An analysis of Federal Election Commission filings reveals where Alabama's 2nd District congressman gets his campaign money — and it's not from Alabama.
89.4% of all funds come from outside Alabama. Washington DC alone provides $252,216 — nearly a third of every dollar raised.
Nearly three-quarters of all funds come from Political Action Committees. Only 16.6% comes from individual citizens anywhere — and only 5.1% from Alabama individuals.
Total from individual Alabama citizens — 50 donors, 180 contributions. That's less than many local school board campaigns raise.
Grassroots donors under $200 account for $72,803 of $792,769 in total receipts. $108,459 of that flows through ActBlue — an online conduit processing donations from anywhere.
Washington DC alone contributed more than three times what Alabama did. The top three non-Alabama states combined gave nearly five times Alabama's total.
| State | Amount | % of Itemized | Contributions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington, DC | $252,216 | 41.2% | 173 |
| Alabama | $83,645 | 13.7% | 193 |
| Virginia | $76,100 | 12.4% | 57 |
| Georgia | $31,400 | 5.1% | 29 |
| Maryland | $24,100 | 3.9% | 27 |
| Texas | $22,675 | 3.7% | 29 |
| California | $16,852 | 2.7% | 15 |
| Illinois | $11,650 | 1.9% | 12 |
| Tennessee | $10,250 | 1.7% | 4 |
| New York | $10,218 | 1.7% | 15 |
ActBlue ($108,459) excluded from state rankings. ActBlue is an online fundraising conduit based in Somerville, MA — its address of record does not reflect where the actual donors live. Listed separately in the donor bar above as "Online Conduit."
Even within Alabama, his itemized money is small and clusters in a handful of cities. The totals below are a rounding error next to the out-of-state flood shown above.
| City | Amount | % of AL Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile | $10,361 | 25.8% | |
| Seale | $7,000 | 17.4% | |
| Vestavia | $4,300 | 10.7% | |
| Birmingham | $4,125 | 10.3% | |
| Atmore | $3,500 | 8.7% | |
| Montgomery | $1,875 | 4.7% | |
| Rest of AL | $8,984 | 22.4% | Mixed |
ActBlue alone accounts for more than $108,000 — four times the next largest PAC. Labor unions, partisan funds, and leadership PACs round out the top tier.
| PAC Name | Amount | Type |
|---|---|---|
| ActBlue (online conduit) | $108,459 | Conduit / Online |
| New Democrat Coalition Action Fund | $10,500 | Partisan |
| Regions Financial Corporation PAC | $10,000 | Banking |
| Jobs Education & Families First (JEFF PAC) | $10,000 | Leadership |
| AFSCME | $10,000 | Labor |
| Sapphire Strategies | $8,593 | Consulting / PAC |
| Democracy Engine PAC | $8,500 | Conduit |
| SMART (Sheet Metal Workers) | $7,500 | Labor |
| AFLAC PAC | $7,500 | Insurance |
| Fair Shot PAC | $7,000 | Leadership |
| CRH Americas PAC | $7,000 | Construction |
| Farm Credit Council PAC | $6,500 | Agriculture |
| Name | Location | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liz Simons | Atherton, CA | $7,000 | Silicon Valley tech heiress |
| John Arnold | Houston, TX | $3,500 | Billionaire hedge fund manager |
| Keith Frakes | Seale, AL | $3,500 | Top Alabama individual donor |
| Janie Greene | Seale, AL | $3,500 | Tied for top Alabama individual donor |
| Poarch Band of Creek Indians | Atmore, AL | $3,500 | Tribal gaming — also a PAC donor |
| William House | Vestavia, AL | $3,300 | Alabama individual donor |
| Lonnie Johnson | Atlanta, GA | $2,000 | Out of state |
| Christopher Smith | Alexandria, VA | $2,000 | DC-area donor |
Alabama deserves a representative who answers to constituents, not corporate PACs and coastal elites.