.Gary Miller had the highest concentration of donations from theConstruction/Real Estate industry: 14.95 percent.

Defense & Foreign Policy

Rep.Buck McKeon had the highest concentration of donations from theDefense & Foreign Policy industry: 14.99 percent.

Healthcare

Rep.Michael Burgess had the highest concentration of donations from theHealthcare industry: 41.05 percent.

Sectors: Most invested

To gauge the investment of the different sectors, below we have pulled out a few interesting statistics:

• The industry that appears in the most members' top five industries
• The sector that averaged the highest percentage of members' total donations
• The most polarized sectors

Heavily donating sectors

Most polarized sectors

Many of the sectors had a strong lean to one party or the other. Looking at each sector, below are the interests that trended most Democratic and most Republican:

• Education

8

0

• Lawyers & Lobbyists

18

2

• Unions

18

1

• Energy

3

19

• Healthcare

4

18

See also

Suggest a link

• Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress)
• List of committees in the United States Congress

External links

• OpenSecrets.org
• FindTheBest.com

Footnotes

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