First to Come, Last to Leave: An Analysis on Seed Donors and Politicians

• In Event: Money and Politics

Abstract

Are all politician and donor relations equal? I argue that the first supporters to politicians when their odds were lowest (i.e. their first open seat primaries) matter more to them than other donors. Likewise, since the donors supported the candidate in their least favorable electoral point, they have vetted the politician based on their commitment to the donor’s policy demands and perceived competence (Bawn et al 2023), and will thus be more loyal to them as well. I test the strength of such relationships by tracking first donor donations to the politicians across multiple elections. Looking at PAC donations to the 102nd Congress to the 115th Congress freshman cohorts, I find first donor donations tend to oscillate whereas bandwagoning groups’ donations decrease overtime and that if groups survive past a certain threshold, they tends to remain with them until the end of their tenures. Additionally, I find differences in donation patterns among different “eras” defined by system shocks to Congressional elections, different types of interests (policy, industry, and union), as well as groups seeking “access” verses “policy.” In sum, my analysis shows a type of strong candidate and donor relations that extend across multiple elections.

Author

• Ayoung Chun, University of California, Los Angeles