As the Republican presidential contest heats up, the focus is on the close finish last week’s Iowa caucuses and Tuesday’s all-important New Hampshire primary. But the candidates have been lavishing plenty of attention elsewhere.

From fundraisers at donors’ residences and corporate offices to fancy receptions, they’re making time to show in states that historically have produced the most campaign donations, including California, Florida, Illinois, New York and Texas.

Click here for a list of fundraisers we’ve collected from these states.

The “ATM states” as pols sometimes dub their favorite cash cows, are proud of their status as candidate magnets.

“California is home to the largest Republican donor base upon the planet, and any well-organized candidate who’s going to work to raise money must include California,” Ron Nehring, former chairman of the state GOP told the Los Angeles Times.

One leading candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, has attended multiple fundraisers in California including one at the home of Sun Microsystems founder Scott McNealy. On Sept. 26, literary agent and now Romney adviser and finance chair, Jillian Manus Salzman hosted a lunch fundraiser for Romney at her residence.

Despite spending a lot of time prepping for the New Hampshire primary, former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman hosted a luncheon at a restaurant in North Hollywood and a VIP Reception and luncheon in Los Angeles.

Florida and New York are also popular stops on the political money trail. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is scheduled to be the guest speaker at The Orange County Republican Executive Committee 2012 Lincoln Day Dinner on Jan. 28.

Party Time records show Romney holding a breakfast reception and an evening reception in New York City, a lunch reception in Orlando, Fla., and an evening event Tampa, Fla., starting last summer.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry held his Sunshine State Kickoff during the month of September, holding events in Miami, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando and Palm Beach.

Candidates also have been active in South Carolina, which hosts the South’s first primary on Jan. 21.

Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., was the guest speaker at several events and fundraisers in Lake Wylie, Greenville and Berkeley. On Sept. 15, he was the guest speaker at the South Carolina Republican Party fundraiser. He also attended an Oct. 26 fundraiser that benefited the Spartanburg Republican Party.

A few days after announcing his presidential candidacy, Perry, was the special guest at the “First in the South” luncheon hosted by the South Carolina Republican Party.

Please help Sunlight build our presidential fundraising database! Submit any invitations, fundraising fliers or event information anonymously here or via email at partytime@sunlightfoundation.com

Most of the major GOP presidential candidates are scheduled to speak at an annual fundraiser honoring Ronald Reagan for the Iowa Republican Party Friday night, at an event where a ten-person VIP table costs $1,500.

Nine presidential candidates were invited but frontrunners Mitt Romney and Herman Cain will not be there . Both will be attending Washington, D.C. summit put on by Americans for Prosperity, a conservative nonprofit backed by the billionaire Koch brothers. Romney will be delivering an address on fiscal policy. But candidates Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., Ron Paul, R-Texas, Gov. Rick Perry, R-Texas, Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum will be speaking at the Iowa event. Here’s a speaking schedule from the Des Moines Register.

That high price tag will get donors ten seats, along with two tickets to the host reception which kicks off the event. The prices go down from there: a non-VIP table of ten is $1,000, a “premium reserve” seat is $150, and general seating is $75. The invitation was posted on the Iowa Republican Party’s website.

The Republican presidential candidates are preparing to face off at the Iowa Caucus on Jan. 3.

CSPAN-2 will be providing live coverage at the event.

Fresh off the news that former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney is leading the GOP pack in fundraising, the Republican front-runner is planning to hold a fundraiser at the end of the month in Washington, D.C.

The event, known as the “Lawyers for Romney Luncheon,” will be hosted by a set of Washington GOP power-players sure to help Romney haul in the big bucks. The luncheon will take place at the office of powerhouse lobbying firm Patton Boggs. Several Patton Boggs lobbyists are listed on the host committee, including senator-turned lobbyist Trent Lott. The former Senate Majority Leader formed the Breaux Lott Leadership Group lobbying firm in 2008, which was acquired by Patton Boggs last year. Another leading lobby house, Blank Rome, will be represented at the Romney event by one of its top lobbyists, J. Caleb Boggs III.

The host committee also includes Gus Coldebella, former general counsel at the Department of Homeland Security and Andrew Siff, former chief of staff to the Secretary of Labor during the George W. Bush years. Elliot Berke, counsel to former House Majority Leader Tom Delay, R-Texas, is also featured on the invitation.

The ask to attend the event is $1,000 for an individual or PAC while hosting the event is $5,000 (unless the donor has already given $2,500 to the campaign, in which case it is $2,500).

This just came in from a trusted source: not an invitation, per se, but an invitation to be listed on an invitation from former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney–widely seen as a frontrunner for the GOP presidential nomination in 2012, which provides a window on to how these events are organized.

Romney was trolling (deadline was yesterday) for hosts and co-hosts for an event benefiting his Political Action Committee,  Free & Strong America PAC, on Feb. 11, for bowling at Lucky Strike Lanes. His ask: raise or contribute $1,000 to be a host, $500 to be a co-host.

Romney has used the PAC to contribute to such candidates as the new senator from Massachusetts, Scott Brown, (Romney takes credit for Brown’s win here) as well as GOP leaders such as House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) and Rep. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.)

I want you to be among the first to know about an upcoming event for the Free and Strong America PAC, featuring Gov. Romney.  On Wednesday, February 17th, Mitt will be in DC and is doing an event for his PAC at 7:00 pm.

I hope you will consider being a Host or Co-Host for this fun event – Bowling with Mitt.  The money raised will go toward the important efforts of Mitt’s Free and Strong America PAC to promote conservative causes and help Republican candidates in 2010.

Are you able to serve as a Host or Co-Host (and have your name listed on the invitation) for the “Bowling with Mitt” event on February 17th? The price to attend will be $150/person, and we are asking Hosts to raise or contribute $1,000 and Co-Hosts to raise or contribute $500.  If you are interested, please e-mail Gretchen Moss at gretchen@gretchenmoss.com, and let us know how you would like your name listed on the invitation. The deadline for getting names on the initial invitation is Monday, February 1st at 5:00 PM.  Please also forward this e-mail to any others that you think may be interested in Hosting or Co-Hosting.  Complete Event details are below:

Bowling with Mitt

and Celebrity Bowlers

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

7:00 pm

Lucky Strike Lanes

Gallery Place

701 7th Street NW
Second Floor

Washington, DC, 20001

Host: Give or raise $1,000

Co-Host: Give or raise $500

Attend: $150

Contributions are not tax deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. Federal law requires us to obtain and report the name, mailing address, occupation and name of employer for each individual whose contributions aggregate in excess of $200 per calendar year. By law, the maximum amount an individual may contribute is $5,000 ($10,000 per couple) per calendar year. PACs may also contribute $5,000 per calendar year. Contributions by corporations, foreign nationals (non-green card holders), labor unions, federal government contractors, and minors under the age of 16 are prohibited.

Tweet 0 Comments